Feel free to contact the Law Admissions Office directly if you cannot find the answer to your Frequently Asked Question.

  Facts and Statistics

  Application Information

  LSAT

  Notification and Acceptance

  Curriculum

  Child Care 

Facts And Statistics

What is the size of the entering class?  The size of the 2012 entering class is 113.

What is the enrollment at the University of Memphis School of Law?  Enrollment for Fall 2012 in the law school is 381.  The University of Memphis' total enrollment is 22,139 students.

What are the median LSAT scores and UGPA’s of enrolled students?  The median LSAT score for Fall 2012 was 154 and the median undergraduate grade point average was 3.25.  For more specific LSAT and UGPA information, please review our profile information.  This information is current as of August 2012.

What is the geographic makeup of the student body?  A large majority of our students are Tennessee residents, but we have approximately 11 other states.        

Application Process

When is the application deadline?  The application deadline for admission as a first-year student is March 1st.   

                                               
Are letters of recommendation required?  Letters of recommendation are not required at the University of Memphis School of Law, but applicants are encouraged to submit up to three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should be written by former professors, instructors, or other professionals who can provide relevant information on the applicant's intellectual ability, academic performance, and potential for success in law school. Letters from personal or family friends or social acquaintances which provide only minimal information on an applicant’s abilities are not considered helpful. We prefer the letters or evaluations be submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation and Evaluation Service.  This service is included in your CAS registration subscription.  

Do you grant interviews? The Law Admissions Office does not conduct evaluative interviews for the purpose of admission, but applicants are welcome to visit the law school, meet with a member of the admissions staff, observe a class, and take a tour with a student guide. To arrange a visit, contact the Law Admissions Office at lawadmissions@memphis.edu or 901.678.5403.

What is the application fee?  Are application fee waivers granted?  The application fee is $25 ($40 for foreign students) and must be submitted before the committee will review the application. 

The law school has a limited number of application fee waivers. Applicants are encouraged to contact the law admissions office at lawadmissions@memphis.edu to see if they qualify. Please provide the following information when inquiring: name, LSAC number, college or university attended, state of residency, LSAT score, undergraduate GPA (if known), and ethnicity. Applicants who have qualified for a fee waiver from LSAC will automatically receive an application fee waiver . For more information regarding LSAC's application fee waiver, please go to www.lsac.org.

What are some factors considered by the admissions committee?  Our admissions process seeks those applicants with the greatest chance for success, both in their education and in their future careers. As a result, admission into the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is competitive, and many different factors are considered in admissions decisions. To be considered for admission in 2013, applicants must have completed or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution or the foreign equivalent and must have a score from an LSAT taken from June 2008 through February 2013. We look closely at the admission index, which is based on the applicant's undergraduate GPA and the applicant's highest LSAT score. Applicants are encouraged to explain, in an addendum, any variance in their LSAT scores. Our application requires a personal statement and the CAS report.

Other factors considered in the admissions process include overall academic record, extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and other life experiences. Applicants are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation or evaluations addressing their potential for academic success.

As a publicly assisted institution, Tennessee residents may be given preference in selection; however, non-resident applicants are encouraged to apply. Non-resident applicants are asked to provide the admissions committee with a separate addendum detailing their reasons for wanting to attend the University of Memphis School of Law. The School of Law recognizes the benefits of diversity in the classroom. We strive to create a student body representative of a wide range of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. In the personal statement, applicants are encouraged to identify ways in which they might contribute to the diversity of the law school.  

How is residency determined?  At the University of Memphis, residency is determined using the regulations established by the Tennessee Board of Regents.  An initial determination of residency is made based on the information submitted on the law school application. For more information on residency classification, please contact the Admissions Office at 901.678.5403.

Law School Admission Test

What is the LSAT exam and where do I get information about the exam?  The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all ABA accredited law schools.  It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.  The test is administered four times a year at hundreds of locations around the world. For more information on the LSAT exam, please consult LSAC website at www.lsac.org.

Should I prepare for the LSAT exam?  There are many different ways to approach the Law School Admission Test. Applicants are encouraged to prepare for the LSAT.  More information on preparing for the LSAT can be found on LSAC's website.

