Application Instructions

Full-time/Part-Time Evening Program

Applicants to UH Law Center have two options for completing their JD degree: the three-year, full-time program or four-year, part-time program. Applicants must choose either full-time or part-time; applicants may not apply to both. The full-time program is designed for students who plan to devote nearly all of their time to the study of law.  The Part-Time Evening Program is designed for students who plan to work during law school. After the first year, students can choose from a wide variety of upper-division electives. The American Bar Association prohibits full-time students from working more than 20 hours per week. Please consider this mandate when determining which program will best fit your needs. UH Law Center does not offer spring enrollment.

Deadlines

Applications received after November 15th will be considered as regular decision.  Early decision applicants for both the full-time and part-time programs may take the November LSAT. While the early decision deadline is November 15th, the CAS deadline is December 15th.  Therefore, an applicant can submit their application by the November 15th date without an LSAT score.  If  an applicant participates in the November LSAT administration, it will be included in their CAS Report prior to the deadline of December 15th. Applications received after the listed regular decision dates will be evaluated at the end of the process.   All persons who will need a student visa should take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) by the December date.

	Part-Time Evening Program	FULL-TIME
Early Decision	November 15	November 15
CAS report Received by	December 15	December 15
Regular Decision	May 15	March 15
CAS report Received by	June 15	April 15

 

LSAT/LSDAS/JD CAS

All applicants must take the LSAT and complete their transcript registration with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) in a timely manner. Applicants whose undergraduate degrees were earned outside the US or Canada will register for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) JD Credential Assembly Service (JD CAS). LSDAS or JD CAS processing should be completed in advance of the deadlines so that the application can receive full consideration. Applicants who apply to UH Law Center must take the LSAT using the 120-180 point scale. Early decision applicants must take the LSAT no later than the November preceding the November 15 deadline. Full-time regular decision applicants are encouraged to take the LSAT no later than December, but February scores will be accepted on a space-available basis. Part-time regular decision applicants are encouraged to take the LSAT no later than February, but June scores will be accepted on a space-available basis. LSAT scores are valid for five years from the month an applicant takes the exam. Applicants who require a student visa are encouraged to take the LSAT no later than the February administration.

Applicants who have completed any post secondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, must use the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service for the evaluation of foreign transcripts, unless you completed the foreign coursework through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the LSDAS registration fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your LSDAS report. TOEFL scores should also be submitted to the JDCAS by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). LSAC's TOEFL code for the JD Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSDAS law school report.

If you would like us to consider a score from a future LSAT, you should attach a note to the top page of your application or electronically attach a note asking that we hold your file until the future test score arrives, or e-mail a separate statement to lawadmissions@uh.edu. No other communications will be acceptable. If we do not receive this communication prior to reviewing your file, the later score may not be considered.

Application Fee

There is no application fee at this time.

Required Questions

Some questions in the application require a response in order for your application to be submitted. These required questions are marked by a colored asterisk. Questions not marked as required are optional. Applicants who choose not to answer an optional question will not be disadvantaged in the review process.

Mandatory Attachments–Required for ALL Applications:

Personal Statement–A personal statement of up to three pages, double-spaced, is extremely valuable in the selection process. Because we do not grant personal interviews, this is your opportunity to tell the Admissions Committee more about yourself. It is, in essence, your personal interview on paper. You may write your personal statement on any subject. Use the electronic attachment to submit your statement. Past statements have included such topics as:

• a discussion of special circumstances in your background (such as hardships overcome and unique experiences);
• a description of the personal strengths you would bring to the UH Law Center and to the practice of law;
• a description of what you intend or hope to do professionally (if you choose to write on this topic, you may want to identify experiences or aspects of your record that indicate promise in the selected area);
• a description of why you want to attend the UH Law Center; and
• any subject of importance to you that you feel will assist us in assessing your strengths and abilities.

Résumé–Attach a résumé or a list of civic and extracurricular activities, honor societies, and work experience on a separate sheet. Use an electronic attachment to submit your statement.

Letters of Recommendation–You must submit a minimum of two and a maximum of three letters of recommendation. The most useful letters of recommendation are those from employers, professors, or colleagues with whom you have had close working relationships. Do not submit more than three letters of recommendation. All letters must be sent through CAS.

Optional Attachments–Permitted for ALL Applicants:

Optional Statement–You may wish to explain or highlight elements in your application that are not readily apparent. You may write an optional statement regarding your diversity, disadvantaged background, socioeconomic status, grade trends, substantial discrepancy between your performance on standardized tests and your actual level of academic achievement, or any other information you believe is relevant to the Admissions Committee that has not been previously included in your personal statement. Please limit this statement to no more than one page. Use the electronic attachment option.

It is university policy, consistent with Texas statutes, that no single criterion can be utilized as the sole determiner of admission status, nor can fixed weights be applied to any one criterion during the admission process; therefore, both the mandatory and optional attachments are extremely important in the decision-making process.

Disability–If you wish to have your disability considered as a factor in the admission process, you must identify the disability and provide an explanation of why it is a factor. Information documenting the disability may be required.

Optional Attachments–Required for certain applicants:
Character and Fitness–If you answered yes to any of the questions in the Character and Fitness section, please include an electronic attachment explaining all the relevant circumstances. For questions 2-4, forward the final disposition of the incident(s). See below for more detailed instructions on the Character and Fitness section.

Prior Law School Enrollment–If you have previously enrolled in any law school, please attach a statement which includes the name of the institution or institutions, dates of attendance, the number of credit hours earned, and an explanation of the reason for not continuing your legal education there. We will also need an official copy of your transcript (sent through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service). If you are in good standing with the school please provide a Letter of Good Standing.

