Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia, combines a residential JD with an explicitly Christian mission. Its six-semester Lawyering Skills sequence sits alongside training in prosecution, intellectual property, appellate litigation, and financial planning.
This guide walks you through how to get into Liberty Law.
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1. Liberty Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Liberty Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 158 | Median: 154 | 25th: 151
- GPA: 75th: 3.81 | Median: 3.54 | 25th: 3.36
Liberty Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 156 | Median: 153 | 25th: 150
- GPA: 75th: 3.79 | Median: 3.55 | 25th: 3.24
These are the fall 2025 and fall 2024 entering classes, respectively, in Liberty's full-time JD. The LSAT median rose one point while the GPA median slipped slightly. The entering class also grew from 108 to 141 students. The biggest movement was at the upper LSAT quartile, which increased two points.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Liberty Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
Liberty asks you to explain your commitment to pursuing law and your interest in the school, including your perspectives on faith, life, morality, and its mission. The suggested format is two to four double-spaced pages in 12-point type. That is a suggested range, not a separate four-page hard maximum.
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
The school-fit and personal-perspective questions belong in this required statement.
For more on how to write a Why X essay, see my Why X Essay Guide.
For more on how to write a diversity or perspective statement, see my Diversity Statement Examples and Diversity Statement Guide.
For more on making your whole application work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness Resources
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Liberty Law Resume Requirements
A resume is optional but strongly encouraged. Include employment, extracurricular involvement, and community service. Make your responsibilities and sustained commitments easy to identify.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Liberty Law Letters of Recommendation
One letter is required; up to four letters of recommendation are accepted through CAS. Recent graduates should prioritize an academic reference; applicants further removed from school should use an employment reference.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Liberty Law Interview Process
The admissions committee may request an interview case by case. Be ready to explain your interest in law, your connection to Liberty's mission, and any part of your application that needs clarification.
6. Liberty Law Deadlines and Decision Options
First-year students enter in the fall, and the residential JD follows a three-year, full-time schedule.
Testing Policy
Liberty requires the LSAT and a CAS report. Your LSAT must be no more than five years old.
Application Dates and Fees
- Application deadline: July 15 is the standing deadline for submission of all application materials.
- Decision process: Rolling review after the application is complete.
- Seat deposit: $400, nonrefundable and nontransferable, credited toward tuition and fees.
- Final transcript: A transcript showing the conferred bachelor's degree must arrive before October 15 of the entering year.
Get the CAS report, recommendation, and statement ready together. Submitting an application without its supporting materials does not put a complete file in front of the committee. Apply early enough to give yourself room to compare admission and scholarship offers rather than using the summer deadline as your starting point.
Accepting an offer involves both the signed acceptance materials and the deposit. Keep the deposit deadline in your admission letter separate from the general application deadline.
7. Liberty Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
Liberty considers eligible admitted students for institutional scholarships. Receiving an award requires accepting admission, paying the deposit, and enrolling. Students must also accept other eligible grants; combined grants cannot exceed tuition, and an institutional scholarship will be reduced when necessary to stay within that limit.
Cost of Attendance
For 2027-28, full-time law tuition is $45,750 annually, before fees and living expenses. The university separately lists activity, health, law activity, and BARBRI fees. Build your comparison around the scholarship-adjusted tuition bill and your housing costs, not the award's headline amount.
Financial-aid eligibility includes satisfactory academic progress, reviewed each semester. Read the renewal terms in your award letter before treating the same scholarship as a three-year resource. Liberty's annual FAFSA priority date is January 15.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Liberty Law Dual Degree Programs
Liberty offers three graduate combinations alongside the JD:
- JD/MBA: The 36-hour MBA adds business training through Liberty's business program.
- JD/MA in History: Graduate history study complements the legal curriculum.
- JD/MA in Public Policy: Public-policy coursework adds another route into government and policy work.
Admission to the non-JD program is separate. Students cannot take non-JD courses during their first law-school year, and later fall or spring enrollment requires law-school approval. Law block tuition can cover approved coursework during those terms, but not summer or winter courses. Plan the sequence around those restrictions rather than assuming every combination follows the same timetable.
