Be sure to check out these frequently asked questions related to applying to the Bowen School of Law.
Before You Apply
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized exam that is required for admission to most U.S. law schools, including Bowen. The LSAT is administered nine times per year in America. You can obtain further information about the LSAT (including dates, costs, and registration requirements) from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
We recommend that you take the LSAT in summer after your junior year of college or the fall before the year you plan to begin law school.
Yes, LSAT scores expire five years after the initial test administration.
The LSAT tests reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. A 35-minute writing session is also included, and is taken at home on your own time. The writing sample is not scored, but is required for your CAS to be released. We will receive a copy of it and review it.
You should spend a minimum of 6 – 8 weeks taking practice tests and improving your reading and analytical reasoning skills. LSAC makes practice tests available and has an official partnership with Khan Academy. In addition to LSAC, you can find preparation materials in bookstores, public libraries, and online.
For the 2024 entering class, the median LSAT score was 151 and the median UGPA was a 3.47.
We consider all LSAT scores, but in most cases we rely on the highest score in making admission decisions.
The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) compiles a report for each applicant that includes transcripts, LSAT score information, LSAT writing samples, and letters of recommendation. The service then forwards this information to law schools. Bowen applicants are required to utilize the CAS and have a report compiled for them. You can obtain further information about the CAS from the Law School Admission Council.
The Law School Admissions Council administers all CAS Fee Waivers through their fee waiver service. Bowen Law School does not provide any CAS Fee Waivers.
Bowen does not require or give preference to any particular major. Our students have majors that range from political science to engineering to journalism. What’s most important is completing a rigorous course of study that will help prepare you for the challenges of law school.
Bowen’s admissions committee looks at an applicant’s total admissions package when making its decisions. We offer admission to applicants with a wide range of numerical profiles.
There is no minimum GPA or LSAT score. All completed applications are considered.
Graduate degrees rarely make or break applicants’ chances of admission, however they do show an applicant’s ability to succeed in a graduate program. If included, graduate records will be looked at in comparison to applicants’ undergraduate records.
For purposes of the Law School Report, your GPA is converted by the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to a uniform scale. In many cases this conversion lowers your GPA from what is reflected on your transcript. The disparity often occurs in cases where applicants repeated courses due to low initial grades. All grades received in a course are calculated for purposes of the CAS Report, even if your college only calculated the highest grade. The difference could be caused by other reasons as well; you can find out more about these factors from LSAC.
Application Process
Applications are open October 1 – June 1 each year.
Applications must be submitted online using the LSAC online application. There is no application fee.
No. However, applicants are welcome to submit two professional letters of recommendation as part of their Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report.
Personal statements should be two to three pages in length, typed and double-spaced. Discuss reasons for wanting to attend law school. It is particularly important for non-residents to discuss why Bowen interests them in their statements. Other information about their background, life experiences, and volunteer work can be included, as this information is often very helpful in the admissions and scholarships process.
All applicants must submit a one page resume.
The Faculty Admissions Committee.
The length of review varies; it can be as short as a few weeks or as long as a few months. Earlier applicants tend to receive decisions quicker than later applicants. We will not consider an applicant until he or she has submitted all required materials. The amount of time it takes for our admissions committee to consider applications doesn’t foretell what decision the committee will make.
No.
Yes. The part-time division meets in the evening. Students enrolled in the part-time division will only be allowed to take evening classes. Bowen’s application allows you to indicate a first and second choice.
No. Both divisions have the same qualifications for admissions and have approximately the same average LSAT score and GPA. The full-time division fills faster because there is more demand for it.
No. The law school only admits a new class in the fall.
Yes.
The UA Little Rock Admissions Office on our main campus determines eligibility for Arkansas residency status. If you have questions about the residency policy, call 501-916-3127. Generally, a student is considered an Arkansas resident for tuition and fee purposes: (1) If the student is a US citizen, has been an Arkansas resident at least 6 months; or (2) If the student is a permanent resident, has had their permanent resident card for at least 6 months and has been an Arkansas resident for at least 6 months.
No. All applicants are considered in the same admission pool.
Academic Program
Your experience here begins with “First Week.” Our entering student program is unlike anything you experienced in your undergraduate days or in another graduate program. It is not orientation. It is your actual first week of classes, and it is a required part of the curriculum here at Bowen. First Week is considered integral to the academic semester and includes class with one of your professors, training on expert learning skills for law students, meetings with your student success team (SST) facilitated by our Bowen Fellows, and completion of administrative matters associated with your time at UA Little Rock.
