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Contact the Indiana Law Admissions Office
Phone: (812) 855-4765
E-mail:
lawadmis@indiana.edu
“The professors here are of the best quality and the students are warm and personable.”
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Quite a few things make going to law school at IU enjoyable: the campus, the faculty, the Office of Career and Professional Development staff, and the students I’m fortunate to call friends.”
A law degree is one of the most comprehensive, powerful degrees in the world, offering wider professional options than nearly any other field. Indiana Law students are among the most recruited nationwide. Our alumni have positions with the NCAA and CBS, as judges, writers (an Indiana Law alumnus even wrote Law School For Dummies), politicians, practicing attorneys for private and multinational law firms—in fact, our graduates have entered nearly every conceivable realm of the law. With a JD from Indiana Law, you will be in the ideal position to successfully enter nearly any field that interests you.
Of the more than 2,500 who applied to join our 2009 JD entering class, we enrolled 220 outstanding students from 130 undergraduate institutions. Our 2009 graduate class includes students from South Korea, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Turkey, South Africa, Burma, Saudi Arabia, India, The Netherlands, and our partner schools in Hong Kong, Liberia, Poland, Spain, Germany and France. The ethnic and cultural diversity of our students is part of what makes Indiana Law such an intellectually stimulating place to study law. Learn more about why students chose to study here.
For more information on recruitment and student profiles, visit our page in the
LSAC/ABA Official Guide to Law Schools.
We are developing the new standard for legal education, using a model of education that integrates theoretical understanding with professional skills. This innovative curriculum brings Indiana Law alumni from various legal professions back to the school to talk about professional ethics.
Indiana Law offers several joint degree programs that allow students to simultaneously pursue a JD and a degree from another Indiana University school or discipline. Applicants to these programs must apply to both programs separately (though not necessarily at the same time) and take the entrance exams required for both schools.
Some states may ask that students file a “declaration of intent to study law” within the first semester of law school, if they wish to practice law in that state. The fees required to file this “declaration” vary; however, if you do not decide that you wish to practice in a particular state until graduation, you are not estopped because of failure to have filed the “declaration.” What you will find is that the fee you will then pay will be significantly more. Indiana has no such requirement or process. Applicants should be aware that state bar requirements include character and fitness qualifications. If you have any doubts about meeting these qualifications before you begin law school, you should check the Web site of the Board of Bar Examiners in the state you plan to practice for specific requirements (contact information is available from the Web site for the National Conference of Bar Examiners at http://www.ncbex.org/bar-admissions/offices/). The “character and fitness” information shared under Indiana Bar Requirements is similar to the policies of other states.
In addition to obtaining a scaled score of 264 or higher on the Indiana Bar Examination, each applicant is required by Admission and Discipline Rule 12, to be approved as to good moral character and fitness (a personal interview with a member of the Character and Fitness Committee appointed by the Supreme Court) and to attain a scaled score of at least 80 on the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination within two years before or after the date the applicant successfully takes the Bar Examination.
There are two facets to character and fitness. First is the question of “good moral character.” Rule 13 (IV) contains the following sentence: “The term ‘good moral character’ includes, but is not limited to, the qualities of honesty, fairness, candor, trustworthiness, observance of fiduciary responsibility and the laws of this state and of the United States, and a respect for the rights of other persons and things, and the judicial process.” Secondly, “fitness to practice law” is, in short, the physical and psychological ability to function effectively as a lawyer and counselor of clients. Fitness also entails a respect for the rule of law and our judicial system and a willingness to abide by the rules of professional conduct.
Applying to the Indiana Bar is a multi-step process, including: completion of the application form and requires knowledge of all previous residential addresses, employment, academic reprimands and legal convictions (including traffic violations); a Bureau of Motor Vehicles Report; fingerprints; letters of recommendation; certification by the Dean; and the Character and Fitness Interview. Because your background will be reviewed by the Board of Bar Examiners it is best to thoroughly prepare yourself on any and all violations of law, arrests, honor code violations or other matters which you have been involved that may reflect adversely on your character and fitness to be a lawyer. You should obtain all documentation, police reports, court records, etc. regarding such incidents to submit with your application and to have available at your Character and Fitness Interview.
Indiana University pledges to continue its commitment to the achievement of equal opportunity within the university and throughout American society as a whole. In this regard, Indiana University will recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based upon their individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on arbitrary consideration of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Learn more from the Indiana University Office of Affirmative Action. Indiana Law is also a proud supporter of DiscoverLaw.org, an organization committed to diversity in legal education.
It is the policy of Indiana University to provide reasonable, effective accommodations or academic modifications, when necessary, to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you believe you have a disability and would like accommodation, please contact Disability Services for Students.
Phone: (812) 855-7578
TTY: (812) 856-2264
Fax: (812) 855-7650
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