LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) simplifies the law school application process for both candidates and law schools. With CAS, your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other documents required for each of your law school applications only need to be sent once to LSAC. All ABA-approved law school applications are available electronically through your CAS account as well, saving you time and effort. LSAC combines your documents with your LSAT score(s) and forwards a full report to all the schools to which you apply.
Most ABA-approved law schools and many other U.S. law schools require JD applicants to use CAS.
If you’re only applying to law schools in Canada, you do not need to subscribe to CAS.
What does CAS cost?
| Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription | $219 |
|---|---|
| CAS Law School Reports | $45 each |
Your CAS subscription remains active for five years and includes the following:
- Transcript summarization (as well as authentication and evaluation of academic records for internationally educated JD applicants)
- Creation of your CAS Law School Report (Note: Law school reports cost $45 each. You’ll need to purchase a report for each law school to which you are applying.)
- Letter of recommendation processing
- Electronic application processing for all ABA-approved law schools and some other U.S. law schools
Law school candidates who are financially under-resourced can apply for an LSAC fee waiver to cover many of the costs related to applying to law school, including the CAS subscription fee and up to six CAS Law School Reports.
Getting Started with CAS
You must complete all steps before we can send your CAS Law School Reports to law schools.
- Create your secure account in JD Services.
- Provide consent for LSAC to handle your information.
- Pay the CAS subscription fee.
- Make sure there is a reportable LSAT score in your file (if required by the law school to which you’re applying).
- Provide information about the schools you’ve attended.
- Have all required undergraduate, graduate, professional, and law school transcripts sent to LSAC.
- Have all required letters of recommendation sent to LSAC.
This is important. It takes approximately two weeks to process a transcript and up to five business days to process a paper letter of recommendation from the time we receive it. Electronic letters of recommendation are usually available as soon as we receive them.
CAS Authentication & Evaluation (CAS A&E)
If you received your education outside of the United States, its territories/associated states, or Canada, many law schools will require your international transcripts to be authenticated and evaluated. Most ABA-approved law schools accept — and many require — the CAS A&E feature; however, some schools require a different service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign up for CAS?
Most ABA-approved law schools and many other U.S. law schools require CAS for JD applicants. If you’re applying to a school that requires CAS, you’ll need to purchase a subscription.
If you’re applying to a U.S. law school that accepts (but does not require) CAS, you may choose to register and pay for a CAS subscription. Your subscription provides access to electronic applications and the letter of recommendation service.
Canadian law schools and some U.S. law schools do not require CAS. You don’t need to subscribe to CAS if you’re only applying to these schools.
Do I need to register for the LSAT and CAS at the same time?
No. You do not need to subscribe to CAS when you register for the LSAT.
However, you should make sure to sign up for CAS at least four to six weeks before your first law school application deadline. It takes approximately two weeks to process a transcript once we receive it.
Can I obtain a refund of the CAS registration fee?
No. CAS registration fees are non-refundable.
How does CAS work with electronic applications?
Your CAS subscription includes electronic application processing for all ABA-approved law schools and many other U.S. law schools. Completing applications electronically will save you time, as generic application sections are pre-filled with information from your account.
Get started by adding law schools that interest you to your JD Services School List. You’ll access each school’s application from your School List.
Can I use CAS if I’m a transfer student?
Check with the law schools for their LSAC report requirements. Some schools will accept the record from your current law school in lieu of a CAS Law School Report.
If the school requires a CAS Law School Report, you must have a current CAS subscription. You’ll need to have both your current law school transcript and all required undergraduate, graduate, and professional school transcripts sent to LSAC. Your undergraduate transcript must indicate the date your bachelor’s degree was conferred.