9. Liberty Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Liberty Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 88.0%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 1.0%
- Federal clerkships: 0.0%
- Public service (including government): 46.0%
Government employment is a major part of Liberty's placement pattern, and smaller firms account for much of its private-practice work. Virginia is the largest destination, followed by Florida and North Carolina. Evaluate Liberty around those markets and practice settings. Large-firm recruiting is a very different proposition here from preparing for prosecution, local practice, or other public-service work.
10. Liberty Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Criminal Law: The Center for Prosecution connects criminal-law study with supervised work in Virginia prosecutors' offices. Cynthia Elaine Tompkins brings federal prosecutorial experience to this area, giving the classroom and practical program a shared focus on courtroom preparation.
Intellectual Property: The Intellectual Property Clinic connects trademark and related coursework to counseling startups, veteran-owned businesses, and ministries. Its participation in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's clinic program gives students a concrete route into trademark practice.
Constitutional and Appellate Litigation: The Constitutional Litigation Clinic and Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic offer different ways to work on live litigation. The latter involves appellate research and briefing, while the former includes constitutional and religious-liberty matters.
Wealth Management: Timothy M. Todd directs the Wealth Management and Financial Planning program, which is registered with the CFP Board. This is a distinctive option for connecting tax, business, and estate-planning interests with financial-advising knowledge.
Family and Child Advocacy: The Child Advocacy and Adoption Clinic addresses custody, foster care, adoption, and related proceedings. Its partnership with the Law Office of Debra M. Beale gives this interest a practice setting beyond family-law coursework alone.
11. Liberty Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Liberty's clinical offerings span prosecution, civil representation, and appellate work.
- Intellectual Property Clinic: Students counsel clients, research trademarks, and prepare trademark filings; admission is competitive and prerequisites apply.
- Prosecution Clinic: Students help prosecutors prepare witnesses, plea offers, hearings, and trials.
- Constitutional Litigation Clinic: Students research and assist with live constitutional cases under supervising lawyers.
- Child Advocacy and Adoption Clinic: Students interview clients, draft pleadings, and participate in court proceedings.
- Virginia Legal Aid Clinic: Students handle interviews, negotiation, and filings in housing, consumer, and benefits matters.
- Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic: Students research and draft petitions and briefs for appellate litigation.
- Public Defender Clinic: Students assist indigent criminal defendants through client interviews, motion practice, and courtroom work.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
The six-semester Lawyering Skills sequence makes practical training part of the core curriculum. Clinical partnerships include Virginia Legal Aid Society, the Lynchburg Public Defender Office, and Liberty Counsel. The Child Advocacy, Virginia Legal Aid, Supreme Court and Appellate, and Public Defender clinics are year-long programs with small, specified third-year cohorts. Their schedules matter when planning other commitments.
12. Liberty Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Timothy M. Todd: Dean and Professor of Law. His fields include tax, business, and estate planning; he directs the Wealth Management and Financial Planning program and is a CPA.
- Cynthia Elaine Tompkins: Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Prosecution. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney, she teaches in criminal procedure, professional responsibility, and related fields.
- Yuri Mantilla: Professor of Law. His work includes international law and human rights; he helped develop Liberty's online graduate law programs.
- Andrew P. Connors: Residential adjunct faculty member and Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic. He is a principal at Darkhorse Attorneys and practices intellectual-property and business law.
Journals
- Liberty University Law Review: Student-edited legal scholarship with an explicit Christian intellectual-tradition focus; participation includes an academic qualification route and a write-on competition.
13. Liberty Law Culture and Student Life
Liberty's Christian identity extends beyond the admissions statement to law-school Convocation and organizations such as the Christian Legal Society. The Student Bar Association, Black Law Student Association, Military Law Society, and Wellness Society provide other ways to participate. The fall 2025 entering class had 141 students.
Lynchburg provides access to local courts, prosecutors, legal-aid organizations, and practicing attorneys. The annual Bench & Bar Reception brings students together with that legal community. This is a campus-based education with local professional connections, not a downtown office-tower law school.
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Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Liberty Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.