Cornell Law School

Deadlines

Essays

1. Personal statement · total of five (5) pages across all prompts answered; you may submit distinct essays responding to a specific prompt or a combined essay so long as the total does not exceed five pages · required

   Respond to at least one of the following prompts (required). You may respond to as many as you wish but do not exceed a total of five (5) pages. (1) We aim to train excellent lawyers. GPAs and test scores have some predictive power, but they don't tell the whole story. Please describe any significant challenges you have overcome, including but not limited to economic hardship, discrimination, trauma, or disability, and/or significant accomplishments of which you are proud. (2) In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, 'I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.' For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra's vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a law school learning community devoted to '...any person...any study.' We encourage you to think broadly about what you will contribute to a law school class and eventually to the legal profession, including but not necessarily to expertise you have, experiences you can share, and how communities of which you have been part have shaped your perspective. (3) From its founding, Cornell Law School has not only focused on producing excellent lawyers, but 'lawyers in the best sense.' A law school education teaches you a craft, and prepares you for a great career, but law is also a calling, and a lawyer in the best sense is one who will, in some way, serve justice. If your career goals include representing under-served populations or otherwise vulnerable individuals or groups, please tell us about those goals and how you hope to pursue them. (4) Is there anything else you wish the Admissions Committee to know about you beyond what you have revealed in other parts of your application? You can describe a formative experience, or your motivation to go to law school, or a story that reveals your character, personality, or strengths, or whatever else you think is relevant.

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2. Other essay · no limit stated · optional

   'Why Cornell' Statement (optional). Listed among application materials: Personal Statement, 'Why Cornell' Statement (optional), and Resume.

   Get a read on this essay

Cornell Law School's site is lawschool.cornell.edu (law.cornell.edu is the Legal Information Institute). The FAQ says it 'has been updated for the upcoming application season that opens on September 1, 2026'; deadlines are printed month-and-day only (binding ED January 1, priority March 1, final July 1). Prompts 1 and 2 serve as the diversity/perspective statement inside the personal statement. No addendum guidance beyond character and fitness disclosure is published.

Checked against www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/jd-admissions/jd-faq on September 9, 2026. Programs change their prompts between cycles; confirm on the program’s own page before you submit.