How to get into law school as an international student? This is a fundamental question asked by students from Asian and Latin American countries who want to become a lawyer or barrister. From LL.M. programs to J.D. degrees, securing admission at law school always remains challenging for international students. Sometimes, it becomes even difficult for local students in the UK and the USA.
What’s the percentage of acceptance in various law schools? According to US News, the acceptance rate for J.D. programs in the United States of America varies between 10% and 15% in some schools; usually, it remains under 5%. These stats show how difficult it is for law students to secure admission to higher education. From maintaining a good GPA to achieving higher marks in GREE or IELTS, international students have to swim many rivers before reaching their goal.
In this comprehensive article, we will clearly show a detailed roadmap for international students who want to become lawyers or barristers. Let’s glance at every step and pave the way to a successful academic journey!
How to Get into Law School as an Adult? 6 Must-Considered Tips for International Students!
Law is one of the most intellectually creative degrees, offering a dynamic blend of historical context and modern legal systems. It challenges students to think critically, analyse complex issues, and approach problems with a creative mindset. These skills are essential whether you’re pursuing a law degree or planning to apply.
Most law schools require applicants to submit a compelling admission essay that tells their personal story and explains why they are a strong fit for their program. However, many students find themselves stuck at this stage, unsure of how to present themselves effectively. As a result, they often turn to professional law essay writing services for guidance and support.
Many law students face problems when preparing an application for higher studies. For such learners, here is detailed information about the steps they need to follow in this regard. Let’s learn about them and make the next academic journey hassle-free!
1. Excellent Grades
“Grades or marks can’t define the excellence of a student”. You must be aware of such quotations. Most motivational speakers repeat them in their sessions. These quotations usually appeal to students, and they stop trying their best to achieve higher grades. However, they need to remember that these quotes have nothing to do with reality. Instead, they are the opposite of the education system.
The first thing the admission committee looks at is your educational transcripts. They pay special attention to your marks and grades. According to the University of British Columbia, grades or marks are the deciding factor when it comes to creating a segregation between excellence and mediocrity. Let’s say there are 100 applicants for a specific program. However, the institution will only accept thirty students. Among 100 applicants, thirty individuals have a CGPA of 3.9 or more.
Will they get admission, or those who have a CGPA below 3.5? Of course, the institution will prefer those who have excellent marks. Based on your marks, the admission committee or the instructors decide whether you will be able to tackle academic stress during your course. Therefore, you must focus on getting higher marks and grades in every subject.
Don’t you know how to achieve excellence in various subjects? Here are some important tips:
- Passive Learning: Instead of reading or taking notes, you will need to remember concepts clearly and summarise them after the lecture.
- Practice and Revision: Students must practice and revise their lessons every day. On weekends, they have to repeat the previous lectures that they could have forgotten if not repeated.
- Mindfulness: Always pay attention while attending a class. Be attentive while taking notes and understanding a topic.
2. Personal Statement
How to get into law school as an international student? The second most important answer to this question is a personal statement. Students frequently make mistakes when writing a statement because they don’t have information about the outline. They don’t know what type of information they need to exclude or include in their essays. In some universities, personal statements are synonymous with essays.
Before discussing the topic further, we need to understand what a personal statement is. As per UCAS, a personal statement must comprehensively cover all aspects of your personality. It will show your expertise, experience, achievements and future goals. Due to inappropriate guidance, students include things that should not be part of their statements. The above-mentioned outline for a personal statement is considered generic, and students can follow it confidently.
However, you can’t follow it if your educational institution shares specific guidelines about it. Let’s say it asks you to add how this law program is relevant to your previous qualifications. In this scenario, ignoring this aspect can destroy the impact of your admission application. In addition to following the guidelines of your educational institution, you will always focus on customising your statement.
Don’t say that you will become a lawyer because you want to serve humanity. This is an old and too generic logic. The admission committee must have read it thousands of times. You will customise it; for instance, you can state that I want to become a lawyer because this is a creative field, and creativity is a cup of tea for me. Believe us, this will work wonders for you.
