Application Details, Fees & Schedule
The Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree program is a one-year program for non-lawyers who seek a basic familiarity with legal thought and to explore the relation of law to their disciplines.
To apply for the M.S.L. program, applicants must have a doctoral degree or be a doctoral candidate in a field other than law, unless the applicant is a working journalist (journalists must have at least a bachelor's degree).
The following materials will be needed to complete an application:
- the M.S.L. application form;
- a current curriculum vitae;
- a typed statement of no more than three pages (double-spaced in 12-point font) explaining why the study of law is important to your professional growth and development;
- transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Final official transcripts may be certified electronic transcripts or traditional paper transcripts. If you have records from education completed outside of the United States, all of your attested documents from the issuing institution or government agency must be submitted in the original language. If the transcripts or other required documents are not in English, a certified translation must be included;
- three confidential letters of recommendation from persons having knowledge of the applicant's academic ability and professional promise (three letters of recommendation are required; however, we will accept up to five letters of recommendation). Letters of recommendation must be sent through LSAC’s Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service;
- three to five examples of professional work (journalists only);
- an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score report, unless the applicant's native language is English, or their undergraduate education was completed at an institution where the language of instruction is English. (Please be sure to specify Yale Law School's institution code 3997. We require a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test); and
- $75 (USD) nonrefundable application fee, payable through LSAC by credit card. The application fee is separate and in addition to any fees charged by LSAC for its application, credential assembly, and authentication services. This fee is non-refundable and will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission.
APPLICATION PROCESS
All applications must be submitted through the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) by January 10.
You should register and pay for CAS at least four to six weeks before your first law school application deadline. It takes approximately two weeks for LSAC to process a U.S. transcript or letter of recommendation from the time that it is received; transcripts from non-U.S. institutions may take longer to process. LSAC will not send your Law School Report to us until all official transcripts—and your TOEFL score, if required—are received. It is your responsibility to make certain that LSAC receives all of your materials in a timely manner.
International applicants must register for LSAC's Document Assembly Service. We also require LSAC's International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service.
You will receive notification from us when we receive your application and, again, when your application is complete. If you have not received notification by January 15, please contact us. We typically make admissions decisions in mid-March.
Questions about the CAS should be directed to LSAC at (215) 968-1001.
Previous applicants who were not admitted to the M.S.L. program and who wish to reapply must submit a completely new application and pay the application fee. Applicants who have been denied admission three times may not file further applications.
If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate Programs Office.