Applicants to the College of Law must submit the NIU Law online application, which is available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
The priority application deadline is April 1. We'll accept applications after the deadline as space allows.
To be eligible for admission, you must:
Create your LSAC account at LSAC.org and register to take the LSAT.
Register with LSAC's CAS, which will streamline the application process. After you submit the required materials, LSAC will forward your LSAT score and CAS report to NIU and any other schools to which you apply.
Access the NIU application for admission on the LSAC website. Complete the application and upload your supporting materials:
The LSAC letter of recommendation service is included in your CAS registration. While we require only one letter, we'll accept up to four. We strongly recommend at least one letter from a professor or academic dean at your college or university.
After our Office of Admissions receives the required documentation, our admissions committee will review your application. You're responsible for communicating with the Office of Admissions and completing all admission requirements.
To check your application status, visit the LSAC applicant status checker and log in with your LSAC credentials. You can edit your profile information and submit additional documents as needed.
If you're from a non-English-speaking country, you must take the TOEFL unless you obtained a bachelor's degree in the United States.
If you completed coursework or a degree at an international institution, we encourage you to submit those transcripts through LSAC's CAS for evaluation by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. This service is included in the standard CAS fee.
We also accept international credential evaluation reports from:
The report must indicate that the degree earned is the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.
If you completed coursework in the J.D. program at another ABA-accredited law school, you may apply for admission as a transfer student (or as a “visiting student” and transfer credits back to your home school). Transfer students are eligible for on-campus interviewing and other services provided by our Office of Career Opportunities.
We recommend that you submit your application at least one month prior to the semester in which you intend to enroll. If admitted for the fall semester, you may begin your studies the preceding summer, if admitted prior to the start of that session.
In addition to the materials described in the How to Apply section, you must submit:
After you're admitted, you'll meet with the dean of students to determine which credits will transfer. We do not grant transfer credit for:
You'll be given a class rank equivalent to the rank you would hold in the class with which you'll graduate. Your rank will be in addition to the same rank held by a non-transfer student, to avoid changing the rank of a non-transfer student. Thus, there will be a non-transfer student in your class with the same rank as you.