Application instructions and checklist
Applications will not be considered until all of the required documents are received by the Graduate Programs Admissions Office.
In addition to the application, an applicant must submit the following:
1. The $50 non-refundable application fee.
An application fee of US $50 made payable to Franklin Pierce Law Center is required of each applicant. Payment must be made in US dollars. Forms of payment accepted are bank checks, money orders, personal checks (drawn from a US bank), and credit cards (American Express, Visa and Mastercard). Credit card payment may be submitted on the online application form. Check or money orders may be sent by mail.
An application fee waiver is available if you prove financial need. To apply for a waiver, submit the Application Fee Waiver Request Form along with your application.
2. Two letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation are helpful to the Admissions Committee if they show how your particular accomplishments (academic, professional or personal), demonstrate analytical skills, writing ability, independence, self-motivation and other characteristics critical to success in law study and practice. Two recommendations are strongly suggested. If you graduated from university within the past five years, one recommendation should come from a professor. If you choose not to provide recommendations, please explain your choice.
If an individual wishes to write specifically about your qualifications for Pierce Law, he or she may send a letter or complete a Recomendation Form and send it directly to us at: Franklin Pierce Law Center, Graduate Programs Admissions Office, 2 White Street, Concord, NH, USA 03301.
3. Resume.
(May be attached with online application in Word format.)
4. Transcripts.
We require official transcripts from all universities, graduate schools, and professional schools you have attended or are attending. The transcripts should show courses taken, marks earned and degrees received. If the documents are not in English, official translations must accompany the transcripts. Transcripts must be submitted directly to Pierce Law in a sealed envelope along with the issuing administrator’s signature by the issuing institution or by the applicant. We will not accept photocopies. Transcripts and translations must be sent directly to the Graduate Programs Admissions Office at Franklin Pierce Law Center or submitted through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service.
International applicants may be interested in a new service provided by LSAC. We recommend that if you received your law degree (LL.M. applicants) or your undergraduate degree (Master applicants) from outside the United States, you subscribe to the Law School (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. This service will save you time and money by allowing you to submit to LSAC only one set of official academic credentials and translations. The LSAC will collect, authenticate, evaluate and distribute your academic records and TOEFL score to numerous U. S. law schools.
If you decide not to use the Law School Admission Council LL.M. Credential Assembly Service, you may choose another service such as World Educational Service, Inc.
5. Official TOEFL score or IELTS score.
If English is not your native language, you must take the test offered by the Testing of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the test offered by International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The test score must not be more than two years old from the date of your application submission. Pierce Law's Institution Code is 3396 for TOEFL. No code is required for IELTS. No other test of English language proficiency will be accepted.
Accepted TOEFL Scores
Paper: 550, IBT: 80, Computer: 213
Accepted IELTS Score
6
If you have earned an undergraduate university degree where the language of instruction was English, you may request a waiver of the TOEFL. The waiver must be submitted in writing along with your application. You must have signed documentation from an administrator at the university confirming English language as the medium of instruction. If you do not have signed documentation, then the English language proficiency requirement will not be waived.
You must also arrange for a telephone interview with the Director of Graduate Programs.
Pierce Law will not grant conditional admission to applicants who do not meet the minimum score requirements but plan to retake the TOEFL or IELTS exam.
6. Essay.
We are interested in learning why you wish to attend Franklin Pierce Law Center. Please address your goals, how your work and professional experience qualifies you to further your legal studies, and how you intend to apply your advanced degree. You may submit additional information to explain any unusual circumstances with your application. The essay should not exceed four double-spaced typewritten pages. (May be attached with online application in Word format.)
Checklists
Application Materials: Applicants who hold a U.S. Law Degree or hold a U.S. Baccalaureate degree (Master program)
___ Application form
___ Nonrefundable application fee $50
___ Two signed letters of recommendation
___ Resume
___ Academic records and official transcripts
___ Essay
Application Materials: Applicants who hold a foreign law degree or hold a foreign Baccalaureate degree (Master program)
___ Application form
___ Nonrefundable application fee $50
___ Two signed letters of recommendation
___ Resume
___ Academic records and official transcripts with certified English translation
___ TOEFL/IELTS score sent directly to Pierce Law through the testing center
___ Essay
