LAW > Prospective Students > Admission > General Policies Chapman University School of Law
 
 
   

General Admissions Policies

Auditing Courses

Members of the bar, graduates of ABA approved law schools, and other persons at the discretion of the Associate Dean of Students, may apply to audit courses at Chapman University School of Law. Documentation of the applicant’s professional and/or academic status and permission from the course instructor are required. Auditors do not take examinations and they receive no academic credit. The fee for auditing a class is the same as the per-unit tuition fee. Applicants may contact the Office of the Registrar at (714) 628-2522 for specific course offerings, schedules, and applicable fees.

Email

Please ensure your email address is up to date. This is our primary method of contact.

Enrollment

For the 2009 Entering Class, Chapman University School of Law seeks to enroll approximately 150 students. The class will be comprised of primarily full time day students, but we will offer a few seats in a revised part time day program. Students can apply for the full time day or part time day program, but not both.  Seats in this program will be offered at the discretion of the admissions committee. The 170 to 190 first-year students will be divided into three tracks of approximately 56 students each. The Legal, Research & Writing sections will be further divided into 12 to 15 students each. Currently the total student body is comprised of 550 students.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The School of Law respects the rights, privacy, and confidentiality of its applicants. Therefore and in accordance with FERPA, access to sensitive and privileged information provided by applicants to the School of Law is strictly limited and monitored. Information is not released to unauthorized parties. Information submitted to the School of Law during the application process becomes the property of the institution and will not be returned or copied. The files of all previous applicants, which include full-time, transfer, and visiting applicants, are maintained in a secured location for a one-year period. Thereafter, they are no longer maintained and are destroyed. However, when a newly admitted student enrolls (matriculates) at the School of Law, his or her file is officially transferred to the School of Law Registrar’s Office. At Chapman University, FERPA rules apply to admitted students who have matriculated at the University.

Full Disclosure Requirements

Lawyers and law students are held to higher ethical standards and prospective students are cautioned to be truthful and candid during the entire admissions process. The School of Law expects that all applicants will furnish all requested information in a complete and accurate manner. Failure to disclose an act or event may be more significant, and lead to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself. Failure to provide complete and truthful information, or failure to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to application answers, may result in dismissal from or disciplinary action by the School of Law, revocation of the degree, or denial to practice law by the state in which bar admission is ultimately sought. For more information about the character and fitness screening process for the bar, please visit the website of the Bar Examiner’s Office for the state in which you may wish to practice. For California, please visit www.calbar.org. It is the applicant’s responsibility to establish if he or she is eligible to take the bar in a specific state. In addition, the School of Law will refer the matter to Law School Admission Council for possible investigation of misconduct in the admissions process.

LSAT Score(s)

Read LSAT and Related Issues (PDF). Chapman University School of Law will accept LSAT scores for up to five years. Only LSAT results from February 2004 through the current cycle are considered for the Fall 2009 term.  Please note that we will not accept the June LSAT score, if you are applying as a first year student.  If an applicant has multiple LSAT scores, the Admissions Committee considers the average score for admissions. In addition to the high score, if you have a significant difference in your LSAT scores, please submit a brief statement outlining why you believe this occurred.

Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the Chapman University School of Law not to discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, admission policies, employment policies, financial aid, or other school-administered programs. This policy is enforced by federal law under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Rolling Admissions

Applicant files are reviewed on a rolling basis; therefore, decisions are made when the file is complete. Applicants will receive a formal decision in writing, normally within four to six weeks, after the file is complete and has been reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The review of applications typically begins in January for the fall entering class and continues until the class is full.
The application deadline for the Fall 2009 entering class is April 15, 2009. Although there is no formal application required, we strongly recommend completing your application before our scholarship priority consideration deadline of April 1, 2009. First-year applicants will only be considered for fall admission. Transfer applicants may apply for either fall or spring admission, but must submit the required documents before November 1 for spring admission and July 1 for fall admission.

Veterans and Service Personnel

In accordance with Veterans Administration Regulation 14253 revised DVB Circular 20-75-84 dated August 14, 1975 (VA Regulations and Circular), Chapman University adheres to the Guidelines for Institutions Enrolling Veterans and Eligible Persons: Standards for Maintaining Adequate Records and Policies for Satisfactory Progress, Previous Education and Training, Conduct and Attendance.

Disabled Students

For general information about provisions and services for disabled law students, see Information and Services for Students with Disabilities. For local housing for disabled students, see Disability Housing.
 
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