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J.D. Admissions

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Thank You for Your Interest in St. John's Law!

We seek to identify and admit a diverse group of talented J.D. students who will succeed at St. John's and become lawyers who continue our proud tradition of excellence in the legal profession and the business world. As part of the admissions process, we consider all applicants for scholarships. There is no separate scholarship application and, if awarded, scholarships range from partial-tuition to full-tuition, automatically renew annually, and can't be forfeited.

Apply Now

Our Fall 2024 application is open now! We encourage you to apply by our priority deadline, March 15, 2024. Thinking about applying later in the year? Our final deadline is July 24, 2024!

Our Mission

Consistent with St. John's Vincentian Mission, and the metropolitan and global nature of the University, St. John’s Law seeks to: 

  • Provide access to an excellent legal education for all people, especially those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages
  • Maintain and strengthen our commitment to rigorous teaching, scholarly research, and innovative application of knowledge
  • Sustain and foster an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist community of diverse experiences and perspectives, emphasizing respect for the rights and dignity of every person
  • Inspire civic engagement, including inquiry into the causes of injustice and the search for adaptable, effective, and concrete solutions to these problems
  • Enhance student learning to empower graduates with the knowledge, skills, and values required for successful leadership in the local, national, and global legal profession

This mission statement draws on the University’s current strategic plan in the context of legal academic excellence, respect for the individual, fostering a vibrant intellectual community of diverse experiences and perspectives, and the pursuit of economic and social justice. It will serve as a constant aspirational reminder of what we strive for as an institution of legal education.

J.D. Admissions Overview

In reviewing applications, we focus primarily on the demonstrated qualities and proven skills we deem essential for academic success and intellectual stimulation at St. John's Law.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and undergraduate GPAs are important factors in the admission process. But numbers alone might not entirely reflect your ability to succeed in the study of the law, enhance the Law School's educational environment, and deliver legal services in a professionally responsible manner after graduation.

So, the Admissions Committee also considers, among other factors:

  • Nature and difficulty of undergraduate studies
  • Entire undergraduate record, including ascending or descending trends in achievement
  • Graduate work or degrees
  • Significant college or graduate school extracurricular activities
  • Community activities
  • Work experience
  • Personal obstacles that may have interfered with the realization of full potential and personal achievements

J.D. Admissions Requirements

Baccalaureate Degree/LSAT/GRE

To apply for admission to St. John's Law, you must have a baccalaureate degree granted by a fully accredited institution and a standardized test score (LSAT or GRE). To be considered for fall admission, you should take the LSAT no later than February 2024, or the GRE no later than March 2024.

Applicants who have taken the GRE can log into their ETS account and request that St. John’s U Sch of Law receive your GRE results using the code: 2624.

The School of Law participates in the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which simplifies admission procedures. You must register for the CAS whether you choose to apply with an LSAT score or GRE score. To register for the LSAT and CAS, please contact the Law School Admissions Council at:

LSAC
Box 2000
Newtown, PA 18940
215-968-1001
www.LSAC.org
[email protected]

Character and Fitness Qualifications

If you intend to practice law, you should be aware that admission to the bar involves character, fitness, and other qualifications. You can review the requirements for the state(s) in which you intend to practice by visiting the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.

Admission to law school doesn't guarantee that you will meet the good moral character requirement necessary to sit for a state bar examination or to be admitted to practice. If you're concerned about your ability to be admitted to practice law, you should contact the Board of Law Examiners or the appropriate Committee on Character and Fitness in the jurisdiction in which you intend to practice.

Application Materials

To be considered for J.D. admission to St. John's Law, you must submit:

• A completed, signed, and dated St. John's Law application form. (If applying electronically, the electronic certification suffices.)
• Credential Assembly Service registration, all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and a reportable Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
• Personal Statement: Please submit a personal statement or short essay with your application. Include your LSAC account number on it. You may write about any topic you wish. Suggested topics: your decision to pursue a career in law; your reaction to a recent current affairs event; your feelings about a particular community service or extracurricular activity with which you have been involved. Suggested length is two typed pages.
• Letters of Recommendation - professional or academic (2-3).
• Resume: In reverse chronological order, please include all employment, volunteer, and extracurricular activities along with all educational institutions attended. Include an explanation for any gap of time (three months or more) not explained on your resume.
• Optional: If there are economic, cultural, or social factors that have been significant in your development and identity, or that have presented obstacles to you, and you wish the Admissions Committee to consider those factors in evaluating your application, please provide a supplementary statement describing these obstacles.