In the full-time division, most people graduate after three years; however, it is possible to graduate in two and a half years by attending summers classes. In the part-time division, most people graduate in four years; however, a few take five years. The American Bar Association does not permit students to take longer than six years to obtain a J.D. degree. A student who attends part-time the first year and switches to full-time the second year may still graduate within three years by attending summer school.
Typically, first-year full-time students have classes Monday through Friday, beginning at 8:45 a.m. and spaced throughout the day until around 4 or 5 p.m. You will have study time between classes. First-year part-time students attend four nights per week and have class from approximately 5:45 to 9:25 p.m.
No. Our full-time professors typically each teach one day and one evening course every semester. Adjunct professors, who are attorneys and judges, teach in both divisions. All required courses and most bar courses are taught by our full-time professors.
Students are admitted to a specific division and may only switch divisions before enrollment. If the division is full, permission will not be granted. Students interested in switching divisions should contact the Admissions Office for more information. All students may petition the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to switch divisions upon completion of their first year of study. The size of the full-time division is limited by our classroom size.
By pursuing concurrent degrees you can get double credit for a significant number of courses, thus reducing the time spent enrolled. In addition, you can: (1) Receive an interdisciplinary education that will both diversify and specialize your training and knowledge. (2) Build a career in either field or find a niche career combining mastery of both disciplines in a way that other professionals cannot. (3) Broaden your network and opportunities through internships, classes and professional contacts in both programs.
No, but you must be admitted and concurrently enrolled in both schools to get double credit. We recommend that you apply for admission to the other program as soon as possible after enrollment at the law school. For more information about admission to concurrent degree graduate programs, please click on one of the following schools: UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, UAMS College of Pharmacy, UA Little Rock College of Business, UA Clinton School of Public Services, UA Little Rock School of Social Work.
Transfer Students
A transfer student is one who has completed some coursework at another law school. Transfers become UA Little Rock degree candidates. If you have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited undergraduate institution and have satisfactorily completed at least 20 semester hours of credit at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, you are eligible to apply for transfer to the Bowen School of Law.
To be eligible to transfer to UA Little Rock you must retain good standing and you must have satisfactorily completed at least 20 credit hours at either an ABA approved law school or a state-accredited law school. Applicants from state-accredited schools must be ranked in the top 15 percent of their class. Admission depends on the availability of space, your need to transfer, and your academic credentials. The number of credit hours which you may transfer to the Bowen School of Law will depend on the quality of your previous performance, the similarity between your course work and the Bowen School of Law’s curriculum, and the amount of time that has elapsed since you completed the work. You cannot transfer more than 30 credit hours for work completed.
In order to submit a completed application, prospective visiting students should:
- Submit a completed application through LSAC
- Submit a letter that explains why you want to be a student at Bowen
- Request an official transcript from the law school you last attended. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts will be required if you are admitted.
- Your most recent CAS report along with a letter standing from your law school’s registrar
Transfer students are admitted based on academic record, need to transfer, and available space. Deadlines for admission are:
- Fall: August 1
- Spring: Dec. 1
- Summer: May 1
After you are accepted:
The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will decide whether and how much credit to give for courses you have already taken at your law school.
Our Transfer Credit Policy can be found here.
Visiting Students
A visiting student earns credit at our law school for a degree from another law school. Visitors do not become candidates for our degree and may not take more than 45 credit hours at our law school. If you are enrolled at another law school accredited by the American Bar Association or by a state, you may take courses from the Bowen School of Law that will count toward a degree from your home school.
To be eligible as a visiting student at UA Little Rock you must retain good standing and be eligible to continue your studies at either an ABA approved law school or a state-accredited law school.
- Submit a completed application through LSAC.
- Submit a letter that explains why you want to be a visiting student at UA Little Rock
- You will be required to submit, in addition to other materials, a letter from the dean of your current school granting permission for you to attend as a visitor. Admission depends on the availability of space, your need for visitor status, and your academic credentials.
- Request that your law school send us a letter stating all of the following:
- you are in good standing
- you are eligible to continue your studies at that school
- you have permission to be a visiting student
- you will be permitted to transfer all credits back to that law school
- exactly what courses you are permitted to take at our law school.
In addition to the above, you must also send us:
- A letter from the school’s dean or associate dean stating that your studies were “in residence” as provided in ABA Standard 304 or qualify for credit under ABA Standard 305
- Copies of:
- the school’s most recent catalog
- the school’s required curriculum
- the official course descriptions
- the syllabus for every completed course
- a photocopy of your CAS report
Visiting students are admitted based on academic record, need for visitor status, and available space. Deadlines for admission are:
- Fall: August 1
- Spring: Dec. 1
- Summer: May 1
After you are accepted:
You will receive information about how to register for courses.