Apply to Temple Law

One of the best things about Temple Law is the individuality of our students. Our students come from many different educational and professional backgrounds, and offer something unique to contribute to our community and the profession. We are pleased that you are interested in becoming one of them. If you are admitted to Temple Law School you were chosen because your skills, abilities, achievements, experiences, and potential earned you the opportunity.

Consistent with the ideals of Russell Conwell, the founder of Temple University, Temple Law School takes seriously its mission of offering opportunities to students who might otherwise be foreclosed from pursuing a high-quality education. Temple Law School began as an evening program 125 years ago, providing students in our region whose jobs and family commitments made full time study prohibitive the chance to pursue a law degree. Over 50 years ago, the faculty at Temple Law School established a discretionary admissions program, Sp.A.C.E., creating an admissions process that avoided overreliance on the LSAT/GRE or other arbitrary, abstract admission criterion. Today, the values underlying Sp.A.C.E continue to guide the evaluation process helping us to select the very best students from our pool of talented applicants.

Our admission process is competitive and is designed to look at the whole person. Through a careful and individualized evaluation of each application, the admissions committee selects applicants who have outstanding performance records and exceptional aptitudes for the study and practice of law.

In determining whether a particular applicant should be offered admission to Temple Law School, the admissions committee continues to consider traditional Sp.A.C.E. characteristics. We are committed to providing a quality legal education and want to include in our class applicants who have faced and overcome serious long-standing economic deprivation, discrimination or arbitrary adversity, and those historically foreclosed from higher education. Because of our history and commitment to inclusion, we welcome applicants whose families are recent immigrants to the United States. Because we view law as a service profession, applicants who have demonstrated exceptional leadership ability in college, community or career activities, or who have evidenced a commitment to service through AmeriCorps, VISTA, military, or other service work are valued. Because we value academic excellence, we look favorably on applicants with academic honors, graduate or undergraduate degrees of unusual merit, or impressive undergraduate accomplishments that might or might not be consistent with standardized test scores. Because we believe in the value of hard work while recognizing that not everyone is free or well-suited to focus solely on their studies, we take into account applicants who worked during college to finance their education or to support their families. We value the discipline and work of student athletes either as a means of financing their education or out of a passionate commitment to personal excellence and teamwork. Our commitment to diversity includes applicants who identify as members of the LGBTQI+ community. We appreciate the talents of applicants with significant or unusual career achievement since graduation from college. Recognizing that adversity and discrimination takes many forms and that strength of character is shown in many ways, applicants with serious physical disabilities continue to be a part of our discretionary review. So too are applicants with other unique strengths and achievements. We emphasize that these factors are part of a holistic review of every applicant’s strengths and ability to contribute to the law school community and to the practice of law.

Information about your personal background and achievement can be included in your required personal statement. You are also invited to submit an optional Sp.A.C.E. statement. There is no specified length required for either the personal or Sp.A.C.E. statement; on average statements are two to three pages in length.

Beyond the academic indicators in your application, keep in mind that the readers of your personal and Sp.A.C.E. statements will be trying to get a sense of you as a person, as a prospective Temple Law School student, and as a future member of the legal profession.

At Temple, we believe in the value of diversity. It reflects our reality. It enriches our lives. It vitalizes our communities. It maximizes our ability to succeed as legal professionals. It makes possible a viable future for the rule of law as we understand it. We share a vision of the practice of law as a service profession and believe that life is made more meaningful by serving others. We are steadfast in our commitment to excellence, and we support those forging new paths forward through legal education and practice. Our admissions process reflects these values and we encourage you to be as candid and thoughtful as possible in your written statements and to let us know how your interests and experiences align with our values.

All matriculants in the JD program must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution which is approved by one of the regional accrediting associations of the United States. Applicants with degrees from a foreign institution should refer to that section below. Possession of the minimum criteria, however, in no manner assures acceptance.