Optional Video Interview

We take a holistic approach to Law School admissions, recognizing that law students are more than just the sum of their standardized test scores and undergraduate GPAs.

With that understanding, we offer you the opportunity to submit a video interview to supplement your main application. This optional video interview consists of recorded responses to to three questions designed to help you share information about yourself and demonstrate personal attributes you didn't get to spotlight in your main application. After we receive your main application, we'll send you more information about the optional video interview.

J.D. Early Decision Programs

Honors Early Decision Program

The highly competitive Honors Early Decision Program is for qualified applicants with impressive achievements who are certain that St. John’s Law is their top choice. Applicants admitted through this program become St. Thomas More Scholars and receive a full-tuition scholarship.

Application Deadline

  • October 1
  • November 1
  • December 1
  • January 1

The deadline is monthly and awards will be distributed October 2023 through January 2024, provided the program does not reach capacity earlier. If you aren't admitted to St. John's Law through our Honors Early Decision Program, we'll consider your application during the regular admission cycle.

Regular Early Decision (R.E.D.) Program

Intended for applicants who are sure that St. John’s Law is their top choice, our R.E.D. Program lets you express your commitment to attend St. John’s Law if admitted, and offers you our priority review and expedited decision. If you apply through the R.E.D. Program, we will not consider you for, or award you, a merit scholarship. So, if you're seeking financial assistance should not apply through this program.

You'll find more information on our two early decision programs in the accordion sections below.

International Students

If you earned a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, in a foreign country, we may admit you to the J.D. program at St. John's Law on the following conditions:

  • You comply with our regular admission requirements and procedures, including taking the LSAT or GRE
  • You submit academic records to the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service

If you're admitted to St. John's Law and entered the United States on a B-1, B-2, or F-2 visa or in undocumented status, you can't to register for class until your visa status is changed to F-1 (International students with permission to enter the U.S. for academic purposes only). If you're not a permanent resident and plan to apply for F-1 student visa status (Form I-20), please select F-1 for Visa Type when completing your application.

International J.D. applicants can get additional information through St. John's International Student and Scholar Services Office.

Note: We welcome undocumented or DACA applicants. Those applicants are eligible to receive merit scholarships, but have to pay other costs of attendance because they aren't eligible to receive federal loans. In addition, the New York Court of Appeals has not issued a uniform ruling to admit attorneys who are undocumented to practice law.

Deferred Admission

We offer deferred admission to our J.D. program in a small number of cases, and only for good cause. Most applicants accepted in one year will have to reapply for admission in subsequent years. You must submit your request for deferred admission in writing to [email protected] or to your admissions counselor.

Contact Us

St. John's University School of Law
Admissions Office
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
718-990-6474
[email protected]

Learn More

The Honors Early Decision Program is designed for students of high caliber with impressive achievements who are certain that St. John's Law is their top choice. Those admitted through this program will become St. Thomas More Scholars and receive benefits, including a full-tuition scholarship. The admissions process through the Honors Early Decision Program is highly competitive.  

In order to be considered for the Honors Early Decision Program you must have a complete application by the first of the month, October through January. The deadline is monthly and awards will be distributed October 2023 through January 2024, provided the program does not reach capacity earlier.  Decisions will be rendered by the last day of that same month. Non-refundable seat deposits are due two weeks after the decision date.

Application due:  October 1, November 1, December 1 or January 1 
Notified by: October 31, November 30, December 31 or January 31
Deposit Deadline:  2 weeks after decision
*Please note, if the program reaches capacity, we will no longer consider applications for the Honors Early Decision program and therefore it is advantageous to apply as early as possible.

