Admissions
While no particular subjects are prerequisite for admission to the University of Richmond School of Law, prospective students are urged to pursue a course of study covering various phases of human experience. The law student must be able to draw from a broad base of knowledge. The following are recommended as desirable pre-law concentrations: English, history, political science, philosophy, sociology, psychology, economics, accounting, and mathematics.
Admission Process
The law school generally accepts applications only for full-time study. While the majority of entering students begin their studies in the fall, a small number of first-year students matriculate in the preceding summer term. Based upon past experience, the law school expects to consider numerous applicants for every position available in the entering class. A substantial majority of these applicants will clearly demonstrate the ability to complete our law school program and would qualify for admission by any absolute standard. However, because of the relatively few positions available, the selection process involves a comparison of qualifications.
Admission is based on the law school admission committee's holistic evaluation of the individual's relative promise of success in the study of law at this school and its assessment of the applicant's fitness to become a member of the legal profession. Two important considerations in making this evaluation are undergraduate academic work and the Law School Admission Test score (LSAT) which should be no more than three years old. The committee also considers an applicant's narrative statement, extracurricular activities, recommendations, employment experience, maturity, motivation, and character.
Application
Applicants for admission as Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidates must complete the application form and must be at least 18 years of age by the date of matriculation. In addition, they must have an official transcript sent directly from the registrar of an approved college or university showing the date of graduation. Application materials can be obtained on request from the admissions office or by visiting the law school's Web site at law.richmond.edu where an application may be completed and submitted electronically. Materials contain an explanation of the admission process and instructions for completion of the application. The address to request print materials is:
Admissions Office
University of Richmond School of Law
University of Richmond, VA 23173
(804) 289-8189
As of July 1, 2006, Virginia law requires all public and private two- and four-year institutions of higher education to electronically transmit information about applicants accepted for enrollment at each institution to the state police for comparison to the Virginia Criminal Information Network and National Crime Information Center Convicted Sexual Offender Registry. In compliance with Virginia law, the University of Richmond will submit the requested information for all admitted students to the state police for comparison to the registry. If the University is notified that an admitted student has committed a sex offense, the admitted student is subject to the admission being revoked.
Summer Entry Program
Under the summer entry program, law school is begun in the summer preceding the usual fall entry. Normally-scheduled coursework in the following five semesters plus another eight-week summer session allows the completion of degree requirements in December of the third year. The bar examination may then be taken the following February. Applicants who wish to be considered for this program should state their interest on the admission application.
Law Honors Program
Students admitted to the undergraduate program of the University of Richmond and who have a combined (critical reading plus mathematics) S.A.T. score of 1350 or above or an ACT composite score of 30 and above with placement in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class are considered for admission into the Honors Law Program. They must begin law school studies upon completion of their undergraduate work. Their admission to the law school is conditioned upon achieving a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 by the end of the fall semester of their senior year and meeting the character and fitness standards applicable to all applicants to the law school. The LSAT, should the above criteria be met, is not required. Should an honors law student elect to take the LSAT, it is required that the score achieved place the student at or above the median of the previous year's law school entering class.
Advanced Standing
The law school generally admits with advanced standing several transfer students from other law schools. Such students must have completed the first year of law school with a strong record at a school on the approved list of the American Bar Association.
No advanced standing credit will be given for work completed in another law school unless it was completed with at least the grade of C, or its equivalent, and is compatible with the curriculum of this law school. Generally, no more than 30 hours of advanced standing credit will be accepted.
Cooperative Program with MCV/VCU Department of Health Administration
A cooperative program offered by the law school and the Department of Health Administration at Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University (MCV/VCU) enables law students to take preapproved graduate courses offered by the Department of Health Administration.
By so doing, law students can enhance their knowledge of the health care industry. A list of approved courses is maintained by the dean's office and should be consulted before registering at MCV/VCU. These courses are graded at MCV/VCU, but credit for them is accepted at the law school on a pass/fail basis. Generally, no more than 9 hours of graduate level course work can be applied toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Dual Degree - Law/Health Administration
The delivery of health care services poses some of the most critical social, economic, and moral issues of our time. Lawyers representing individuals or health care providers confront myriad regulatory systems and issues fairly unique to this area. Health care policy makers and administrators are likewise concerned with the effective operation of entities within these regulatory confines and with the utility of these systems.