3. Letters of Recommendation
Yesterday, I visited one of my old friends from Nigeria. He was a bit worried. “How to get into law school as an international student”? He asked the previous question when I tried to learn about the reason for his discomfort. Most international students don’t know the importance of letters of recommendation when preparing an admission application to law school. A letter of recommendation is a document that attests to your passion and expertise for a law program.
According to College Vine, letters of recommendation can help the admission officers learn about you beyond your transcripts and personal statements. Therefore, you will have to submit customised letters of recommendation for different higher studies. Usually, instructors have a one-size-fits-all template for these letters. They only change the name and the registration number for students and sign it. This is a completely wrong approach that can affect the outcome of an admission application.
You can ask your teachers to write top-notch letters for you. Sometimes, they are too busy with academic activities and can’t write a detailed letter of recommendation. In that case, you can curate one while considering your background and expertise. Please don’t try to exaggerate yourself when writing one because the admission committee will compare these letters with your transcripts and essays.
4. LSAT Test
If you are a law student, you must be aware of the LSAT exam. Most universities consider it an entry exam. It is famous in the USA, North American Countries, and the United Kingdom. However, not all universities or law schools accept this exam. Some of them may ask you to appear in their test or take another exam. After completing your college education or graduation, you will make a list of all the universities where you want to study law.
You can visit their websites and learn whether they accept this test or not. The second most common confusion about this test is the marks. Students don’t know how many marks they have to get on a single test. Please remember that the scale for numbers varies between 120 and 180.
According to Ohio Northern University, 170 is considered a good score, which means that you will be among 2-3% retakers who successfully obtain it. Your performance on this exam will be the most crucial factor for your admission application.
To achieve higher scores on this test, you must follow this recommended approach:
- Understand the Structure: Before starting the preparation, you must understand the structure of the LSAT test. As per Presbyterian College, this test will have a total of about 96-104 questions, and based on your correct answers, you will get marks between 120 and 180.
- Develop a Study Plan: Students can create a study plan for this test to get higher marks. You will dedicate time to each section every day to clear your concepts.
- Focus on Practising: You must practise dummy exams before the final one. It will create a strong foundation for you, leading to higher marks and academic excellence.
5. Language Proficiency
How to get into law school as an international student? This question has multiple parts, and language proficiency is one of them. Let’s say you are from Sri Lanka and want to complete your LL.M. from the United Kingdom or the USA. Most educational institutions will ask you to show your language proficiency. If your previous qualifications are in English, they may still require a proficiency document.
As mentioned above, you will make a list of all the universities where you want to continue your higher studies. These universities dedicated a page of their website to each program. The selection criteria for these programs will be clearly defined in them. They will also describe the language proficiency requirements. For instance, some educational institutions say that you must obtain 7 bands in IELTS. These criteria will vary for every English proficiency language test.
This test shows that you possess essential language skills to get an education in English. Don’t think that an English proficiency test is difficult. You can easily clear it with preparation. Some students don’t pay attention to preparation and try to achieve higher bands. However, this is the wrong approach. You may get higher bands in some modules. Other modules, like reading, can destroy the impact of your document.
Many online and physical institutions offer services related to this preparation. The fees are not high for them. You can join them and start practising as soon as possible. This way, you will not waste your test fee and get higher bands, beyond your imagination.
6. Additional Requirements
Don’t worry if this question, “how to get into law school as an international student,” has become a headache for you. Getting admission to a law school can become a fingertip task for you. You just need to submit some additional documents with the admission application. These documents include: A CV, writing samples, and interview participation.
Here is a detailed breakdown of every document so that you can get a place in a specific program easily:
- CV: Usually, educational institutions ask you to follow a specific template for a curriculum vitae. Countries like the UK or European countries may ask you to follow the Europass format for your CV. This style may vary for the USA. If your institute requires you to submit a CV, you can ask about the specific template that you can follow. This document must contain all the personal, educational, and professional details.
