Applying for Post-Graduate Law Schools and Scholarships in the US.

Over the past year, I have received numerous inquiries about the process for applying to law schools in the US, and I have decided to consolidate the information in this post.

In 2023, I applied to law schools in the US, specifically those in New York City, as I desired to study at the center of emerging technologies. I applied for a Master of Laws at three universities and got admitted to all: Columbia University Law School, New York University Law School (NYU), and Fordham University Law School. This post will therefore focus mainly on the application process to these three universities, but the general process for applying to other schools may not differ significantly from this.

I summarize this process in one post, but it began with more than three rejections from Universities in the UK and Canada to which I had applied. This is an encouragement and caution; there is no guarantee that you will get admission or funding into the university you are applying to on your first try, but it doesn’t mean that you should not keep trying.

The process of applying for postgraduate studies, especially to the US, is a very taxing, expensive, and time-consuming, that you ought to emotionally prepare for once you embark on it. There are days when you will question your capabilities and others when you will want to give in but remind yourself why you started and what you are working towards.

Applying to a Law School:

• Identifying the University

The first and most important step is identifying the University you want to go to. This will largely be determined by the program you are looking for. Some Universities offer particular programs that others may not necessarily offer. In my case, NYU offered a specialized program compared to Columbia. Therefore, depending on what program or specialization you are looking for, the University will determine this.

Additionally, I usually advise the people who ask, to greatly consider the state they are applying to. For instance, a state like New York is very fast-paced, expensive, and stimulating. In the event that you are given a full scholarship and a stipend to a university in say, Texas, I would recommend you choose the latter unless there is something in particular you are seeking out in the former.

An additional factor that ties to identifying a particular university is the field of work you are looking to get into. Particular cities and states are renowned for particular fields. For example, if you are in finance, whether legal or not, New York City is the place to be, whereas if you are interested in film and entertainment law, then Los Angeles might be where you want to seek out Universities. Largely, apply for universities that have proximity to the roles you hope to land after graduation.

Lastly, conducting research on the university platform for the program you are interested in will lead you to know the application process and the available funding opportunities. This can include speaking to current students or alumni who attended the university you are applying to, to get a clearer picture of the program and what to expect.

• Creating a Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Account

Some Universities require that applications to their institutions be done through their websites. However, most universities in the US require that law school applications be done through LSAC, which is a platform that centralizes the application process for law schools that have subscribed to receive applications through it. Thus, where a law school requires that you apply through LSAC, you will have to create an account which is pretty easy. Once the account has been created, you will be prompted to pay particular fees for use of the services, which include: (the fees change every year, so you will have to clarify this once you create an account)

• Electronic Application Processing Service: This is for the platform’s service of sending out your applications to the various law schools.
• Document Assembly Service: This is the platform’s service of gathering the applicant’s letters of recommendation, transcripts, and English scores, and transmitting them to the various law schools. 
• International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service: This is the platform’s service for translating degrees from your home country into a metric equivalent to those earned in the US.

Once these have been paid, you can start adding schools and completing the applications through the platform. This demo will help you navigate the platform. 

At the time of submitting your application, you might be required to pay an application fee depending on the university you are applying to. I know some people who have successfully applied for waivers on the application fees from the respective institutions, and it is something you can explore.

• Submitting transcripts to LSAC

Part of the procedure to submit your law school application, you will need to submit transcripts for authentication. This will include your undergraduate transcript and, for me, my postgraduate transcript for the Bar course. These transcripts must be certified by the respective institutions and mailed directly to the LSAC address provided, from the country in which the institution is located.

The common error made under this step is in the mailing address. The envelope that is sent to LSAC with your documents must be in a sealed envelope with the address of the institution as the sending address. LSAC usually rejects transcripts where the sending address is not that of the institution, and the country of origin from which the document is mailed is not the country in which the institution is located. Therefore, to save yourself time and fees, ensure that:

• The sending address is the institution’s address
• The country from which you send the document is the same as that of the institution
• Each transcript is enclosed in its own envelope; don’t send more than one transcript in the same envelope.
• Ensure that the envelope is sealed with the institution’s seal.

The transcripts usually have to be processed before your application to the University is submitted, so it might be the starting point of your application process.

• Taking an English test

One of the requirements for applying to law schools in the US is the English proficiency test. You can easily get a waiver to submit English test scores from the institution that you are applying to, where you can show that English is your first language and the language of instruction while in school. If not, you can take the TOEFL or IELTS as proof of English as a spoken language. I recommend taking it to make it easy to prove your English proficiency once in the US.

• Statement of Purpose/ other essays

Depending on the program and the required documents, most law schools require a statement of purpose to indicate your desire for the particular program you are applying for. Other universities require that you respond to a series of essays that are situational scenarios. That is why researching a particular university and knowing what they require is something that you can start with. There is a plethora of information out there on how to write an admission-worthy essay, but I will also dare to list down some of the perks I utilized during my applications:

• Have a narrative of your experience that will form the backbone of the reason why you are pursuing this degree at this particular point. This is your selling point; it could be one from your early childhood or career.
• Knowing the program you are applying to and some of the names of professors whose classes you look forward to engaging with is an added bonus.
• Coherence and clarity of thought are definitely required.

The statement of purpose is very subjective, as each applicant is distinctive, and therefore, knowing your narrative and clearly expressing it is something that will make your application stand out. Your unique experience and achievements are a bonus to the classroom setting, and it will do well to mention this in your statement.

Applying for a Scholarship:

• Identifying the Scholarship:

This is an important step because there are numerous scholarships and financial aid opportunities out there, especially in the US. Starting your research early will go a long way in easing your application process. Most institutions have internal funding awarded to particular categories of applicants, and you might want to explore those as well. Funding is one of the hardest issues for students coming from the African continent, and thus, the earlier you start identifying the scholarships, the better your chances of putting in a strong application are.

• Scholarship essay/ financial aid

The key tip for this financial aid essay is to show serious financial need and what your contribution will be if you are given the opportunity to pursue your dreams. There is a plethora of information available on specific universities and how to craft a strong essay, which you can also utilize.

Parting shots:

An excellent application tip is to seek out people who did the program you are applying to on LinkedIn and learn from their experience, ask for more tips on that interaction. I would also recommend getting a support system that will hold your hand through this, to ease the process. If you have gotten to the end of this post, I know how much you are seeking admission and a scholarship, and whenever the time is right, you will definitely get the admission you are seeking.

All the best!