Required Materials
As detailed in the application materials, a completed application to any of Penn Law’sGraduate Programs must include the items listed below.
An application form.
A personal statement.
Two letters of recommendation.
A résumé.
A transcript from each degree granting post-secondary school attended.
TOEFL or IELTS test scores.
An application fee of $80 ($150 for the SJD Program).
SJD candidates must also submit a scholarly project proposal and a writing sample.
Personal Statement
Your personal statement should be no more than two typed pages and should address your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree at Penn Law. Your essay may describe how Penn Law would complement earlier studies or prepare you for future professional work; your interest in a particular legal field and its application to existing issues in your country or the world; or more broadly how your study here would serve other goals or interests. We expect applicants to use professional and readable font and spacing.
Résumé
Your résumé should highlight your relevant educational and professional background, skills (e.g. language facility), and interests. Although we do not have a page limit, one or two pages is usually sufficient.
Letters of Recommendation
A completed graduate application to Penn Law must include two letters of recommendation, ideally from law professors or others who have personal experience instructing and evaluating the candidate. An applicant may, alternatively, submit letters from academic instructors outside of the field of law, from employers, or from others with a personal knowledge of the candidate’s intellectual and other strengths.
Although we accept up to four letters of recommendation, your application will be considered complete and will be reviewed after we receive the first two letters. Please note that many successful applicants submit two letters of recommendation and additional letters of recommendation do not necessarily strengthen your application.
Application Fee Payment
LLM and LLCM applicants must pay the $80 fee through LSAC. Applicants granted an extension to apply after December 15 will be required to pay a $105 application fee (regular application fee of $80 plus a $25 late fee, which is automatically assessed by LSAC for all applications submitted after December 15.)
English Proficiency
All applicants must submit a TOEFL or IELTS or seek a waiver. Applicants seeking to waive the English language requirement, should do so by submitting a request form.
In addition to the program-specific requirements below, please review our English Proficiency requirements that apply to all graduate programs.
Successful participation in any of Penn Law’s Graduate Programs. Most course-work at Penn Law centers on a dialogue between the instructor and members of the class. Consequently, students should be able to understand rapid, idiomatic English as spoken in class and in seminar discussions. Students must be able to express thoughts clearly in both spoken and written English and must read the language with ease. The quantity and quality of academic work required at Penn Law cannot be accomplished without prior mastery of the English language.
Penn Law does not grant conditional admission to applicants with insufficient English language skills and all applicants must have achieved the language proficiency noted above by the time their application is submitted. Prospective applicants who may need more substantial English language instruction prior to applying may wish to consider the courses offered by the University of Pennsylvania’s English Language Programs.
Note: Penn Law does not have a minimum score requirement. In general, we look for a TOEFL score of at least 100 or IELTS score of 7. We also look at the breakdown for listening, speaking, writing and reading to ensure that all indicate a high level of English proficiency. However, a lower score in one area or overall does not automatically preclude an applicant from consideration for Penn Law’s LLM program.
