The educational philosophy of the college reflects a belief that a quality legal education is enhanced by having a heterogeneous student body. The committee, therefore also considers race, cultural background, unique personal circumstances, and age. The college encourages applications from persons who wish to return to school after an interruption for family responsibilities and from individuals considering a career change. To be considered for admission, a candidate must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university by the date of anticipated enrollment. A notice of acceptance may be issued before the undergraduate degree has been obtained, but suc acceptance is conditional upon the applicant's receipt of the degree.
Full-Time Day Program Only
The College of Law offers a full-time day program only; entering students are enrolled during the fall semester in August. The first-year class is limited to 135
students, 385 total students in the law school. The admission application process should be started in the fall of the year prior to that in which admission is sought.
Applicants should submit their credentials by March 1 to ensure priority consideration. Applications received after that date will be considered, but only to the extent
that space is available.
Early Decision (Binding)
The University of Cincinnati College of Law has recently implemented an Early Decision Program. The Early Decision Program was designed for students who have researched
all of their legal education options and have decided by December 1 the University of Cincinnati College of Law is their first choice institution. Students who desire to
participate in the Early Decision Program must submit a complete application and the supplemental Early Decision Program form (page five) by December 1. (In order to be
considered complete an applicant must have taken the LSAT by September 2007 and have submitted all required documentation to LSDAS, letters of recommendation included.)
Students will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision by January 15. If offered admission under the Early Decision Program, applicants must withdraw all other law school applications, as it is a binding process.
Preparation for Law School
While a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university is required prior to enrolling in
the College of Law, no specific major or particular course is prescribed. The college follows the
statement of the Association of American Law Schools, which describes those capacities to be
developed in preparing for law study but recognizes that they may be acquired through different pre-law
courses. The basic skills and insights that should be developed are comprehension and expression in
words, critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals, and creative
power in thinking. For admission purposes, the undergraduate major is less important than the quality of
instruction and the level of academic achievement attained. The student preparing for law should take
courses sufficiently difficult to assist in the development of the rigorous intellectual discipline essential
to law school success. Although political science is the traditional pre-law major, English, history,
economics, business, science, and philosophy are also common choices. In developing the skills of a
lawyer, the student should place special emphasis on oral and written communication skills. In general,
the student should obtain the best available education that develops analytic ability and broadens general
knowledge. For additional information, prospective law students should consult the current ABA-LSAC
Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, which is prepared by the Law School Admission Council
(LSAC) and the American Bar Association (ABA). The Offical Guide includes material on pre-law
preparation and applying to law schools, together with helpful descriptions of most American law
schools. This publication may be obtained at college bookstores or ordered from LSAC.
Diversity in the Admissions Process
The College of Law has long held that a diverse and heterogeneous student body leads to stimulating
and exciting classroom discussion. To achieve this goal, the College of Law seeks to attract students
from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, including students of color, students who have been
educationally and economically disadvantaged, students who may be from particularly urban or rural
backgrounds, and students from a wide and varied intellectual background. By maintaining and
enhancing diversity in the student body, all students have the opportunity to learn from several different
perspectives and, in the long run, improve their own capabilities as attorneys and upholders of the law.
The best manner in which to discuss one's uniqueness and diversity with the admission committee is
through a well-written personal statement or through the use of the Supplementary Information
Questionnaire included with the Application (page nine).
Notification of Admission Decisions
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis by the Admissions Committee in December when
sufficient applications are complete in order to start the review process. The Admissions Committee
continues to evaluate application files until late spring. Every applicant will receive a decision letter
(accept, wait list, deny) within four to six weeks of being notified that the applicant's file is complete.
The waiting list is established to fill any openings that may occur during the spring and summer.
Acceptance Deposit
Upon receiving notice of acceptance, the applicant is required to make
an acceptance deposit of $150 by the date listed in the letter of acceptance.
Payment of the deposit when due assures the applicant of a place in
the class and is considered as evidence of good faith that he or she
will register. If the student notifies the College of Law by May 15
in writing that he/she does not plan to enroll at the University of
Cincinnati College of Law, $100 of the $150 acceptance deposit will
be refunded.
Final Transcripts
Before a student can begin classes, the College of Law must receive
two final official transcripts from every college or university he/she
has attended. The transcripts which indicate the receipt of the bachelor's
degree must indicate that the degree was conferred before the date of
matriculation into the college (one copy of each transcript is kept
permanently for the college's record, the other is made available to
the bar examination authority of your choice). All transcripts must
be mailed directly to the College of Law by the registrar of the issuing
institution.
Flexible Time Program
This program permits the associate dean to approve students, on a case-by-case
basis, for a reduced course load over a four-year period. Participating
students in the first year must take at least 13 hours of course work
in the first semester and 12 hours in the second semester. The flexible
time program is designed for students whose family responsibilities
or financial situations would prohibit them from studying law on a full-time
basis. Because of the time demands of the first year, working outside
of law school by first-year students is strongly discouraged by the
faculty. The flexible time program is not designed to circumvent the
college's first-year work policy. Interested students should write and
request entry into the flexible time program after the acceptance letter
has been received.
Outside Work During School Year
Although some students find it necessary to work to finance their legal
educations, the national and state accrediting agencies impose a maximum
on the number of hours a student enrolled in a three-year program can
work. Outside work during the first year of law school is strongly discouraged
by the faculty in view of the unique educational experience of the first
year and the time demands imposed upon it.
Deferred Acceptance Policy
An applicant who has submitted the required $150 acceptance deposit
may request a deferred acceptance to the following year. All deferral
requests should be made in writing as soon as possible after acceptance.
If the deferment is granted, the student is assured of a place in the
next year's entering class. A second acceptance deposit of $150 will
be required the following year by April 1. The deposits will be credited
to the student's account upon entrance into the College of Law. If the
student fails to enroll, both deposits are forfeited.