UC Irvine

CA · Public · Pacific

Acceptance rate: 15% (3,720 applicants)
Median LSAT: 169 (middle 50%: 166–170)
Median GPA: 3.80 (middle 50%: 3.59–3.90)
Tuition: $71,325 (per year, nonresident)
Bar passage: 89.9% (+7.2 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Application deadline: March 31, 2027

Essays

Personal statement (350 to 750 words)

The Personal Statement helps us understand who you are beyond your résumé and academic record. We are interested in the experiences, perspectives, and values that have shaped you and that you would bring to our law school community. There is no fixed set of qualities we are looking for. Please focus on what you believe is most important for us to know about you. You might choose to discuss a significant life experience, intellectual or extracurricular pursuit, personal relationship, or moment that changed or enriched your path. You may reflect on a challenge or obstacle you have faced and how you responded, an action you took in response to a political, philosophical, or personal concern, or a non-traditional path in your education, career, or family life. Experiences related to military service, sexual identity, disability, discrimination, or socioeconomic background may also be appropriate if they have meaningfully influenced your development. Please use this statement to share how these experiences have shaped your perspective and how they will inform your engagement with the law school community.

"Why UC Irvine Law?" essay (350 to 750 words)

We recognize that you have many options when choosing a law school. Please explain why you are interested in attending UC Irvine School of Law. What aspects of our program, community, or approach to legal education appeal to you, and how do you believe they will support your professional goals? Additionally, what experiences, perspectives, or qualities would you contribute to the School of Law, and how would they enhance our academic and community environment?

Inclusive Excellence Essay (500 words)

UC Irvine Law is deeply committed to fostering inclusive excellence. Please describe how you will contribute to that commitment within our law school community.

Addendum (500 words)

An optional addendum is your final opportunity to give the Admissions Committee additional information about your candidacy. The two topics you may cover are (1) your performance on standardized tests and/or (2) your academic history/undergraduate GPA. You may address one or both topics, however, the maximum word count allowed is 500.

Editor's notes

Decide on Early Decision by November. ED at UCI comes with a guaranteed $30,000 a year, which is a known number you can plan around. It also binds you, bars deferral, and requires an LSAT score, so GRE-only applicants can't use it.
Your "Why UC Irvine Law?" essay has as much room as your personal statement, 750 words each. That's a signal. Research the required clinic program and the concurrent-degree options and write about the ones that fit your record.
Get your conduct disclosures exactly right. UCI marks a file incomplete if a "no" answer conflicts with anything elsewhere in your file, and the conduct statement has no word limit, so explain fully.
Pick one test. If an LSAT score is on your LSAC record, UCI uses it and won't take a GRE, and a GRE admit who later reports an LSAT can be re-reviewed.