Advanced standing
Indiana Law invites advanced applications from individuals who have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate or graduate degree in law from an approved foreign university that allows the individual to sit for the bar examination in the jurisdiction in which the foreign law school is located. Successful advanced standing applicants can have one semester to one full year (29 units max) of our three-year JD degree requirements waived based on previous academic coursework and professional accomplishments.
During the first year at Indiana Law, advanced standing students take the required first-year JD curriculum. The following year, advanced standing students will be able to choose their own courses to fulfill the remaining credit and graduation requirements for the JD degree. Our advanced standing students have access to all the opportunities offered to our regular JD students, including the opportunity to take the bar exam anywhere in the US.
To apply to the JD program, advanced standing applicants are not required to take the LSAT. Applicants must, however, submit the following information through LSAC:
- A completed advanced standing JD application, which is hosted by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)
- A current credential assembly service (CAS) report from LSAC. (Registration with the Credential Assembly Service requires you to mail all supporting documentation to LSAC rather than to the Law School.)
- An evaluation by LSAC’s International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES) of your undergraduate or graduate law degree.
- A current résumé which outlines your professional and volunteer experience, academic accomplishments, and other pertinent aspects of your background you wish to share with the admissions committee.
- International Applicant Language Tests: If your first language is not English, you must include results of the test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) or the international English language testing system (IELTS) with your application materials. TOEFL scores and IELTS scores are valid for two years.
- Two letters of recommendation that attest to your potential success as a law student and as a member of the legal profession. While preference is given to letters from law faculty who are familiar with your academic strengths, we gladly welcome letters from employers or individuals who know you professionally, especially in a legal setting.
- A 2-3 page personal statement that provides insight about you, describes your motivation to attend law school in the United States, and/or highlights your interest in Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Application deadline; scholarships
The deadline to apply to the JD program as an advanced standing student is May 1. Sizable merit-based scholarships are available to highly credentialed, professionally accomplished advanced standing applicants.
Questions?
If you have additional questions about the advanced standing program, including admission requirements, please contact the admissions office at lawadmis@indiana.edu or at (812) 855-4765.