The dual degree program leads to the award of the Juris Doctor and Master of Health Administration degrees. The program integrates these two professional curricula. Participants are thus provided with the necessary expertise either to represent clients effectively within the health care industry or to function as policy makers or administrators who appreciate fully the legal environment within which they operate. Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission standards of both the law school and the Department of Health Administration. Typically, one semester's worth of dual degree work will be accepted.
For information regarding admission to the Department of Health Administration, contact:
M.H.A. Program Director
Department of Health Administration,
Virginia Commonwealth University
MCV Campus, P.O. Box 203,
Richmond, VA 23298.
When this four-year program is successfully completed, the Master of Health Administration degree is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University, and the J.D. is awarded by the University of Richmond.
Cooperative Program with the MCV/VCU School of Social Work
The cooperative program offered by the law school and the School of Social Work of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is designed to prepare students for professional practice in areas that can benefit from the knowledge and skills drawn from both fields.
Recent legislation, expanding public concern, and continual alterations and extensions of the concept of the public welfare, have given social workers' efforts in social planning and programs for social change a new importance and priority. Knowledge of the law gives focus to their efforts. At the same time, lawyers seeking better ways to deal with human aspects of legal disputes and minimize social costs are turning to the social worker for guidance and assistance. These conditions have made interdisciplinary cooperation between lawyers and social workers normal procedure in many instances, and the two professions are giving increased attention to the interests they share. The cooperative program allows law students to register for preapproved courses offered by the School of Social Work at VCU which are approved by the law school faculty. A list of these courses is maintained by the dean's office and should be consulted before registering at VCU. These courses are graded at VCU, but credit for them is accepted at the law school on a pass/fail basis. Generally, no more than nine hours of graduate level course work can be applied toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Dual Degree - Law/Social Work
The dual degree program is designed to provide its graduates with two degrees--the Juris Doctor and the Master of Social Work--attesting to competency in both law and social work. It is expected that this program will bring together persons sensitive to both the legal and human elements in social and personal dysfunctions.
This program is designed to bring together two fields that call for knowledge and skills directed toward resolving human problems. This effort to integrate education in law and social work will draw on the contributions each can make to practice in both fields. A student who is accepted into the dual degree program will be permitted to count one semester's work in the law school toward meeting the graduation requirements in the School of Social Work at VCU, and one semester's work in the VCU School of Social Work toward meeting the graduation requirements of the law school. This will enable participants in the dual degree program to complete the requirements for the J.D. and the M.S.W. in four years. Applicants for this program are required to meet admission standards of both the law school and the VCU School of Social Work. For information on admission to the School of Social Work, contact:
Director of Admissions,
School of Social Work,
Virginia Commonwealth University,
Richmond, VA 23284.
When this four-year program is successfully completed, the Master of Social Work is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.
Cooperative Program with the VCU Department of Urban Studies and Planning
A cooperative program offered by the law school and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offers law students the opportunity to take preapproved graduate courses offered by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in order to enhance their understanding of that discipline and its interaction with the law. A list of approved courses is maintained by the dean's office and should be consulted before registering at VCU. These courses are graded at VCU, but credit for them is accepted at the law school on a pass/fail basis. Generally, no more than nine hours of master's level course work can be applied toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Dual Degree - Law/Urban Studies and Planning
The professions of planning and law address the concerns of social and economic equity through the institutions which help shape the direction of urban change. While lawyers often are concerned with the impact of legislation and judicial decisions on groups and individuals, planners concentrate on social, economic, and political impacts of land use with the aid of legal strategies to guide community growth and development. The Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Juris Doctor dual degree program integrates these two professional curricula to provide the necessary expertise to apply legal and planning analysis to the resolution of urban and regional policy issues and problems. Some areas of cooperation include the development and enforcement of land use and growth management controls, environmental protection strategies, housing and community development, and numerous health and welfare programs. The dual degree is a four-year program of study designed to equip graduates for a variety of professional positions including staff or legislative committees, government agencies and commissions, private consulting, neighborhood advocacy, directorships of planning and related agencies, and executive or legal aids to elected officials. Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission standards of both the law school and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at VCU. Typically, one semester's worth of dual degree work will be accepted toward the J.D. degree. For information on admission to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, contact:
Chair, Department of Urban Studies and Planning,
Virginia Commonwealth University,
812 West Franklin Street,
Richmond, VA 23284.
