The Law School evaluates each application thoroughly, considering the entirety of the application. This holistic approach allows us to ensure that each application receives attention.
An applicant’s Law School Admission Test (LSAT) (or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) in lieu of the LSAT) and cumulative undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) are significant factors in the admissions process. (See the Admissions Test section of the FAQs for information on submitting GRE scores for consideration.) The Law School also considers an applicant’s personal statement, résumé, and letters of recommendation. We evaluate your potential to succeed at Alabama Law and in the legal profession, your potential to contribute to the rich intellectual life of the Law School community, and your commitment to using your legal education to serve the public good.
Alabama Law has a rolling admissions policy, which means that applications are considered continuously throughout the admissions season. Applications are initially reviewed in roughly the order in which they are completed. Some applications receive an immediate final decision; others are placed on the waitlist or held for further review. We make our decisions as quickly as possible, but the time necessary varies from case to case. There may be applications that are completed in the fall that do not receive a final decision until late in the admissions cycle. Some files may remain in an “application under review” status for months and some applicants remain on the waitlist until summer.
Note: The Law School application fee is waived for the following:
For more information on the waivers, please review the Application section of the Frequently Asked Questions.
If you are an international student who is admitted to the Law School, you must complete and submit the I-20/DS-2019 Request Form with required proof of funding to the Law School Admissions Office to get an F-1 I-20 or J-1 DS-2019 from The University of Alabama. Please email admissions@law.ua.edu to receive a copy of the I-20/DS-2019 Request Form.
For the first-year law class beginning in Fall 2024, the Law School offers a streamlined application program for select students in good standing at and graduates from the institutions in Alabama listed below. The specific criteria for this program are subject to change from one academic year to the next. The Alabama Scholars application process normally will result in a response or decision within approximately ten business days of the Law School’s receipt of the completed application. Letters of recommendation are not required.
Eligibility criteria for the Alabama Scholars Admissions Program are as follows:You may apply online through the LSAC website starting September 1, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@law.ua.edu, or (205) 348-5440.
For the first-year law class entering in Fall 2024, the Law School offers a streamlined application program for select students in good standing at and graduates from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities listed below. The specific criteria for this program are subject to change from one academic year to the next. The HBCU Scholars application process normally will result in a response or decision within approximately ten business days of the Law School’s receipt of the completed application. Letters of recommendation are not required.
Eligibility criteria for the HBCU Scholars Admissions Program are as follows:
If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@law.ua.edu, or (205) 348-5440.
Students enrolled at The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) are potentially eligible to apply through one of three programs: the regular application process, the streamlined Alabama Scholars Program (expedited review), and this 503 Alternative Program (non-LSAT standardized test). Feel free to contact the Law School Admissions Office at (205)348-5440 for assistance in determining the best program for you.
The 503 Program and its criteria are subject to American Bar Association (ABA) Standards and, for that reason, are subject to change. Applicants through the 503 Program are not required to have an LSAT score or a letter of recommendation. See below and on the application for eligibility and other information.
The 503 Program is designed for undergraduate students at The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) who have considered their law school options carefully and are confident that The University of Alabama School of Law is their top choice.
Eligibility Requirements for Applicants for Fall 2025 Incoming Class:
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores: Applicants through the 503 Alternative Admissions Program should not take the LSAT and should not assign or submit a GRE score to Alabama Law. Any 503 applicant who has a valid LSAT score on file with LSAC, registers for the LSAT, sits for the LSAT, or submits or assigns a GRE score will have their application and/or offer of admission withdrawn and their application will be reviewed under the regular application program considering the LSAT or GRE score. Although the LSAT is not required to apply through the 503 Program, a score may be necessary for an applicant to apply to another law school as an incoming first-year student or to apply to transfer to another law school after the first year. If you have taken or plan to take the LSAT, you should apply through another application program.
Limits on this Special Admissions Program:
Admission under the 503 Alternative Admissions Program is governed by the American Bar Association’s Standard 503 and Interpretation 503-3. This is a temporary program. By rule, the ABA limits the number of students that a law school may enroll under this program. This limit is 10 percent of the previous year’s entering class. For the Fall 2025 admissions cycle, the ABA’s 10-percent rule requires that UA not exceed 11 acceptances and active offers under the Alternative Admissions Program at any given time.
Decision Timeline: The Law School will make admissions decisions under this Program in waves. The next wave of decisions will be communicated by September 18, 2024. To be eligible for the next wave, please submit your application to the Law School Admissions Office no later than Monday, September 16, 2024, at noon. Additional waves of decisions, if any, will take place thereafter until the program reaches the cap of 11 admittees, as explained above.
503 Application: To receive a 503 application, please email Assistant Director of Admissions Karli Smith at ksmith@law.ua.edu.
The University of Alabama School of Law admits several transfer students each year. Students interested in completing their studies at the Law School are welcome to apply. Transfer students at Alabama Law have experienced a smooth transition both into the Law School environment and into Tuscaloosa. Moreover, transfer students are offered opportunities to join student organizations, journals, trial advocacy and moot court competition teams, clinics, and social activities.
A transfer applicant must have a competitive college academic record and LSAT score; must be in good standing and eligible to continue his or her studies at the law school previously attended; and must not be on any type of probationary status. An applicant's first-year law school grades are significant in the admissions process. It is rare for the Law School to approve a transfer when an applicant is ranked below about the top 25% of his or her current law school class.
A transfer applicant also must submit:No more than 30 credit hours may be transferred for law school graduation credit.
You may apply online through the LSAC website or request a print application from the admissions office.
The application deadline for Fall Semester is July 15, 2023. If you have questions, please call Assistant Director of Admissions Erin Hardin at (205) 348-5440 or email the Admissions Office at admissions@law.ua.edu.The School of Law offers a one-year program for foreign lawyers leading to the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. The program is for persons who have completed a basic legal education and received a university degree in law in another country. Students may elect to take courses aimed at developing knowledge in specific areas of the law — such as international business law, environmental law, or comparative law — or may tailor a custom course of study to suit individual interests or professional needs.
International LL.M. Frequently Asked Questions
Please complete the International LL.M. application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at https://www.lsac.org/llm. To complete the application through LSAC, you must register with LSAC for the LL.M. Document Assembly Service. You may access the registration and application online at https://www.lsac.org/llm. The Admissions Committee encourages you to apply in the fall to ensure time to process visas and other special documents.
If you are an international student, you also must complete the F-1 I-20/J-1 DS-2019 Request Form
The University of Alabama Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report and The University of Alabama Gadsden Center Annual Campus Security Report are now available. These reports are required by federal law and contain policy statements and crime statistics, and for UA, applicable fire safety policies and procedures. These reports also address policies, procedures and programs concerning safety and security (e.g. policies for responding to emergency situations and sexual offenses). Three years worth of statistics are included for certain types of crimes that were reported to have occurred on campus, in or on off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the school, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to the campus. The UA and Gadsden Center reports are available online to view or print at safety.ua.edu. You may also request a paper copy of either report from the Office of Community Services at 205-348-8361, police.ua.edu or at Box 870180, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0180.