Admission to Temple Law remains competitive, with a 2022 entering class LSAT median of 163 and median grade point average of 3.63. The middle 50 percent of the class presented LSAT scores ranging from 160-165 and grade point averages ranging from 3.38 to 3.74. However, we have no minimum standardized test or GPA requirements to apply or be admitted to Temple Law. Every application is evaluated under our holistic review process and we encourage all who are interested in attending Temple Law to apply.

The completed application form must be electronically transmitted to LSAC, or mailed to Temple Law School, on or before March 1, 2024. The application fee is $65. If you mail your application it should be sent to the following address with the $65 application fee:

Office of Admissions
Temple University Beasley School of Law
1719 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

If you submit your application electronically through LSAC, you may pay the $65 application fee using a credit card. Payment may also be submitted with a check or money order made payable to Temple University and drawn on a US bank. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be credited toward any charges if an applicant subsequently registers as a student.

Applicants may request an application fee waiver by emailing their name and LSAC account number to the Law School Admissions Office, LawAdmis@temple.edu. The law school application fee will automatically be waived for any applicant who has been approved for a fee waiver from LSAC.

If you choose to pay your application fee using a method other than payment by credit card via LSAC, you must forward the application fee along with the signed Certification Letter directly to the Law School Office of Admissions at the address listed above.

A standardized test score is required from all applicants. To be considered for admission, applicants must indicate if they are taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Please be advised that a GRE score may be utilized only when a reportable LSAT score does not exist. If an applicant has a reportable LSAT score on file, a GRE score will not be considered in lieu of an existing LSAT score, and applicants are not required to report GRE scores in this instance.

If you plan to apply using an LSAT score, you must have a reportable LSAT score within the last five years (i.e., not before June 2018), and have the score reported to Temple Law School as part of an LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Law School Report. Our registration code number is 2906. The last LSAT test administration acceptable for fall 2024 admission is April 2024.

If you plan to apply using a GRE score, you must have your GRE score reported directly to the Temple Law School Admissions Office by ETS. Our school code is 3934. GRE scores must be submitted by April 1, 2024.

Please be advised, if you are admitted to the Law School with a GRE score and take the LSAT after admission, the Faculty Admissions Committee reserves the right to revisit your admission and scholarship decision.

All applicants must be registered with the Credential Assembly Service for the academic year during which application is made. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have a transcript from each undergraduate college or university attended sent directly to the Credential Assembly Service. The Credential Assembly Service will analyze and duplicate the transcript(s) and send an unofficial copy to the law school as part of your CAS report.

Applicants who have not yet completed their undergraduate work are encouraged to send updated transcripts to the Law School Admission Council upon completion of each semester/quarter so that the Admissions Committee has the most up-to date academic record when reviewing an applicant’s credentials.

Applicants who have completed courses in graduate or professional school must provide a copy of their transcript. Official transcripts of all graduate and professional school courses can be sent either to the Credential Assembly Service or directly to the Office of Admissions.

The Admissions Committee suggests that a maximum of four letters of recommendation be submitted, although letters of recommendation are not required as part of the admissions process. Recommendations should come from professors or employers directly acquainted with your academic or professional capabilities. Letters of recommendation should be submitted directly from the recommender to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), or letters can be sent directly to the Office of Admissions at Temple Law School. Do not have a recommender send the same letter to both LSAC and Temple. Letters sent directly to Temple should be accompanied by one of the waiver forms included with the application. These forms should be completed by the applicant and provided to the author of each letter of recommendation.

The “Buckley Amendment” to the General Education Provisions Act gives students who register at Temple University Beasley School of Law the right to inspect and review the letter(s) of recommendation contained in their law school records, unless that right is waived and the applicant consents to the letter(s) remaining a confidential communication between the law school and the writer. Applicants may waive the right of access provided by that legislation, but are not required to waive the right as a condition for admission to the law school. If a letter of recommendation is received by the law school unaccompanied by a waiver form executed by the applicant and the author of the letter, the letter will be treated as a confidential communication between the writer and the law school.

All applicants are required to submit a personal statement with the application. It is up to you to decide what you want to write about and how you want to express your thoughts. This is your opportunity to present yourself, your background, your experiences, and your ideas to the Admissions Committee. You may want to write about your intellectual interests, your career goals, your achievements, your family background, or your involvement in your community.

