UCLA School of Law seeks to admit students of outstanding intellectual ability who will bring a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to the classroom and the legal profession. UCLA Law has, as one of its central purposes, the training of attorneys who will attain high levels of professional excellence and integrity, and who will exercise civic responsibility in myriad ways over long careers.
Through long experience, the faculty has concluded that the quality of the education of each student is affected in significant ways by the presence of vital, diverse viewpoints. Indeed, students of all backgrounds choose to come to UCLA in significant part because of UCLA Law's outstanding achievements in creating a highly diverse educational environment.
In evaluating each applicant, UCLA Law places substantial weight on traditional measures of academic ability, namely grades and standardized test scores, specifically Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores and Graduate Records Exam (GRE) scores. We also recognize that other factors and attributes contribute greatly to a person's ability to succeed as a law student and lawyer, including economic, physical or other challenges that have been overcome; scholarly achievements such as graduate study, awards and publications; the rigor of the undergraduate educational program undertaken; and letters of recommendation.
We place special emphasis on socioeconomic disadvantage in our evaluation. We also consider work experience and career achievement; community or public service; career goals; the ability to contribute to law school programs and specializations; evidence of and potential for leadership; language ability; unusual life experiences; and, any other factors (except those factors deemed inadmissible by applicable law) that indicate the applicant may make a distinctive contribution to UCLA Law or the legal profession.