What happens if I retake the LSAT?  For Fall 2013 admission, LSAT scores taken June 2008 or later will be reviewed for admission to the University of Memphis School of Law.  If the applicant takes the LSAT more than once, the highest LSAT score will be used in the admissions index. Applicants are encouraged to explain, in a separate statement, any variance in their LSAT scores.

Must I register with Credential Assembly Service (CAS)?  Yes. All ABA-approved law schools, including the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, and several non-ABA-approved schools, require an applicant to register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). For more information on the CAS, please contact Law Services at 215.968.1001 or www.lsac.org.

The CAS provides a service including a five year subscription that prepares and provides a report for each law school to which you apply. The report contains information that is important in the law school admissions process. Your report will include:

• An undergraduate academic summary
• Copies of all undergraduate, graduate and law school transcripts
• LSAT scores and writing sample copies
• Copies of Letters of Recommendations or Evaluations if processed by LSAC

Notification and Acceptance

How can I check the status of my application?  It is the applicant’s responsibility to check on the status of his or her application. Our online application is available through LSAC. Applicants applying to the University of Memphis School of Law will receive an email with a link to our website and a code to establish an account to check the status of their application. Henceforth, the applicant can check their Memphis application status online. Applicants will also receive an email once the application is complete. Once a decision is rendered, the online status will be updated accordingly. Final decisions are mailed to the applicant's current address. Most decisions are made between January and April.

When are applicants notified of admission decisions?  Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions between February and April.  Written notification letters are mailed to the applicant’s current address. 

What is the deposit deadline and what is the amount of the deposit?  The deposit deadline is April 15 or two weeks after notification, whichever is later.  The deposit is $250.00, which is not refundable. If the applicant matriculates at the University of Memphis School of Law, $200 of the deposit is credited to his or her fall tuition. The remaining $50.00 is an orientation fee.

May I defer my acceptance?  Yes, deferrals are granted on an individual basis.  You must pay the seat deposit of $250.00 and submit in writing a formal request indicating your reason for seeking a deferral.  Deferrals are granted for one academic year.   

Curriculum

Are faculty members accessible to students?  The Faculty of Law at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law consists of 23 academic lawyers dedicated to excellent classroom instruction and to student professional development, meaningful scholarship, and distinguished service to the community and the legal profession.  These men and women offer through their courses a rich and varied curriculum designed to educate students and prepare them for a variety of career opportunities after graduation. Faculty members maintain an “open-door” policy, making them available to students.  Faculty members are eager to aid students in their legal education and pursuit of a legal career.

What clinical opportunities are available?  The School of Law conducts legal clinics to promote the development of good lawyering skills. Students provide high-quality legal services to clients under the direct supervision of supervising attorneys, all of whom are full-time faculty members. Students interview clients, conduct factual and legal investigations, provide client counseling, negotiate, and draft relevant documents and pleadings. Students also may prepare and try civil cases in several of the clinics. During the spring semester of 2011, the legal clinics are Child and Family Litigation, Elder Law, General Civil Litigation. Clients are referred by Memphis Area Legal Services, with which the Clinic has a long and productive relationship. For more information concerning the Clinic, see http://www.memphis.edu/legalclinic/index.php.

What is the average course load?  The school operates on the semester system and requires 90 semester hours for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.  A full-time student is required to enroll in at least 12 hours each semester, and the average course load is usually between 14 and 16 hours per semester.  Students in the full-time program normally graduate in three years. 

Is there summer school?  Summer classes are available, but they are not mandatory. Some students graduate after five semesters and two summer sessions of full-time study.

Does Memphis have any areas of concentration?  The upper-level curriculum permits students to take courses in specialty areas of law, develop fundamental lawyering skills, and concentrate their legal education in particular areas of interest.

Childcare

Is there a childcare facility on campus?  The University of Memphis provides a child care facility on its main campus.  The facility’s phone number is (901) 678-5059 and is located at 3875 Tiger Paw South.  In order to qualify for child care services, there are several requirements:

• Parent or legal guardian must be currently enrolled at the University of Memphis
• Children must be from 30 months to 12 years
• Parent must sign a contract with the facility
• Child’s immunization record must be current and submitted to the facility
• $30.00 registration fee (non-refundable)
• $2.50 per hour charge for child care service

The facility is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday from  8 a.m. – 12:30 pm.