We invite all applicants to share with us your personal history, highlighting for the committee how your unique life experience has been enriched or made more difficult by opportunities, circumstances, and obstacles. This information will assist the Admissions Committee in fully evaluating your candidacy.

If you answered Yes to any of the character and fitness questions on the application form, you must attach an addendum to your application which explains the circumstances. It is imperative that the section on character and fitness on the application be answered fully. Because of the high ethical standards to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose any academic or disciplinary action, criminal conviction or pending criminal charge is often more significant, and can lead to more serious consequences, than the action, criminal conviction or charge itself.

If in doubt as to whether or not to disclose a particular incident, we recommend that you err on the side of disclosure. If the record has been expunged or sealed, you are encouraged to disclose the information. Many states require expunged or sealed records to be disclosed on an application for admission to the bar, and will inquire as to what information an applicant has disclosed to their law school. Inconsistencies or discrepancies in the information could serve as a barrier for admission to the bar.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Admission to a particular division is made according to each applicant’s choice in most cases. If space is not available in the applicants preferred division, however, the Admissions Committee may offer a place in the other division to candidates meeting the common admissions standards. Applicants must obtain written approval in order to matriculate in a division other than the one to which they were admitted.

While resumes are not required, you are strongly encouraged to submit one as part of your application materials. Your resume does not have to be limited to one page. Do not leave out any of your work history because you feel that it is not relevant to the legal field.

If you need to submit additional information after your application has already been submitted, you may email the information to our office at LawAdmis@temple.edu, and we will upload it to your application file. Please be sure to include your name and LSAC account number on any additional information or documents you provide.

Applicants will be notified via e-mail when their application has been received and processed by our office. The email will also provide log in instructions for the Admissions Office Online Status Check through which applicants can check their current application and decision status, and can also see which letters of recommendation have been received by the admissions office.

An application will be considered complete when we have received a completed application form and current Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report containing LSAT score(s), if applicable, and undergraduate transcripts. Guided by past experience, applicants whose files are complete before January 15th may have a more favorable chance of admission if they are competitive within the applicant pool. Most applicants can expect notification of a decision eight to ten weeks after their files are completed; however, requests for additional information and April 2024 LSAT scores may delay the evaluation process.

Admissions decisions are made from December until May, and files are reviewed as they are completed. All applicants will be notified via email of their admissions decision. Applicants may also check the status of their application at any time using the Online Status Check.

Applicants who are admitted to Temple Law School will receive an acceptance notification via email with instructions on accepting their seat in the entering class. To reserve a place in the 2024 entering class, an accepted applicant must submit a non-refundable admission deposit of $150 by April 15, 2024, or within 10 days of acceptance, whichever is later. A second non-refundable deposit of $300 is due by June 15, 2024. Both the first and second deposits are credited toward tuition.

If an applicant presents a degree from an institution situated outside the United States (other than a Canadian affiliate), the academic work required by the awarding institution must be the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution situated within the United States. Standardized test scores (LSAT or GRE) are required of all applicants with foreign degrees. Temple Law School requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.

If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service registration fee.

Be advised that more time is usually required to receive and evaluate foreign transcripts. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your law school report.

All admission procedures and deadlines for reapplicants are identical to those for new applicants. Please note that reapplicants are required to submit a new application form, application fee, and a new personal statement and must have a current registration with the Credential Assembly Service.

An applicant who has previously attended any law school as a matriculated student must indicate so in the appropriate place on the application form. The applicant must give the name of the school(s) and date(s) of attendance and, in a separate statement, explain the circumstances in detail. A letter verifying these circumstances must be sent directly to the admissions office from the dean or appropriate officer of the law school attended before the application can be reviewed.

Except upon a showing of extraordinary circumstances, admission will be denied to any candidate who has matriculated and taken examinations at a law school which is not a member of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS), or has matriculated at any law school and subsequently been dismissed, whether for academic or other reasons.

Applicants applying for transfer or visiting student status must complete the Transfer/Visiting Application.