When the four-year program is successfully completed, the Master of Urban Studies and Regional Planning degree is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.
Cooperative Program with the VCU Department of Public Administration
The cooperative program offered by the law school and the Department of Public Administration of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offers law students the opportunity to take preapproved graduate courses offered by the Department of Public Administration in order to enhance their understanding of that discipline and its interaction with the law. The program recognizes the role of law in public policy and public affairs. A list of approved courses will be maintained by the dean's office and should be consulted before registering at VCU. These courses are graded at VCU, but credit for them is accepted at the law school on a pass/fail basis. Generally, no more than nine hours of graduate level course work can be applied toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Dual Degree - Law/Public Administration
The dual degree program is designed to provide its graduates with two degrees--Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration--attesting to competency in both law and public administration. The program recognizes the role of law in public policy and public affairs, and prepares professionals versed in the values, knowledge, and skills of both fields, to bring an integrated base of competency to the work of government.
A student who is accepted into the dual degree program will be permitted to count one semester's work in the law school toward meeting the master's degree requirements in the Department of Public Administration at VCU and one semester's work in the VCU Department of Public Administration will be counted toward meeting the graduation requirements of the law school. This will enable participants in the dual degree program to complete the requirements for the J.D. and the M.P.A. degrees in four years. Applicants for this program are required to meet admission standards of both the law school and the VCU Department of Public Administration. For information on admission to the Department of Public Administration, contact:
Director, Department of Public Administration,
Virginia Commonwealth University,
Suite 301, 923 W. Franklin St.,
Richmond, VA 23284-2028.
When this four-year program is successfully completed, the Master of Public Administration degree is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.
Cooperative Program with the University of Richmond School of Business
A cooperative program with the Richard S. Reynolds Graduate School of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business enables students to enroll in preapproved courses offered in that school, on a space-available basis. Admission to these courses requires the approval of the graduate program director. Students are thereby able to broaden their backgrounds in areas of business and finance. A list of approved courses is maintained by the dean's office and should be consulted before registration. Credit for these courses will be included in the maximum number of semester hours which may be taken each semester without payment of additional tuition. These courses are graded at the business school, but credit for them is accepted at the law school on a pass/fail basis. Generally, no more than nine hours of graduate-level course work can be applied toward the Juris Doctor degree.
Dual Degree - Law/Business Administration
The University offers a dual degree program designed to provide its graduates with two degrees - Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration. This program reflects the interrelationships between law and business management. Its graduates will be better able to function as managers because of their familiarity with the legal framework within which business must operate. Alternatively, as attorneys, they can better serve the needs of business clients because of their appreciation of the business milieu. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to count 12 semester hours of work in the law school toward satisfaction of the degree requirements of the M.B.A. program and 12 semester hours of work in the M.B.A. program toward satisfaction of the degree requirements of the law school. Accordingly, successful participants will be able to complete the requirements for both degrees in four years. Applicants for this program must meet the admission standards of the law school and the graduate business school. For information on the M.B.A. program, contact:
Director, M.B.A. Program,
Richard S. Reynolds Graduate School of Business,
E. Claiborne Robins School of Business,
University of Richmond, VA 23173.
Individual Dual Degree Programs
In addition to the dual degree programs described here, individually tailored programs can be created to meet special needs and interests of particular students. For example, in the past programs have been approved in biology and in history. Interested students should contact the law school dean's office.
Advising for Dual Degree Programs
Upon admission to dual degree programs, every student will be assigned an advisor in both schools to help plan courses of study that will include all requirements, plus elective courses that will best serve individual student interests.