Breadcrumbs
Iowa Law's JD program is ranked 26th in the nation out of over 200 law schools (US News and World Report).
Juris Doctor Program
Admissions
Multiple criteria are used to initially determine which applicants' admission will best advance the College of Law's missions of providing a high-quality legal education and preparing students to serve as leaders in their professional and civic communities. Two criteria of importance are undergraduate academic record and performance on the Law School Admissions Test. The Admissions Committee recognizes, however, that there are circumstances in which these numerical criteria do not accurately reflect an applicant's potential and exclusive reliance upon these two factors would then result in an incomplete assessment of an applicant's ability to succeed in the study of law, develop skills as a leader, and enrich the learning experience. Therefore, an admissions policy has been developed to evaluate an applicant's total suitability for admission.
This policy is intended to emphasize that numerical indicators are not disregarded but rather are supplemented by consideration of other nonquantifiable factors that may provide a more accurate picture of an applicant's overall potential for the study and practice of law. Candidates wishing to call the committee's attention to any relevant factors may do so via their personal statement, a separate statement, résumé, letters of recommendation, or other documentation included with their application.
Requirements
Applicants for admission to The University of Iowa College of Law must complete all requirements for the baccalaureate degree before beginning law school. In addition, the baccalaureate degree must be earned from an undergraduate institution that is accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education. This requirement is in line with standards that are set by the College of Law's primary accrediting agency, the American Bar Association.
Fulfillment of the basic requirements does not guarantee admission. The College of Law Admissions Committee selects applicants it deems best able to help the College fulfill its primary mission.
The services that College of Law graduates are called upon to perform are so varied, and the possible fields of endeavor are so broad and diverse, that the college prescribes no uniform undergraduate program for those planning to enter law school. With the assistance of faculty advisers, each student should develop an undergraduate program that explores and develops that student's particular intellectual interests.
Iowa strongly endorses the three basic objectives recommended by a committee of the Association of American Law Schools: education for comprehension and expression in words; education for a critical understanding of the human institutions and value with which the law deals; and education for greater power in thinking. Anyone thinking of attending law school should keep these objectives in mind while planning an undergraduate course of study.
The association's recommendations emphasize that undergraduate education of students for a full life through liberal education is far more important than education directed too pointedly toward later professional training and practice. Students are urged not to sacrifice broad perspective for detailed specialization.
Admission to State Bar [pdf]
Applicants for admission to a state bar will undergo an extensive evaluation to determine whether they have the character and fitness required for the practice of law. For this reason, both the College of Law and the American Bar Association (ABA) encourage all applicants to “determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which [applicants intend] to practice” before they matriculate to law school. (ABA Standard 504(a).)
Student body
As of August 2011, the College of Law has an enrollment of 556 JD candidates and 5 LLM students. Roughly 42% are women, 17% are minorities, and 49% are Iowa residents.
Application Pool
The College receives approximately 1,800 to 2,000 applications annually. Approximately 200 students enroll in the fall. For the 2011 entering class: the median GPA is 3.64 and the median LSAT is 161.
LSAT
February 2012 is the last test date the College of Law will accept for applicants seeking admission to the 2012 entering class. However, we recommend that you consider the October or December 2011 LSAT as the last practical test date to allow you sufficient time to prepare your application and evaluate your options because many law schools do not accept the February LSAT and it may take up to four weeks from the date we make a request for the official CAS report to arrive at the law school. Your application file cannot be reviewed without the official CAS report.
If you have taken the LSAT more than once, the Admissions Committee uses the higher of the scores.
Preference to Residents
Some preference is given to Iowa residents. The Admissions Committee seeks to create an entering class that is comprised of approximately 50 percent Iowa residents. For information on resident status classification, please see the University Registrar's web site.
Undergraduate Institutions
No preference is given to The University of Iowa undergraduate students. We accept students from a wide variety of undergraduate institutions; roughly 100 different institutions in a typical year. The Admissions Committee does not give more weight to applications from The University of Iowa students.
Career Services Numbers
The Office of Career Services is staffed with experienced professionals who offer students numerous career counseling and job search services throughout the year. For more information, please visit the Career Services page.