Credential Assembly Service
From the application, to personal statements and résumés, to transcripts and letters of recommendation, there’s a lot that goes into applying to law school. The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) makes the application process simpler for applicants and law schools. With CAS, your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other required documents only need to be sent once, to LSAC — and we’ll take care of submitting them electronically to any law school to which you apply.
Most ABA-approved law schools and many other U.S. law schools require JD applicants to use CAS. Here’s a look at what CAS does, what it costs, and what schools receive when you apply.
CAS Costs
A CAS subscription costs $219 and is active for five years. It includes the following:
Letter of recommendation processing
Electronic application processing for all ABA-approved law schools and some other U.S. law schools
Authentication and evaluation of transcripts and academic records for applicants who received their education outside the United States, its territories/associated states, or Canada. This service is called CAS Authentication and Evaluation (CAS A&E). Most ABA-approved law schools accept — and many require — CAS A&E. However, some schools require a different authentication service.
When you apply to a law school, LSAC will send a CAS Law School Report to that school. Each report costs $45. You’ll pay that fee for every school to which you apply.
If you’re eligible, you can apply for an LSAC Fee Waiver, which covers many of the costs related to applying to law school, including the CAS subscription fee and up to six law school reports.
Basic Steps
All steps required for CAS can be completed within JD Services (opens in new browser window).
Get started with CAS. To register for CAS, you’ll need to pay for your CAS subscription and provide consent for LSAC to handle your documents.
Provide your education history. Include information about every degree-granting institution you’ve attended, even if you didn’t graduate from that school.
Request your transcripts. You’ll need to request a transcript from each institution of higher education included in your academic history. The institutions will then send your transcripts directly to LSAC.
Request letters of recommendation. Most law schools require letters of recommendation as part of their application package. Within JD Services, you’ll provide the name and contact information for each of your recommenders. LSAC will facilitate uploading their letters of recommendation, whether they submit them on paper or electronically.
Assign letters of recommendation to your law school applications. When you apply, you’ll assign letters of recommendation to each of your law school applications. You can use the same letters of recommendation for every application or only assign specific letters to specific law schools — it’s up to you!
Take the LSAT. You’ll need a reportable LSAT score and writing sample on file if you’re applying to law schools that require the LSAT.
Your CAS Law School Reports will be ready to send to law schools once these steps are completed. The law schools to which you apply will request your CAS Law School Reports directly from LSAC.