LSDAS Candidate Requirements
The LSDAS is not just a service that helps facilitate the application process; for most candidates applying to US law schools, it is required.
Exceptions to the LSDAS requirement:
- If you are applying exclusively to law school(s) in Canada, you need not subscribe to this service.
- If you are a transfer student, we suggest that you contact the law school(s) in which you are interested to verify that LSDAS is required.
- Some non-ABA-approved law schools do not require LSDAS. Please contact the school(s) for information on application requirements.
JD Credential Assembly Service (JD CAS) for Foreign-Educated Applicants
Law schools may choose whether or not to participate in JD CAS. Here is a list of the participating schools.
You must register for the LSDAS if:
- you are applying to a law school that requires the JD Credential Assembly Service (JD CAS, an extension of the LSDAS),
AND - you received your undergraduate degree from a foreign institution, OR
- you were directly enrolled at a foreign institution(s) and the total amount of work you completed at all foreign institutions combined is the equivalent of more than one year of undergraduate study in the US, its territories, or Canada.
To use JD CAS, you must register for the LSDAS and you must request that the appropriate documents (e.g., mark sheets, academic records, diplomas, degree certifications, transcripts) be sent directly to LSAC from the institution(s) you attended.
If all of your undergraduate work was completed outside the US/US territories or Canada, and you are NOT applying to a participating JD CAS school, you need not register for LSDAS unless you wish to use the letter of recommendation or electronic application services. If you do not register for LSDAS, be sure to identify yourself as foreign-educated when registering for the LSAT.
Please read Requesting Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation before registering.
