The goal of Rutgers School of Law–Newark is to produce lawyers who are well qualified for the legal profession as well as representative of all segments of society. Law is practiced in a changing, dynamic environment, involving real people and current issues in society. The faculty recognizes that having a student body with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and accomplishments enriches the intellectual experience of law school for all students, and provides better preparation for the practice of law.

The faculty has directed the Admissions Committee to consider a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to, LSAT, UGPA, educational and employment experiences, community service, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and extraordinary family circumstances. The faculty has also directed the Committee to implement a unitary admissions system under which every applicant can chose to compete for admissions with primary emphasis placed either on numerical indicators, such as the LSAT and UGPA, or on non-numerical indicators, such as experiences and accomplishments.

For more than 40 years, the faculty has recognized that the LSAT and UGPA may not be the best predictors of success in law school and the legal profession for all applicants. Therefore, applicants may indicate that they want their application considered primarily on educational and employment experiences, personal and academic accomplishments, community service, socio-economic background, extraordinary family circumstances, and the contribution the applicant will make to the overall diversity in the school. Under this alternative, less, though still significant, emphasis is placed on LSAT and UGPA.

Please refer to the 2010 Application for Admissions for additional information about choosing this option.