Residency Statement–If there is any additional information that you believe UH Law Center should know in evaluating your eligibility to be classified as a Texas resident for tuition purposes, please attach a residency statement. Please note: You must also complete the Residency Questionnaire, which is located at http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/tx-residency-info.html.  If the Residency Questionnaire is not completed, we will not be able to consider your request for residency classification. You can find additional information on residency at http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/tx-residency-info.html.

Checking the Status of Your Application

The Office of Admissions will notify applicants by e-mail when their application has been received and processed. Therefore, it is important that you provide us with a current e-mail address and that you check your e-mail regularly. While the Office of Admissions seeks to keep applicants informed of their status, it is the applicant's responsibility to make sure the application and all supplemental materials are received by the deadline. Applications that are not completed prior to the deadline will be denied. Applicants can check the status of their LSDAS file online at www.LSAC.org.

Because we use a rolling admissions process, there is likely to be more availability earlier in the process. Decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in October. Early decisions will be mailed no later than mid-February. Regular decisions for full-time are usually mailed by mid-May, although you may hear sooner. Regular decisions for part-time are usually mailed by mid-July, although you may hear sooner. All decisions will be communicated to the applicants in writing. To protect the applicant's confidentiality, the admissions staff will not give admissions decisions over the telephone.

Character and Fitness

You should take care to respond fully and carefully to every question on this application, but you should use extra care with regard to questions 1-4. While an answer of "yes" to any of these questions will not result in rejection of your application, a false answer of "no," once discovered, can have very serious repercussions. Both the UH Law Center and any state bar association to which you apply will consider any substantial discrepancy between your application and the facts as grounds for adverse action, including revocation of admission to, or expulsion from, the UH Law Center or denial of admission to the bar.

Good moral character is part of being a worthwhile lawyer. Providing truthful and complete answers to these questions is your chance to exhibit that character.

Question 1. You must disclose all incidents of suspension, probation, or other disciplinary action even if it happened when you were a juvenile, and even if your school did not include it in your records. If you do not remember the details and do not have any records, you must fully disclose all you can remember, make a diligent search for all additional information, and supplement your responses as necessary.

Question 2. You must disclose any incident where you were convicted (or pleaded guilty or no contest), placed on probation, or granted deferred adjudication, even if it happened when you were a juvenile, and even if an attorney has told you differently. If you do not remember the details and do not have any records, you must fully disclose all you can remember, make a diligent search for all additional information, and supplement your responses as necessary.

Question 3. You must disclose any offense, even if it happened when you were a juvenile, and even if you were acquitted or the charges were dismissed. If you do not remember the details and do not have any records, you must fully disclose all you can remember, make a diligent search for all additional information, and supplement your responses as necessary.

For questions 2 and 3, you do not have to disclose Class C misdemeanor traffic violations such as citations for speeding, running a stop sign, or changing lanes improperly. Citations given for violations that show a disregard for the law or for one’s financial responsibilities, such as failure to provide proof of insurance or driving on a suspended license, MUST be disclosed.  In addition, a warrant issued for failure to appear must be reported, even if the underlying offense was a Class C misdemeanor traffic violation.  Please note that the exception for Class C misdemeanor traffic violations is very limited in scope and should not be cited to excuse non-disclosure of offenses outside of the few listed above.  If you have any questions about whether a particular offense should be disclosed, please contact the Office of Admissions at 713-743-2280.

For question 2 and 3, if the record has been expunged or sealed, you do not have to disclose the incident. You should not fail to disclose an offense based on its having been expunged or sealed unless, at the time you are filling out the application, you have in your possession either a written order of expunction or a written statement from an attorney or a responsible and knowledgeable official of the jurisdiction involved that the offense has been expunged or sealed.

Question 4. You must disclose any involuntary confinement by a governmental authority where it was determined that you were dangerous to yourself or others, even if the incident occurred while you were a juvenile. You do not have to disclose if you voluntarily committed yourself.

To see specific examples of the type of information that must be disclosed, visit www.law.uh.edu/admissions/apply-now-character-and-fitness.html. The UH Law Center expects you to be familiar with these examples and will not be sympathetic to students who fail to disclose matters that clearly had to be revealed. If you still have questions after viewing these materials, please contact the Office of Admissions at 713.743.2280.

The UH Law Center places upon each applicant the continuing responsibility to promptly notify us of any changes that render incorrect or incomplete any response in the application. This notification is required prior to admission, after admission, and any time while enrolled as a student. You should also research the character and fitness qualifications for the state(s) in which you intend to practice.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

There is no separate application for scholarships. All admitted first-year applicants will be considered for scholarships. It is university policy, consistent with Texas statutes, that no single criterion can be utilized as the sole determiner for the award of competitive scholarships nor can fixed weights be applied to any one criterion during the selection process.

Visiting the UH Law Center

The Office of Admissions encourages all applicants to visit the UH Law Center for a tour, to visit a first-year class, or to meet with a member of the admissions staff. Visits are best scheduled when classes are in session and should be arranged in advance. The Office of Admissions offers a number of informational sessions, open houses, and other events for prospective students throughout the year. Event dates, times, and locations are available at http://www.law.uh.edu/admissions/visiting-uhlc.asp. Student-led tours, class visits, and appointments with admissions staff can be scheduled by calling 713.743.2280 or by sending an e-mail to lawadmissions@uh.edu.