At Case Western Reserve University School of Law, we welcome applicants of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our admission process is rigorous yet flexible, involving a holistic review that aligns with all university policies—including the non-discrimination policy and Title IX policy—and considers special circumstances.
Admission Requirements
To enroll in our Juris Doctor (JD) program, regardless of format, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Competitive applicants are those who have pursued a broad, challenging education with courses that strengthen critical thinking, logic and analysis, and writing skills.
Standardized Test Requirements and Guidance
All first-year applicants are required to take one of the following assessments:
- The Law School Admission Test (LSAT), administered by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). We recommend you take it the summer or fall before you apply. LSAC automatically reports all LSAT scores from the past five years; there’s no option to not report your score(s). Learn more at www.lsac.org or by calling 215.968.1001.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Note it takes 14 days for ETS to transmit a score. We must receive your score from the ETS by our application deadline. If you’ve taken the GRE, you can log in to your ETS account and select Case Western Reserve University School of Law as a recipient using school code 4812. GRE scores are valid for five years and must be reported directly to us.
- The JD-Next exam, administered by Aspen. We must receive your score from Aspen by our application deadline. You can log into your JD-Next account and select Case Western Reserve University School of Law as a recipient.
You must report all valid LSAT and GRE scores you have received. While all scores are considered, we place the greatest emphasis on your highest score.
Application Components
All applicants must register with LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) (code: 1105) and submit a completed application form. This provides us with your letters of recommendation and the CAS analysis of your undergraduate and graduate school transcripts.
All applications must be submitted through LSAC’s electronic application service, which streamlines the process for applying to all American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools. If you submit your application electronically through LSAC, we will waive the application fee.
To ensure your application is complete, you must submit the following:
- Personal statement
- Resume
- Two letters of recommendation
- An LSAT, GRE or JD-Next score
- A CAS report
- Your complete LSAC file
Application Status
Once we receive your electronic application, you will receive an email with a username and password to access the Application/Online Status (AOS) page of our website. You can then check the status of your application at any time.
Transcripts
To enroll, you must have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree. After acceptance and prior to matriculation, you must submit:
- One official transcript from your undergraduate degree-granting institution certifying your receipt of a bachelor’s degree, and
- One official transcript from your graduate degree-granting institution.
Transcripts must be sent directly from the degree-granting institution, which means we will not accept a transcript directly from you. Electronic transcripts are accepted.
Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in suspension or dismissal from the School of Law. You must also update your CAS Report through LSAC with your final transcript showing the award of your bachelor's degree prior to matriculation.
Standard of Truthfulness and Full Disclosure: Character and Fitness
As a future legal professional, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and honesty. You must certify your application and supplemental materials are complete, true and accurate.
You must disclose:
- Any criminal proceedings (including juvenile, dismissed, expunged or sealed cases)
- Any disciplinary or administrative actions (academic, employment, licensing, military, etc.), whether formal or informal
Failure to disclose information, provide truthful answers, or inform the admissions office of any changes to your answers—particularly in the character and fitness section—may be more serious than the act or event itself and can result in revoked admission, disciplinary action, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.
If you have been subject to any criminal proceedings, they must be disclosed even if they were juvenile adjudications or have been dismissed, expunged, sealed or similarly disposed of. If you have been subject to any disciplinary or other administrative proceedings (including any academic, employment, licensing board or military proceedings, whether formal or informal), you must disclose them.
For further guidance on whether or not a matter should be disclosed, contact the Office of Admissions at lawadmissions@case.edu.
Admission to a State Bar
In addition to a bar examination, each U.S. jurisdiction has its own character and fitness requirements for bar admission. You can contact the relevant jurisdiction to confirm specific requirements. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Applicant Types
If you’re applying from a different institution or another country, our team can provide further guidance to assist you in the application process.
Transfer Applicants
Started your law school career somewhere else and are looking to finish at Case Western Reserve? Please see our transfer student page to get details on your application process, and make note we don’t accept transfer students into our online JD program.
International Applicants
Foreign transcripts must be submitted through LSAC’s JD Credential Assembly Service (JD CAS).
If you completed any postsecondary work outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your transcripts—except if you completed the work through a study abroad, consortium or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution and the work is clearly indicated as such on your home campus transcript.
This service, included in your CAS fee, provides a Foreign Credential Evaluation by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be added to your CAS report.
If your undergraduate instruction was not in English, you will need to submit a TOEFL score. You must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC’s TOEFL code for the JD CAS is 8395. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSAC Law School Report.
For questions, contact LSAC at 215.968.1001 or visit www.lsac.org.
Withdrawal of Admission
We reserve the right to withdraw an offer of admission if you fail to maintain satisfactory scholastic standing, if final records fail to show completion of courses and/or degrees required for admission, or if the admission decision was based on incomplete or inaccurate information, including false or incomplete character and fitness disclosures.