If admitted through the Honors Early Decision Program, the applicant must withdraw all applications pending at other law schools within five business days of admission and may not initiate applications to any other law schools. If you apply for the Honors Early Decision Program and you are not admitted, your application will then be considered during the regular admission cycle.

The R.E.D. Program is designed for students who are certain that St. John's Law is their top choice. This program provides applicants a means of expressing to the Admissions Committee their commitment to attend St. John's Law if admitted and gives applicants priority review and an expedited decision.  There are no merit scholarships awarded to R.E.D. Program applicants. Applicants for whom scholarship aid is necessary should not apply through this program.  

In order to be considered for the R.E.D. Program you must have a reportable LSAT score from November 2023 or earlier or GRE score from December 2023 or earlier. 
 
Application due:  November 15, 2023 
Notified by: December 22, 2023 
Deposit Deadline:  2 weeks after decision 

Applicants who apply through this program will be issued a final decision on their application.  If admitted through the R.E.D. Program, the applicant must withdraw all applications pending at other law schools within five business days of admission and may not initiate applications to any other law schools.

St. John’s University Undergraduate Students may apply to St. John’s Law without taking the LSAT provided they meet the following requirements:

  • Must be a current St. John’s University undergraduate student.
  • Must have SAT or ACT score greater than or equal to the 85th percentile in one test administration.*
  • Must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.7 entering law school as reported on the LSAC Credential Assembly Service report.
  • Must NOT take the LSAT at any time. Applicants entering through the Red Storm Scholars Special Admission Program who ignore this requirement and take the LSAT will have their admission offer reconsidered with their LSAT score.

Students admitted under this program are considered for partial merit scholarship!

Application due: March 1, 2024
Deposit Deadline: April 1, 2024

St. John's undergraduates may apply during the senior year or during the junior year in combination with the 3+3 joint degree program (detailed below). Letters of recommendation may be sent to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service or may be sent directly to St. John’s Law.

*Red Storm Scholar applicants must have already taken the SAT or ACT as part of their college application to use it to apply through this program. If a student was admitted to the undergraduate program without a standardized test, the student should take the LSAT or GRE. SAT percentiles are the User Percentile. SAT and ACT scores do not expire for our purposes. Applicants must include an unofficial standardized test grade report with their application.

For additional information, please contact the Admissions Office at [email protected] or 718-990-6474.

Combined undergraduate (B.A., B.S.) and St. John's Law J.D. programs "3+3" are offered by three divisions at St. John's University — St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Professional Studies and the Peter J. Tobin College of Business. In addition, the Law School has programs with Niagara University and Manhattan College.

The program allows you to complete an undergraduate and law degree in six years.

There are two pathways for 3+3 students:

  1. You can apply as a combined 3+3 and Red Storm Scholar
    1. Must have a SAT or ACT score at or above the 85th percentile
    2. Must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.7 or higher entering the Law School
    3. You can’t have a reportable LSAT score or we must reconsider your application
    4. Apply electronically through LSAC, attach your personal statement and resume. Register and complete a Credential Assembly Report with transcripts and letters of recommendation (letters can be sent directly to Admissions from recommender as well). If admitted, you will receive a partial scholarship to the Law School. Scholarships are automatically renewed annually. Scholarships are non-forfeitable.
  2. Apply as a 3+3 with a LSAT score
    1. We will evaluate your application based on all factors, including your LSAT score and GPA. You need a competitive score on the LSAT.
    2. Apply electronically through LSAC, attach your personal statement and resume. Register and complete a Credential Assembly Report with transcripts and letters of recommendation (letters can be sent directly to Admissions from recommender as well). If admitted, any scholarship offer will be based on your application, including your GPA and LSAT score. Scholarships are automatically renewed annually. Scholarships are non-forfeitable.

To be accepted for a combined undergraduate and law degree, you must be approved by your undergraduate academic dean. Interested students should contact their pre-law advisor for additional information.

Successful applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the law and the maturity to complete an accelerated program.

St. John’s Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you completed any postsecondary work outside the United States (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. (The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign 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 the home campus transcript.)   

An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report. To use the CAS, log in to your LSAC online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Questions about CAS can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001, or [email protected].