Rutgers School of Law-Newark is located in the new Center for Law & Justice on the Rutgers University campus in Newark, NJ. The law school offers both full-time day and part-time evening programs. Joint degree options are available with the Graduate School of Management (J.D./M.B.A.), Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy (J.D./M.C.R.P.), and the School of Social Work (J.D./M.S.W.). There is also a joint J.D./M.D. program with the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. The Foreign Lawyer Program permits persons with foreign law degrees to earn a juris doctor degree in two years.  ADMISSIONS EVALUATION PROCESS The goal of Rutgers School of Law-Newark is to produce lawyers who are well qualified for the legal profession as well as representative of all segments of society. Law is practiced in a changing, dynamic environment, involving real people and current issues in society. The faculty of Rutgers School of Law-Newark recognizes that having a student body with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and accomplishments enriches the intellectual experience of law school for all students, and provides better preparation for the practice of law. The faculty has directed the Admissions Committee to consider a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to, LSAT, UGPA, educational and employment experiences, community service, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and extraordinary family circumstances. The faculty has also directed the Committee to implement a unitary admissions system under which every applicant can chose to compete for admissions with primary emphasis placed either on numerical indicators, such as the LSAT and UGPA, or on non-numerical indicators, such as experiences and accomplishments. For more than thirty-five years, the faculty has recognized that the LSAT and UGPA may not be the best predictors of success in law school and the legal profession for all applicants. Therefore, applicants may indicate that they want their application considered primarily on educational and employment experiences, personal and academic accomplishments, community service, socio-economic background, extraordinary family circumstances, and the contribution the applicant will make to the overall diversity in the school. Under this alternative, less, though still significant, emphasis is placed on LSAT and UGPA. Please refer to the Application for Admissions for additional information about choosing this option.  MINORITY STUDENT PROGRAM The Minority Student Program (MSP) reflects the Rutgers School of Law-Newark faculty's long standing commitment to preserve the diversity of the law school community and to improve diversity in the legal profession. All matriculated students, regardless of race or ethnic origin, are eligible for consideration for the MSP. This includes Black/African Americans, Pacific Islander/Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latin Americans, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, and disadvantaged persons who, regardless of race or ethnic origin, grew up as members of low income families with a history of poverty, or who can demonstrate that for other reasons they are educationally, culturally, or socio-economically disadvantaged. Persons seeking to participate in the MSP must specifically indicate their interest on the appropriate section of the Admissions Application.  INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES Application Process a. Application forms and information are available through the Law School Admissions Council on-line electronic application service or through the website.  Should you use the website, you must print out the completed application and send it directly to the Admissions Office.   Applications prepared electronically via the Law School Admission Council (http://www. lsac.org) are sent directly to the law school from LSAC electronically and in printed form.  Applicants filing electronically through LSAC are required to print out the CERTIFICATION LETTER found at the end of the application, sign it, and submit it together with the $60 application fee in the form of a check or money order made payable to Rutgers University or a completed credit card payment form,  to  Admissions Office, 123 Washington Street, Newark, NJ. 07102.  LSAC does NOT collect the application fee. b. Each candidate for admission must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and register with the Law Services Data Assembly Service (LSDAS).  Law Services can be contacted either through their website, http://www. lsac.org, or by phone, (215) 968-1001. c. LSAT scores older than June 2005 will not be accepted for consideration for admission.  The February 2008 LSAT is the last testing date for which scores will be considered for Fall 2008 admission. d. Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended must be sent to Law Services.  All letters of recommendation are processed through Law Services.  At least one letter of recommendation is required. e.  Applicants with medical, physical, or other disabilities may request the Special Accommodation information packet from Law Services.  In addition, students with disabilities may voluntarily attach a supplemental page to their application to explain any discrepancies between ability and performance.  This information will be kept strictly confidential and will not adversely affect decision. f. A $60 application fee must accompany the application either in the form of a check, money order, or credit card payment.  If paying by credit card, please fill out and sign the "credit card payment form" and return it with your application. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Rutgers University. g. The deadline for submitting applications is on or before March 15th. h. Completed files are sent to the Committee on Admissions for review.  