Application Instructions

Please apply via our LSAC E-App electronic application or via our Mail-In application.

LSAC E-Application

Mail-In Application

Our application deadline is February 1. Applications postmarked after February 1 will be considered upon space availability. The following items are required to complete your application for admission.

Signed Application & Fee

Applicants may submit their application via our LSAC E-App (electronic application) which is submitted online or via our Mail-In application which must be completed, printed and mailed directly to USC Gould School of Law. For expedited processing of your application, please submit it via LSAC's E-App.

The USC Gould School of Law application fee is $75 and is non-refundable. We are unable to offer application fee waivers.

If you are applying via the E-App, you may submit your application fee payment online with a credit card or you may print and sign the online Certification Letter and send it with your application fee directly to USC Gould School of Law.

If you are applying by Mail-In application, you may submit your application fee payment by credit card, check or money order. For payment by credit card, complete the credit card payment section on the application form. Payments made by check or money order must be in USD (do not send cash) and should be made payable to USC Law School.

We strongly encourage applicants to register with LSAC's LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (LSAC CAS). LSAC CAS collects, authenticates and distributes your university records to law schools to which you apply. All applicants who apply (via our E-App or our Mail-In application) may register for this service. You must register for LSAC CAS before you submit your application. Register for LSAC CAS at https://llm.lsac.org/llm/logon/splash.aspx

TOEFL Report

The ability to communicate effectively in English -- to read, write and speak the language fluently -- is vital to your success as a graduate law student. The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam is required by all international applicants seeking admission.

E-App and Mail-In applicants who are not using LSAC CAS must have their official TOEFL test scores sent directly to USC by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). USC's TOEFL institution code is 4852 and the department code is 03.

Applicants using the LSAC CAS must have their official TOEFL test scores sent directly to LSAC at TOEFL institution code 8395.

You must take the test well in advance of our application deadline since it may take several months for ETS to transmit TOEFL scores to USC. Include a photocopy of your official TOEFL score with your application, if applicable.

Test scores are valid for two years from the date taken. A TOEFL score of 100 on the internet-based test, 250 on computer-based test or 600 on the paper-based test is recommended.

TOEFL waiver requests will only be considered if your native language is English or if you possess an undergraduate law degree from an institution in which English is the primary language of instruction. TOEFL waiver requests will not be granted to international students who have earned an LLM or another graduate degree in the U.S.

If you are admitted and do not meet our recommended TOEFL scores, upon arrival you will take the International Student English Examination (ISE), a free placement exam that tests English proficiency. Your level of achievement on the ISE will determine if you must enroll in English-language courses at your expense at USC before or during your first semester.

Transcripts and Degree Verification

Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, or graduate schools from which you have received a degree must be submitted along with the degree certificate/diploma. Transcripts must show all courses and subjects taken and all grades (marks) received along with the school's grading system. They must contain your class standing or your approximate class standing. All transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas must be written in the original language of instruction and must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

E-App and Mail-In applicants who are using LSAC CAS will submit their documents directly to LSAC. Please check the LSAC website for instructions.

E-App and Mail-In applicants who are not using LSAC CAS must instruct schools to mail your official transcripts to you directly to be submitted with your application. If the school's policy does not allow this, your school should mail the transcripts directly to USC Gould School of Law, Graduate & International Programs.

Financial Support Documentation

The U.S. government requires that all international applicants provide proof of ability to pay tuition and living expenses for themselves and their dependents (if applicable) before an I-20 or DS-2019 Eligibility Certificate can be issued. Refer to the Financial Support Instructions section on our E-App or our Mail-In Application for requirements and instructions. Submission of original financial support documents is required.

Types of financial support that are normally accepted:

• Savings deposits, checking accounts or deposit certificates
• "Approved" educational loans
• General bank letters or solvency certificates from a bank
• Time/fixed/term deposits or government bonds only if document states that the funds mature by the beginning of your first term or shortly thereafter or are able to be withdrawn at any time
• Employer and government sponsorships/scholarships
• Provident funds only if document states that the funds are able to be withdrawn at any time

Types of financial support that are not accepted:

• Mutual funds, investments or stocks, securities
• Retirement funds, pensions, life insurance policies
• Tax returns
• Salary/payroll statements
• Statements of assets or property, such as Demat accounts, mortgages, jewelry, residences, automobiles, etc.
• "Pending" educational loans
• Accountant portfolio

Personal Statement

Include your personal, academic and professional background and your reasons for seeking an advanced degree. Limit to no more than three pages.

Writing Sample

Include a sample of your writing that demonstrates your English writing ability on any topic. Excerpts from documents written in school or for work in the past are acceptable. Limit to no more than three pages.

Two Letters of Recommendation

Ask two people—one law professor and one employer OR two law professors—to write a letter of recommendation in English for you on their letterhead. Ask your recommenders to enclose their letter in an envelope, seal the envelope, sign across the seal and return it to you to be submitted, unopened, with your application materials. If a recommender prefers, the recommendation letters may be mailed directly to USC Gould School of Law, Graduate & International Programs Office. Please note on your application form if your recommendation letters will be mailed separately.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Enclose your resume or curriculum vitae.

Passport Copy of applicant and accompanying family members

Make a copy of the page in your passport that includes your passport photo, passport number and expiration date. You must also include copies of the passport pages of your dependents traveling with you, if applicable.

Passport Size Photo

Include a small passport size color photo of yourself—approximately 2"x2" or send your digital photo to gipadmissions@law.usc.edu. A copy of a photograph will not be accepted.

Complete, sign and date the application form. Submit your completed application form online via the E-App or by mail via the Mail-In application and include the items listed above. Do not staple any of your documents and use single-sided sheets only. We highly recommend that you submit your application and documents in one complete package to expedite review by the Admissions Committee. We will not review your application until all of your materials have been received.

You should keep a copy of all materials you submit to us, since we cannot return or copy any part of your application. We also cannot return original transcripts or degree certificates after we receive them.

E-App applicants must submit their original financial support documents, passport copies, passport photo and their letters of recommendation directly to USC Gould School of Law, Graduate & International Programs. The remaining application documents including the personal statement, writing sample, and resume/curriculum vitae may be attached electronically to your E-App or may submitted directly to us via mail.

Application materials should be mailed directly to: