JD for Non-U.S. Lawyers
Each fall, Arizona Law aims to enroll a class of intellectually curious, academically accomplished non-U.S. lawyers representing diverse life, work, educational, and cultural experiences. Given the small size of the two-year JD advanced admissions program and its unique attributes, admission is highly competitive.
To be considered through the advanced admissions program to the JD degree, you must possess — or be pursuing — a law degree from a non-U.S. law school approved by the government or other accrediting authority in the nation in which it is located. However, you do not have to be a member of the bar in the nation in which you received or are pursuing a law degree in order to qualify.
If your first language is not English, you should review our English proficiency requirements and submit all relevant supporting documents. If your English proficiency is not yet sufficient for direct admission to the JD, you may want to consider joining an English language program at the university’s Center for English as a Second Language.
Arizona Law does not require an LSAT for those applying through the advanced admissions program for non-U.S. lawyers. Because you enter law school with up to 29 units of advanced standing credit from your non-U.S. legal training, you are considered a transfer student, and an LSAT score is not required. In more than 20 years of experience with non-U.S. students, we have concluded that the LSAT is not a very accurate measure of the ability of students for whom English is not a primary language to succeed in law school or as lawyers. We believe that a better measure of the potential of a non-U.S. lawyer's ability to succeed in law school is the nature of their educational and professional experiences, including their law school grades and practice background.
The admissions committee reserves the right to request additional information, such as a personal interview or independent confirmation of prior degrees, depending on individual considerations. Applicants can be admitted conditionally, subject to specified conditions such as a qualifying TOEFL or IELTS score prior to the start of the fall semester.
The admissions committee evaluates many factors, including, but not limited to, the nature of the applicant's educational experiences, grade trends, graduate study, extracurricular activities, unique educational or occupational experiences, substantial community service, socioeconomic background, and personal challenges.
The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, or sexual orientation in its admissions, employment, and educational programs or activities. The law school community welcomes law graduates from other nations and legal systems.