The University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks is a public law school with a full-time JD. Its strengths include Indian and tribal law, aviation, energy and natural resources, and courtroom advocacy.
This guide walks you through how to get into UND Law.
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1. UND Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
UND Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 155 | Median: 151 | 25th: 148
- GPA: 75th: 3.75 | Median: 3.48 | 25th: 3.24
UND Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 154 | Median: 150 | 25th: 147
- GPA: 75th: 3.76 | Median: 3.46 | 25th: 3.19
These full-time cohorts entered in fall 2025 and fall 2024. Year over year, all three LSAT quartiles increased one point, while the median GPA rose 0.02 and the lower GPA quartile rose 0.05; the upper GPA quartile decreased 0.01. The entering class grew from 82 to 97 students. For fall 2025, UND received 401 completed applications and made 253 offers, an acceptance rate of 63.1%.
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. UND Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
UND requires a personal statement as part of the application.
UND's review considers analytical and writing ability alongside the academic record.
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
For more on making your whole application work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness (if applicable)
UND requires an explanation for disclosed character and fitness matters.
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. UND Law Resume Requirements
A resume is optional. Submit one that clearly presents education, employment, service, and meaningful activities. Include dates, responsibilities, and concrete contributions so the committee can understand your experience without reconstructing it from the personal statement.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. UND Law Letters of Recommendation
UND requires two letters and accepts up to four through CAS. Choose writers who can discuss your analytical ability, writing, reliability, and response to demanding work. Specific examples matter more than a recommender's title.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. UND Law Interview Process
UND evaluates completed application files through rolling review. Treat the written application as your opportunity to explain your preparation, motivation, and regional interests; do not leave a central part of your story for a later conversation. Campus visits offer a separate opportunity to learn about the school.
6. UND Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Application Dates and Fees
- Recommended completion date: April 1 before fall enrollment.
- Final annual application deadline: July 15, with late applications subject to available seats.
- Application fee: $35, waived through January 1, 2027.
- Enrollment deposit: $300, generally due April 1 unless the admission offer specifies otherwise.
Testing Policy
UND uses rolling admissions. Submit a complete application rather than treating the July deadline as the ideal filing date. The school accepts the LSAT or GRE; its GRE code is 6878. LSAT scores remain valid for five years, and UND uses the highest LSAT score for admission and scholarship consideration.
If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.
7. UND Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
UND offers scholarships and tuition assistance through a range of endowed funds. The Lewis H. Oehlert Memorial Law Award supports incoming students with financial need and strong LSAT performance. The Hans Walker Jr. Memorial Scholarship supports incoming American Indian law students, with specified tribal preferences. The Justice Paul M. Sand Memorial Law Scholarship connects North Dakota residency, financial need, and intended public service.
Renewal terms deserve attention. UND's 2025 ABA disclosure reports 14 entering students with conditional scholarships in 2024-2025, with none reduced or eliminated during the reported period. That does not make the underlying conditions irrelevant. Evaluate the award letter's academic requirements alongside its dollar amount.
For a dated cost benchmark, the 2025-2026 disclosure lists tuition of $591 per credit for residents and $1,181 for nonresidents, plus $1,855 in annual fees and a $20,616 living-expense estimate. Law tuition is charged by credit rather than capped at 12 credits per semester. Use UND's law-specific tuition calculator and cost-of-attendance budget to compare your residency category and actual course load, not tuition alone.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. UND Law Joint Degree Programs
UND offers three graduate joint degrees, generally completed in four years. Admission to both the law school and the relevant graduate program is required.
- JD/MBA: 114 credits, including 81 law credits and 33 MBA credits. Students generally begin with three semesters of law study before combining the programs; MBA coursework is online.
- JD/MPA: Combines legal study with public administration. Six law credits can count toward the MPA and nine MPA credits toward the JD. The law component is in person, with MPA courses available online.
- JD/MPH: A 120-credit route connecting law and public health. The MPH can be completed online, while the JD remains an in-person program.
Choose the second degree for a defined professional purpose, not simply because the shared credits are available.
9. UND Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
UND Law Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 80.8%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 2.7%
- Federal clerkships: 5.5%
- Public service (including government): 31.5%
North Dakota was the leading employment destination, followed by Minnesota and Montana. Government, public-interest work, smaller firms, and clerkships are more central to this employment picture than large-firm hiring. Build your school decision around that regional practice market and the cost of reaching it.
