Applying to law school requires planning. It's important that you understand what is needed so that LSAC can provide a complete credential report to the law schools you applied to.
Required Educational Credentials
Below is a list of educational credentials that must be provided to LSAC for all postsecondary education listed in your account. You should begin ordering your academic records well in advance of your application deadlines.
Transcripts/Academic Records
Official institution-issued or attested true copies of student’s permanent academic record (transcripts/report cards/examination statements/marks sheets) showing subjects or courses studied per each academic term/year with final examination results/grades/marks issued by the institution(s).
Please note that an attested/certified copy means the issuing institution may certify each document page with their official school stamp and mail them to LSAC in the required manner. LSAC does not need or require documents to be notarized or apostilled. For more information, please refer to the Transcript/Academic Records page.
Diploma/Degree/Certificate/Professional License
For all postsecondary programs completed outside of the U.S., a certified copy of original proof of graduation in the form of a Certificate of Graduation, Diploma, or Degree is to be submitted.
Diploma and Diploma Supplements
Diploma/Diploma Supplements from Bologna Signatory Countries may be provided in lieu of official transcripts in most cases. However, we must receive both the diploma and the supplement in both the native language and in English. A diploma supplement in English may be provided only as an addition to a native language transcript and English translation.
Translations
All academic documents issued in a language other than English must be translated into English and submitted. Translations must be literal, line-by-line, word-for-word, and in the same format as the original-language documents. Note that while LSAC does not require certified translations, some law schools do. You must check the application requirements for each of your prospective law schools to determine if you must provide a certified translation.
Document Requirements (listed by Country)
Before submitting your credentials, please review the document requirements for each country where you received postsecondary education.
If you have questions about the academic records to be submitted, please contact us by email at LLMinfo@LSAC.org or by phone at 215.968.1315.
International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES)
LSAC, in cooperation with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), will authenticate and evaluate your academic records and related documentation. This includes transcripts/mark sheets, copies of degrees/diplomas, and degree and graduation certificates. Our evaluators will carefully review your documents and create a report designed to help the U.S. law schools better understand your credentials.
Letters of Recommendation
The LLM Credential Assembly Service includes a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service as a convenience for you, your recommenders, and participating law schools. From your LSAC account, you can list your recommenders, submit requests for letters to them, and assign recommendation letters to specific law schools according to their requirements. Only assigned LORs will be sent as part of your CAS Report to the law schools to which you apply.
English Proficiency
The LLM Credential Assembly Service also includes a report of your English Proficiency score as a convenience for you and participating law schools. Most law schools will ask applicants for whom English is not their native language to take a standardized test such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It is your responsibility to identify which of the schools that interest you require this test. Each school sets its own standard for required minimal scores on the tests. LSAC will accept score reports for either TOEFL or IELTS exams and will include your scores in your CAS Report when we receive an official score report from the testing service.