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HOW TO APPLY

The Charleston School of Law knows the application process can sometimes seem overwhelming. No worries. Our admissions team is here to answer any questions and walk you through the process.

Applicants must complete a series of steps prior to being considered for acceptance to Charleston School of Law. This checklist will help you quickly gather all the information you need.

If you are applying to Charleston School of Law as transfer student, you must first apply online at LSAC.org and indicate your application status as “transfer.” Additional requirements are listed here.

Law students currently enrolled in ABA-accredited law schools who wish to take courses at Charleston Law must submit an application for admission, a letter of standing and permission for consideration.

The Charleston School of Law requires that foreign transcripts, academic records, mark sheets and degree certifications be submitted through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

Frequently Asked Questions

Fall Application Deadline: May 1*

*Applications will be accepted until all seats are filled.

We are here to help you succeed, from application to graduation. Here are some helpful tips for applying to Charleston School of Law.

Applicants with an adequate background of experience or study, who have special need for a limited acquaintance with a field of law, may be permitted to enroll in one or more classes at the School of Law upon application with an accompanying statement of interest and a $50 application fee.

Click here to access the non-degree student application to audit course(s). Please follow the instructions on the form, complete all sections, and return to the Office of Admission by mail, fax or email.

Unless the applicant seeks admission as a regular student, his/her status and privileges are those of an auditor, and he/she will not receive credit for attendance or work done. Should someone who has previously audited a class enroll as a full- or part-time student, no credit will be granted for course work earned prior to matriculation. Auditors are billed at the current per credit hour rate.

Courses taken as an audit will not count toward graduation should a candidate enroll as a degree-seeking student at the School of Law. For more information, please contact the Office of Admission by phone, 843.377.2143, or email, info@charlestonlaw.edu.

Alumni interested in auditing a class should click here.

Have you applied to Charleston School of Law and want to check the status of your application? You can do that online here.

In compliance with ABA Standard 509 and to assist current and prospective students find important information about the Charleston School of Law, the accompanying consumer information has been provided.

A Charleston School of Law student who has successfully completed two years of full-time study, which includes successful completion of Contracts I & II, and Business Associations or Business Organizations, and who is in good academic standing may apply to the College of Charleston’s M.B.A. program. Students who transfer to the Charleston School of Law from another law school are not eligible for this dual degree program.

To earn the M.B.A., the student must successfully complete all requirements of that program. To earn the J.D. degree, the student must successfully complete all graduation requirements of the Charleston School of Law, including the number of credit hours required for graduation. 

Read more about this program here.

Would you like more information about Charleston School of Law? We’re happy to help. Complete this short form and we will get additional materials in the mail to you.

Get all the facts and figures and learn more about our incoming Fall 2023 Class here.

Qualifications for Admission to the Bar

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Accepted students who reveal on their admission application any criminal conduct issues of concern can take proactive steps to address the issue by contacting the appropriate persons. Many jurisdictions will review a provisional application for admission to the bar. Information on character and fitness standards for various jurisdictions is available at the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ website: ncbex.org. Students are encouraged to meet with the Assistant Dean for Academic and Bar Success or the Associate Dean of Students and to contact the bar in that state(s) to determine its character and fitness and bar admission requirements.

When responding to the character and fitness questions below, you must:

  • include all disciplinary actions, charges, convictions, and traffic violations.
  • exclude parking tickets.
  • disclose all traffic violations to include those you consider to be minor.

In accordance with the application for admission to any Bar, you must provide a complete record of all instances in which you have been arrested or taken into custody or accused, formally or informally, of the violation of a law, including:

  • instances that have been expunged by Order of the Court.
  • juvenile offenses whether or not the records are sealed.
  • charges that have been dismissed or you were acquitted.
  • adjudication was withheld.
  • a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated.
  • the record was sealed or expunged.
  • you participated in a pretrial intervention program.
  • you were advised by a judge or attorney that you are not required to disclose.

If you answer “yes” to any of the following Character and Fitness questions, you must attach a detailed explanation for each of those questions providing dates, locations, charges, disposition, and any sanctions imposed. Including a copy of your driving record or criminal record without providing a detailed explanation is not sufficient. The explanation(s) must be submitted electronically as an attachment(s) under the “Attachments” section of your application.

Because of the high ethical standards to which lawyers are held, the failure to disclose an act or event such as the ones described below is often more significant and leads to more serious consequences than the act or event itself. If you have questions about whether an incident or charge should be disclosed, err on the side of full disclosure.

You have an ongoing duty to inform the Office of Admission of any changes in the information in this application and to the Character and Fitness questions to include any new information. That duty begins at the point of submission of the application and continues throughout the entirety of your law school career. Failure to provide truthful answers or failure to inform the Office of Admission of any changes or updates to your answers may result in revocation of admission, disciplinary action by the School of Law, rescission of your law degree, and/or not being allowed to take the Bar Exam.

In no event, however, will the Charleston School of Law admit applicants who do not appear capable of satisfactorily completing its educational program and being admitted to the bar.

Contact THE ADMISSIONS TEAM

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