A completed file consists of a completed and signed application and $60 fee, a certification letter if filing electronically through LSAC, and an LSDAS report consisting of the LSAT score, transcript analysis, and at least one letter of recommendation. i. Any acceptance made while academic work is either incomplete or unreported is conditioned on the premise that the applicant will complete the work and that the quality of the work subsequently completed or reported will be equal to that upon which the acceptance is made.  Registration at the law school will not be permitted without the earning of a baccalaureate degree.       j. Applicants will be notified by e-mail when their application has been received by the Admissions Office, and again when it is complete and ready for Committee review.  All decisions will be sent by regular mail.  Individual status reports cannot be done until after April 15th.  Every effort will be made to notify applicants of missing items.  We encourage you to check your account at Law Services regularly to verify that your LSDAS report is ready to be reported to the law school.  No decision can be made for any applicant with an incomplete file. Recommendations/ Interviews One recommendation is required and must be processed through Law Services; however, additional letters of recommendation submitted to Law Services will be reviewed by the Committee. When at least one letter of recommendation has been received, the file is considered complete and ready for review.  Personal interviews for the purposes of admission are not part of the application process.  Candidates are welcome to visit the law school on an informal basis.   Group meetings are conducted in the fall to answer questions and to explain the admission process.  Interested persons should call the Admissions Office at 973.353.5554 for the schedule and to make an appointment. Foreign Lawyer Program/ International Applicants/ Foreign Credentials a. The Foreign Lawyer Program allows persons who have earned a law degree from another country the opportunity to receive up to 28 credits for previous law studies and earn a J.D. degree upon the completion of 56 credits at Rutgers School of Law-Newark.  Please follow the instructions for International Applicants/Foreign Credentials. b. International applicants (students requiring a visa) must comply with all regular admissions requirements.  If an international applicant is admitted and plans to attend, they are expected to present evidence of adequate financial resources for support during their time at Rutgers-Newark.   Applicants admitted to the law school must show a minimum of $48,500 (USD) in financial support in order for an I-20 to be issued.  Applicants coming from another U.S. educational  institution must submit a copy of their I-94 card and have their authorized official of their present institution complete and return the International Student's Advisor's Report.  Permanent residents must present a photocopy of their green card. c. Permanent residents and others who completed their undergraduate degrees in foreign institutions must submit their credentials for evaluation to Law Services.  Instructions can be found on the Law Services website: http://www.lsac.org. All transcripts from foreign institutions must be sent directly to Law Services. Evaluations from outside agencies, such as World Education Services, will not be accepted. d. All applicants to the law school, including applicants from other countries, are required to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).  The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is not a requirement; however, applicants who are taking TOEFL for other purposes may send a copy of their scores.  TOEFL does not replace the LSAT. Academic Dismissal/ Re-Application/ Transfer and Visiting Status a. Applicants who have been dismissed for academic reasons from another accredited law school may not apply for admission as first year students unless they have been away from law study for at least three years. b. Applicants who have previously applied to the law school must complete a new application, remit another $60 application fee, comply with all current requirements, and register with Law Services whether or not they intend to retake the LSAT. c. Transfer students:   Students who have successfully completed at least one full academic year but not more than one and one-half years of full-time study or 42 credits at another ABA accredited law school may apply for admission with advanced standing to either the day or evening program.  Applications are accepted for the fall and spring terms.  Persons attending unaccredited law schools do not qualify for transfer with advanced standing.  Transfer students must submit an admissions application, the $60 application fee, an official law school transcript that includes at least one full year of law school work, a dean's letter of academic standing, and one letter of recommendation from a law school faculty member.  A LSAT report will be requested from Law Services once an application has been filed.  The application deadline is July 1st for the fall and December 1st for the spring. d. Visiting Students:  Students enrolled in other accredited law schools may be permitted to take courses with the earned credit transferred to the student's home law school.  Applications are accepted for the fall and spring terms and must be submitted by July 1st and December 1st respectively.  Decisions are based on the number of available seats and the student's hardship necessitating the request. Applicants must submit a special student application, an official law school transcript, and a letter from the dean which states that the student has permission to attend Rutgers-Newark. No application fee is required. The Law School reserves the right to make changes in its programs and policies without notice.