- Writing Samples: The importance of writing skills can’t be overlooked in law. Some colleges and universities demand writing samples from students. If you are an aspiring lawyer, you must enhance your writing skills before applying. This expertise will help you when writing a dissertation and empower you in your professional journey.
- Interview Participation: This is not a part of the document submission. It is quite common in universities to appear in the interview when applying for an LL.M. degree. Different lawyers and instructors are on the interview panel. They may ask technical questions. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answer to some questions. Clearly say that you have no idea about it. This honesty will enhance the chances of success.
These six tips will make your admission application a success. You can follow them to ensure a smooth and hassle-free educational and professional journey.
Can International Students Get into US Law School?
Yes, international students can get into US law schools. However, the admission criteria are very strict. The success ratio for different universities remains below 15%, which shows a high level of competitiveness. To increase the chances of success, students must focus on making their admission application error-free.
From ensuring academic excellence to getting higher bands in English proficiency tests, a student needs to ensure dedication and passion at every step. Plus, if a university asks you to appear in the interview, you will have to prepare for it so that you can impress them and the outcome goes in your favour.
Can You Study Law in the US As a Foreigner?
Yes, you can study law in the United States of America as a foreign student. Thousands of international learners are already studying various law programs. From fulfilling the educational requirements to meeting the visa conditions, you can get admission and travel to the US.
Several factors, such as academic excellence and unique personal statements, will be considered key if you want to get admission. You have to choose a university and program carefully, where the competition is not high. However, you can opt for prestigious institutions if you have an excellent educational and professional profile.
Which Country Is Best to Study Law for International Students?
Choosing a country and tagging it as the best place to study law will not be appropriate. This selection is based on your educational performance, financial condition, and future goals. For instance, many international students prefer Germany and France for higher law degrees because the fees are very low.
Others prefer to study in the UK or the USA, where they can easily cover their expenses and don’t want to face language barriers. You can consider the three above-mentioned factors so that you can select the best country and start a successful professional journey.
How to take the LSAT as an international Student?
Taking the LSAT exam is not a big problem for international students. If you are present in the USA or Canada, you can easily book it and appear for the test. However, you can’t take an online test because this facility is not currently available. It is expected that students will have the option of an online test at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
Please remember that preparation is key to succeed in this test. You must understand the structure and prepare every section accordingly. Try to get marks more than 170, and it will play a great role in the success of your application.
Quick Tips to Maintain Grades After Securing Admission in Law School
Achieving high grades and maintaining them always remains a major challenge for students. However, if they remain passionate about this degree, the chances are high that they will ensure academic excellence.
Here are five tips for you in this regard:
- Attend Classes: You must attend classes regularly because your absence can derail the whole journey.
- Detailed Notes: First, understand the topic in your class and then take notes comprehensively.
- Engage in Activities: Make a study group with your classmates and engage with them every day to discuss various topics.
- Stay Organised: You have to stay organised every day to remain ahead of your classmates.
- Practice Daily: Students have to repeat lessons after coming home. It will enhance their memory.
Final Thoughts
It may become easy for you to get higher marks through the recommended steps. However, you may face problems writing a dissertation because a thesis includes multiple steps, from selecting a topic to writing bibliographies. This process can take up to eight weeks, and without professional help, students can make several mistakes.
To reduce the risks of errors, they must get assistance from top-rated dissertation writing agencies in the UK so that their theses remain error-free. These firms always focus on ensuring quality and helping students defend it in front of the internal and external committees. Acquire these services and prevent academic stress that can accompany you during the thesis writing process!
Author Bio
Holly Holm is a professional dissertation writer with expertise in curating theses for undergraduate and graduate students. She completed her LL.M. from the University of London and started her writing career instantly. Holly also gives lectures to various educational institutions.