Earn Your U.S. J.D. in Two Years
Nova Southeastern’s Shepard Broad College of Law is an international community committed to global education and domestic diversity. Our accelerated J.D. program for foreign lawyers enables you to earn your U.S. law degree in as little as 24 months following your first law degree. As an international student, you have access to the accelerated J.D. program that allows you to skip the LSAT exam and take the BAR exam in any state.
Fast Facts
Important Deadlines
Admission Requirements
To be eligible to apply you must have earned a first degree in law* at an accredited university in a jurisdiction outside the U.S. For foreign attorneys, first law degree designations vary by country. For a list of law degrees that meet this requirement, refer to the Minimum Degree Requirements by Country chart located on the Law School Admission council website.
- * Comparable amount of US education completed: First Professional Degree: Presently, the US Dept of Education in 34 CFR 668.2 defines a Professional Degree as "A degree that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor's degree. Professional licensure is also generally required. Examples of a professional degree include but are not limited to Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) Chiropractic (D.C or D.C.M.) Law (LL.B. or J.D.) (emphasis added), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), and Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.)."
Minimum Required Scores
Paper-based TOEFL – 600
Internet-based TOEFL – 100
Computer-based TOEFL – 250
IELTS – 7.0
How to Apply
Ready for the Next Step?
Submit your application.
Submit the online NSU Law Foreign Lawyer Program Application available through the Law School Admission Council Electronic Application service at: https://www.LSAC.org.
Submit transcripts.
Transcripts from all your prior postsecondary academic studies must be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). No other service will be accepted.
Submit your English score.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required if you are from a nation in which English is not the primary language of instruction. NSU Law also accepts scores from the IELTS examination.
Submit your personal statement.
Submit your personal statement, which should not exceed two pages, explaining why you should be selected for admission (see application instructions for additional details).
Submit your resume.
Submit two letters of recommendation.
For Students Educated in China
Documentation
If you were educated in the People’s Republic of China, you must submit official degree certificates (zhuanke, bachelor’s, master’s, etc.) and graduation diplomas in Chinese for all programs undertaken, along with a complete and literal English translation.
Document Submission
All documents must be submitted to LSAC. Your issuing institution must submit your official college or university academic record (transcript) in Chinese showing all courses and grades for all years of study. You must also complete and submit a literal English translation. The academic record must be issued by the institution’s central administrative office responsible for preparing and verifying official student records. Documents issued by an individual academic department or by a notary public are not considered official.
For Students Educated in Cuba
If you were educated in Cuba, LSAC requires you to follow this two-step procedure to submit transcripts.
- Request Consultoria Juridica International (CJI) to send the following official documentation to LSAC via DHL express mail. Certificacion de notas y certificado de titulo issued by the university in Spanish and legalized by CJI, along with a CJI English translation of this documentation.
- Send LSAC a copy of your original Certificacion de notas y certificado de titulo as originally issued by the university.
Immigration Regulations
All international students must either obtain an F-1 visa to study at NSU or have visa status that permits a nonresident alien to study in the United States.
International students need to obtain an I-20 in order to apply for an F-1 (student visa) at the American Embassy in their home country. The Office of International Students and Scholars at NSU oversees issuing the I-20 when the following criteria are met:
- Students must be officially accepted for admission to NSU, having met both academic and English requirements.
- Students must indicate their acceptance for admission by submitting a $500 (USD) enrollment deposit. (Instructions for paying the deposit online are provided in your letter of admission.)
- Full-time day students must demonstrate availability of funds dictated by the Office of International Students. An original bank statement or original letter on bank letterhead is required.