We’re ready to help guide you through the application process. Each of our degree programs has distinct admission requirements, tuition and fee costs, and financial aid opportunities. Need more help?
Do you have questions about the application process or the OU Law experience? Click here to schedule a meeting with one of our Student Mentors.
Applying to OU's J.D. Program
Earn your Juris Doctor—a first degree in law—at Oklahoma’s premier law school. Our J.D. program offers more than a dozen legal concentrations, including indigenous peoples law and oil and gas, natural resources, and energy law. Combine your J.D. with another specialized OU graduate degree, such as an M.B.A. or Master of Public Health, through one of our many dual degree options.
Interested in applying to OU Law’s Juris Doctor program?
Start here by requesting a $50 application fee waiver.
General J.D. Application Instructions
Admission to OU Law’s J.D. program is highly selective. We consider many factors in our decision-making process, including your LSAT scores, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
To be considered for admission to the OU Law Juris Doctor program, applicants must:
- Complete a bachelor’s degree prior to the first day of law school.
- Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (OU Law GRE Code: 4930).
- Register with the Law School Admission Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
- Submit an application through LSAC’s website. Applications are submitted through LSAC by both LSAT and GRE test-takers.
- Submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts directly to LSAC. Please have a separate transcript sent to LSAC directly from each institution you attended. Transcripts are submitted through LSAC by both LSAT and GRE test-takers.
Application packages must include:
- Application form, available here. (opens in a new window)
- A $50 non-refundable application and processing fee payment
- Personal statement not to exceed three double-spaced pages
- A resume
- Two letters of recommendation* (optional)
- Transcripts
*The most useful recommendation letters are those individuals who have had substantial opportunities to observe the applicant’s motivation, character, academic ability, and other qualitative variables. Applicants who have been away from college for a considerable time may wish to furnish recommendations from employers or others with whom they have had recent contact.
Contact admissions@law.ou.edu or call 405-325-7653 with any questions.
OU Law makes every effort to meet the minimum financial needs of all enrolled students. Need-based financial aid, all in the form of loans for graduate study, is available. The specific amount a student is entitled to is in accordance with the student’s financial need analysis. For more information, go to the OU Financial Aid Services website (opens in a new window).
OU Law also administers a scholarship and awards program. All scholarships and awards are determined from a scholarship questionnaire, which is provided to all first-year students after classes start in the fall. By completing the questionnaire, students are considered for all merit and need-based scholarships for which they may qualify. The Scholarship Committee makes decisions in September and March of each year. Current information on Tuition and Fees can be found on the Tuition and Fees page (opens in a new window), maintained by the University's Office of the Bursar. Next academic year pricing will posted by July 1 each year.
OU Law is ranked 10th in the nation out of more than 200 law schools as a Best Value Law School. We are committed to providing the highest quality legal education at an affordable cost to our students. Providing opportunities for scholarships and financial aid are central to that commitment.
At OU Law, the scholarship process takes place in several stages. Many scholarships are awarded to incoming first-year students shortly after admittance to OU Law.
Incoming Student Scholarships
All OU Law applications completed by the March 15 deadline will be considered for academic scholarships. No separate scholarship application is required. The Scholarship Committee typically distributes available funds based on academic achievement, successful performance on the LSAT and other life experiences. If you are awarded a scholarship, we will notify you promptly after you have been admitted to OU Law. Admitted students can expect to be notified of a merit-based scholarship within a month of an admission decision. Contact Student Services for more information.
Comfort Scholarship
The Comfort Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards at OU Law. Through a generous endowment from William T. Comfort Jr. and James T. Comfort, OU Law awards merit-based scholarships to incoming students with exemplary academic qualifications and LSAT scores. The Comfort Scholarship is awarded without regard to financial need. In addition, typically the top 10 students in each of the second- and third-year classes are considered for Comfort "Top Ten" Scholarships. Comfort Scholars are considered to be among the most outstanding group of incoming students.
Elkouri Scholarship
The Frank and Edna Asper Elkouri Scholarship is one of our most impressive awards. Professor Frank Elkouri, a nationally noted authority on labor arbitration, joined the faculty in 1952 and remained with the College of Law for 58 years. Prior to joining the faculty, Elkouri practiced with the Oklahoma City law firm of Quinlan & Elkouri and was an attorney with the National Wage Stabilization Board in Washington, D.C., and Dallas. From 1952 until 1957, in addition to teaching, he was the advisor to the Office of the President at OU. Elkouri was appointed to a George Lynn Cross Research Professorship in 1975 and awarded the Whitney North Seymour Medal from the American Arbitration Association in 1980. Though he retired in 1985, he continued his leadership as professor emeritus at the law school through 2010. It is Frank and Edna Asper Elkouri’s desire to help defray the cost of tuition and educational expenses of a number of our most academically exceptional law students.
First-, Second-, and Third-Year Scholarships
In addition to incoming student scholarships, OU Law administers a scholarship and awards program based on a scholarship application. This application is given to all students after classes begin in the fall and again in the spring. By completing the application, students are considered for all merit, field of interest, and need-based scholarships for which they qualify. Scholarships range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The Scholarship Committee makes decisions in October and April of each year. Contact the Registrar for more information.
For Fall 2021, the application will be open until Sunday, September 5, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Click here for the application (requires you to log into the student intranet with student credentials). Please have a pdf of your resume ready to upload as well.
In addition to internal scholarships, OU Law receives notifications about outside scholarships and awards available to law students. To learn more about external scholarships, click the button below.
Additionally, AccessLex, our financial counseling/educational partners, have vetted & compiled a list of numerous external scholarships in a database for us. Click here to view & apply for those.
Contact the Registrar for more information.
Federal student loans are available to students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. Eligible students may be able to obtain a Federal Stafford Loan. Other loan options, including the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and Private Educational Loans, may be available to students who wish to borrow beyond the maximum of the Stafford Loan. Both the Federal Graduate PLUS and Private Loans require a credit check to be performed by the selected lender.
To determine eligibility status and initiate the financial aid process, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA becomes available on October 1 for the following fall and spring semesters. Parental information is not required on the FAFSA for OU Law students. The FAFSA can be completed by visiting fafsa.ed.gov. OU's school code is 00318400. Do not hold submission of the FAFSA because of not yet filing a federal income tax return. Instead, provide an estimate of income. To electronically sign your FAFSA, you will need your four digit federal PIN. If you do not have one, or if you do not remember your PIN, you can request a new or duplicate one by visiting pin.ed.gov.
For students who are not eligible for federal financial aid, private educational loans may be an option if the student has a sufficiently lengthy and positive credit history in the United States or can apply with a credit worthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. Eligible students can apply for a private educational loan up to the institution's cost of attendance minus any aid they have already been awarded. For additional information about these loan programs, please contact our Financial Aid Office by visiting financialaid.ou.edu.
Refer to the links below for more information about financial aid:
OU Student Financial Center - Review the Graduate and Law Students section which includes information on student loans
FAFSA
GRADPlus
AccessLex
Internal Revenue Service
A Quick Guide to FinAid