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Prospective Students

Applying to the M.L.I. Program

To apply to the M.L.I. program, you need to follow the two sets of directions 

  • I. Graduate School directions and 
  • II. Law School directions (the "Department" of the Legal Institutions program).

The deadline for applying, for BOTH the Graduate School and the Law School, is FEBRUARY 1 for fall entry and OCTOBER 1 for spring entry.

I.  The Graduate School Part: The application form and fee

Apply online.  Link to the Graduate School's Online Application Form.

  • You can start the application form and complete it at a later time.
  • On the first page of the form, you will think of and enter a password.
    On the second page of the form, you will be given your personal identification number ("pin").
  • With your password and "pin," you can return to your application.
    You must have your password and "pin" to return to your application.
    REMEMBER YOUR PASSWORD AND "PIN."
  • The application fee is $56 USD (nonrefundable) that is paid when you submit your completed application.  This fee is expected to increase. If so, the increase will be indicated on the Graduate School's website.
  • You can pay the application fee by charge card online or by sending a check or money order to the GRADUATE SCHOOL. 
  • The Graduate School's address is on the link above.
  • Print two copies of the application form, one for your records and one to send to the Law School ("Department").
  • Link to the Graduate School's explanation of admissions procedure
  • Link to the Graduate School's FAQ page about the application procedure.
  • After you apply to the M.L.I. program, you can (and should) check the status of your application online.  Directions on how to check your application status are given as part of the application procedure.

II. The Law School Part: Additional application documents

  • To apply to the M.L.I. program, send the following documents to the Law School's Graduate Admissions Office.  The mailing address is below.
  • All documents must reach us by February 1 or October 1.
  1. A PRINTOUT OF THE APPLICATION FORM  (Print out your completed online application form.)
  2. A PERSONAL STATEMENT THAT INCLUDES YOUR REASONS FOR GRADUATE STUDY.
    • Send a "personal statement" in which you tell about yourself and your reasons for graduate work in legal studies at the University of Wisconsin
    • You should include your objectives and expectations in graduate legal studies (your "plan of study")
    • Tell how you plan to integrate law courses (and possibly law-related courses) and research into a focused experience
    • This should be at least two pages typed, double-spaced.
  3. OFFICIAL TOEFL SCORE
    • We suggest that you take the TOEFL examination at your earliest opportunity.
    • Scores can take up to two months to reach us.
    • The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s institution code is 1846.
  4. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
    • Send official transcripts or academic records from each university or other institution you attended that confirm the degree you earned.
    • International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation.
    • Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and official signatures.
  5. THREE  LETTERS OF REFERENCE (electronic)
    • Our M.L.I. application requires three reference letters, written by three people familiar with your academic and possibly professional work.
    • The three people whom you ask to write letters of reference for you ("referees") can submit their letters electronically to the University of Wisconsin.
    • When you complete your online M.L.I. application form, you will be asked to give the names of your "referees" and their email addresses.
    • They will then be contacted with instructions for sending their letter of reference to the University of Wisconsin electronically.
    • We will then add these letters to your M.L.I. application materials.
  6. THREE MAILING LABELS
    Include three mailing labels with your name and complete mailing address.

These items need to be received at the Law School by February 1 or October 1.
Here is our address:

Graduate Admissions Office
University of Wisconsin Law School
975 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706 U.S.A.

Completed applications are reviewed as they are received.

Applicants are notified of acceptance by the Law School's Graduate Admissions Committee as soon as a decision is made.

Link to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the M.L.I. program.

If you have questions not answered by our FAQ page, contact us at gradprog@law.wisc.edu or (1)(608) 262-9120 (telephone).