10. UND Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Indian and tribal law: The 15-credit Indian and Tribal Law Certificate combines Federal Indian Law, Tribal Law, writing, and additional coursework. It offers a structured route for studying tribal legal systems and the jurisdictional questions that arise in northern plains practice.
Aviation law: The Aviation Law Certificate draws on UND's aerospace programs. Nine graduate aviation credits can count toward the JD, with options involving aviation regulation, unmanned aircraft, safety, and space law. It is a concrete interdisciplinary option for applicants with aviation experience.
Energy, environment, and natural resources: The 17-credit certificate combines Administrative Law, Environmental Law, energy coursework, electives, and a special project. Oil and Gas Law and Energy and Mining Law connect the curriculum to legal questions affecting the region's resources and industries.
Trial advocacy: Evidence, Trial Advocacy, and Advanced Trial Advocacy provide a progression from doctrine to courtroom performance. The Carrigan Cup and National Trial Team create additional opportunities to practice advocacy, develop case theories, and receive feedback on oral presentation.
11. UND Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
UND's clinical offerings are concentrated in three client-service clinics:
- Business & Non-Profit Law Clinic: Second- and third-year students assist entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits through UND's Center for Innovation partnership. Work includes drafting contracts, explaining legal rules, and helping clients select an appropriate legal structure.
- Family Law Clinic: A year-long course moves from instruction to practical representation. Students interview clients and witnesses, prepare court documents, organize discovery, counsel clients, and make court appearances in family-law matters.
- Immigration Law Clinic: Students develop interviewing, issue-spotting, and trial skills while assisting clients with immigration matters. The clinic connects legal training with needs in North Dakota communities.
Other experiential options include:
- Innocence Project: Selected students work with Innocence Project Minnesota on North Dakota wrongful-conviction cases, connecting criminal-law study with case-based work outside ordinary classroom exercises.
- North Dakota Legislative Externship: Students spend a spring semester in Bismarck working with the Legislative Council and Attorney General's office during the biennial legislative session. The program carries 12 credits, including a seminar.
- Criminal Advocacy: A simulation course develops skills for preliminary examinations, bail proceedings, and motion hearings. It complements the broader trial-advocacy curriculum rather than substituting for live-client representation.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
Graduation requires six experiential credits through clinics, field placements, or designated simulations. First-time externs complete at least 150 placement hours for three credits plus a one-credit seminar. Qualifying placements involve supervised substantive legal work, and approved opportunities can include pro bono positions. UND also offers rural-practice summer funding through the Edson and Margaret Larson Foundation scholarships.
12. UND Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- James Grijalva: Lloyd and Ruth Friedman Professor. Works in environmental and Indian law and directs the Tribal Environmental Law Project. His experience includes service as a special alternate justice on the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Supreme Court.
- Dan Lewerenz: Associate Professor. Brings Indian-law litigation experience from the Native American Rights Fund, including work on its Tribal Supreme Court Project and briefs in federal appellate courts.
- Denitsa Mavrova Heinrich: Rodney and Betty Webb Associate Professor. Directs Trial Advocacy, the Carrigan Cup, and UND's National Trial Team. Her teaching includes Evidence and advanced courtroom skills.
- Alexandra Sickler: Archie Unterseher Endowed Professor. Teaches contracts, bankruptcy, and commercial law. Her consumer-finance scholarship builds on prior civil-enforcement work with the U.S. Trustee Program.
Journals
- North Dakota Law Review: Publishes scholarship on regional and broader legal issues and serves as the State Bar Association of North Dakota's journal. Second- and third-year students join through a write-on competition and undertake substantial writing and editorial work.
13. UND Law Culture and Student Life
Student organizations reflect the school's regional and professional interests. The Rural Practice Association connects students with lawyers in North Dakota communities. The Native American Law Students Association, Agricultural Law Association, and Energy Law Association offer additional settings for developing an interest beyond coursework. The Law Women's Caucus hosts Helen Hamilton Day in honor of UND's first woman law graduate.
Grand Forks places law students within a broader university community rather than a standalone downtown law campus. First-year study is full time and primarily during the day. Consider that schedule alongside housing, family responsibilities, and the travel a summer or semester placement could require.
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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 UND 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.