How to Apply
Apply to SIU Simmons Law School
Students select the SIU Simmons Law School because of its affordable cost, small class size, and convenient location. There is a $50 application fee. Application review starts in mid-October. Don’t wait until seats and scholarships run out; apply by the end of January for your best chance to receive an admission scholarship!
Apply now!Consideration for Admission
Individuals who have completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent, from an accredited institution in the United States or abroad, by the first day of fall semester class (August), are eligible for admission to law school. There are no prerequisite courses or specific majors required for entry. Applicants from all disciplines and areas of study are admitted to the Simmons Law School.
The Simmons Law School Admissions Committee will conduct a holistic review of every application upon receipt of all required documents. Therefore, while GPA and LSAT (or GRE) are important factors in the admissions process, non-numeric factors are considered. Non-numeric factors include the personal statement, letters of recommendation, and work experience, community service, honors or awards reflected through a resume.
International Students
Applicants with undergraduate degrees from colleges or universities outside of the United States and whose native language is not English, or who have not obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States, must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English System (IELTS). To be considered for admission, applicants must have a minimum score of 600 (PBT), 250 (CBT), or 100 (IBT) or a 7 (IELTS). Applicants must retake the TOEFL or the IELTS if the minimum score is not earned. In addition, applicants are required to complete the Application Material Checklist and must have international transcripts, academic records, mark sheets, and degree certifications sent directly to LSAC for transcript translation and evaluation.
International applicants who are admitted to the School of Law may be required to participate in the Southern Illinois University Center for English as a Second Language Graduate Student English Program or an equivalent program prior to matriculation.
International applicants who are admitted to the School of Law must submit the Certification of Finances form and a copy of their passport. Admitted international students who need an I-20 form to enter the U.S. should contact the Office of Admissions at the School of Law.
Transfer Applicants
Students interested in applying as a transfer student must be in good standing and have completed at least one full year at an ABA-accredited law school, a non-ABA approved law school that has been granted the power to confer the JD degree by the appropriate governmental authority in the law school’s jurisdiction, or a non-ABA approved law school whose graduates are permitted to sit for the bar examination in the jurisdiction in which the school is located.
Except in unusual circumstances, an applicant may transfer no more than 30 semester credits from another law school. Transfer students must satisfy all graduation requirements of the SIU School of Law (90 semester hours), which may require taking a first-year course not taken at their original law school or that the Associate Dean determines is not the equivalent to courses taken at the original school. SIU School of Law will grant credit for a course from another law school only if the grade earned is equal to or better than the grade point average required by the other law school for graduation.
Applicants are required to complete the Application Material Checklist. In addition, transfer applicants must provide an official law school transcript from their current law school showing grades earned in all courses sent to the Law School Admission Council, a letter of good standing from the law school dean or registrar certifying their good standing, class rank, and the cumulative GPA needed to graduate for the original law school.
Admitted transfer students will be required to provide course descriptions or syllabi for all first-year law courses completed for a transcript evaluation of transfer credit. See Transfer Credit Policy.
Visiting Student
Students interested in applying as a visiting student must be in good standing and have completed at least one full year at an ABA-accredited law school, a non-ABA approved law school that has been granted the power to confer the JD degree by the appropriate governmental authority in the law school’s jurisdiction, or a non-ABA approved law school whose graduates are permitted to sit for the bar examination in the jurisdiction in which the school is located.
An applicant must seek to take no more than 30 semester credits at SIU School of Law as a visiting student and apply the credit toward the graduation requirements at the applicant’s home law school.
Applicants are required to complete the Application Material Checklist. In addition, applicants must have an official law school transcript from their current law school showing grades earned in all courses sent to the Law School Admission Council as well as a letter of good standing from the law school dean or registrar certifying their good standing.
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JD Application Checklist
Applications for each fall semester are available through the Law School Admission Council (lsac.org). The application deadline is July 1 of each year.
To be considered for admission as a first-year JD student, applicants must complete the necessary application requirements.
Below is an application checklist. An application will not be reviewed until all application materials have been received. Once a file is complete, please allow up to three weeks for a committee decision to be reached. All admission decisions are posted to the applicant's online status checker.
- Application for Admission; available online at lsac.org.
- Personal Statement
- All applicants to Simmons Law must include a personal statement that addresses the following two questions:
- What are your career plans after law school or areas of interest in the law?
- Describe any life experiences that would indicate unusual drive, determination, perseverance, motivation, or leadership characteristics.
- All applicants to Simmons Law must include a personal statement that addresses the following two questions:
- Current Resume
- LSAC Credential Assembly Service Report
- LSAT taken within the past five years
- Transcripts from all institutions attended including graduate work, if applicable
- Two letters of recommendation
Current Resume
All applicants are required to submit a current resume that includes all post-high school education, employment history, honors and awards, and extracurricular activities including community service.
Note: Gaps in an applicant's education or employment history of more than six months should be included in the resume; however, a separate addendum should be included to explain the gap in education or employment. The resume (and addendum, if applicable) should be uploaded with your online application.
LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS A&E)
Applicants are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and must have all international transcripts, academic records, mark sheets, and degree certifications sent directly to LSAC for authentication and evaluation. For more information on the LSAT or CAS, visit the Law School Admission Council website, LSAC.org. Contact LSAC for questions relating to your CAS law school report.
Personal Statement
The Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of every file including non-numeric factors. Therefore, all applicants are required to submit a personal statement. Personal statements should be 2- 3 pages in length, double-spaced, and uploaded as an attachment to the online application.
Residency
Non-residents pay in-state tuition rates at the SIU Simmons Law School!
Character and Fitness Disclosure
Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School requires all applicants to make a complete and full disclosure to the Character and Fitness questions at time of application. If the answer is "Yes" to one or more of the Character and Fitness questions outlined in the application, applicants will need to upload a written explanation of each incident that includes dates, locations, charges, associated fees, and final disposition.
Note: Full disclosure is required for any charges against you, including those that have been dismissed, and those for which you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld or deferred, a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated, any records were sealed or expunged, you received court supervision, or you pled guilty or nolo contendere to the charge, and regardless of whether you have been previously told that you do not need to disclose any such instance.
In addition, applicants are under continuing obligation to update disclosures and add new occurrences. Failure to make complete disclosure on this application may result in revocation of an offer of admission to the Simmons Law School and/or denial of your application for admission to practice law in a particular state. Discrepancies between disclosure on this application and an applicant’s character and fitness application for admission to the bar may result in serious consequences while in law school and when applying to take the bar examination. Therefore, prior to matriculation, applicants are encouraged to seek the specific bar requirements for the state the applicant plans to practice law. Character and fitness requirements for each state are available on the National Conference of Bar Examiners website.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The SIU Simmons Law School follows all applicable laws and regulations relating to students with physical or learning disabilities including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Applicants are not required to identify known disabilities in the application. Requests for accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Office for Access and Accommodations. Contact their office directly for additional information about the process.
Equal Opportunity Policy
In accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois and the United States, the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and is committed to taking affirmative steps aimed at overcoming historical patterns of discrimination in our society. The Board of Trustees directs that all elements of Southern Illinois University adhere to procedures, which promote this policy in all phases of university activities including employment, educational programs, choice of contractors, and relationships with employee organizations. Article VII. Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statutes of the Board of Trustees of SIU. For more information, visit the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustee Statute.