Choose a law school or schools to which you want to apply. Germany has 34 accredited law schools; therefore researching the school that is right for you is an important place to begin. Make sure you take note of the school’s particular admissions criteria, which may vary slightly school to school. For example, some schools may require applicants to have only a completed bachelor's degree, while others require a master's degree.
Collect all of the required documents necessary to apply to the school of your choice. These will include copies of all of your university diplomas. In some cases you may have to have an employee at the universities you attended send an official copy of your diploma to the law school of your choice. You will also need copies of your transcripts, your school rankings, and your language proficiency in both English and German. German language proficiency is not a prerequisite in all of the German law schools, but where it is, a test result showing your proficiency may be required.
Submit the documents in the manner that the school of your choice requires. Some schools have online application forms, while others prefer mailed paper applications. Pay the application fee.
Apply for an aufenthaltserlaubnis, which is a residence permit. You should apply for a permit that allows you to study in Germany. You can apply for the permit at any German consulate in the United States.
Wait until your application for school has been accepted and you have been granted a residency permit before you go to Germany. While you can enter Germany as an American citizen and stay there for 90 days, you would have to leave the European Union to re-enter it with a nontourist visa if you are granted a student visa. When your student visa is granted, enter Germany with it.
Go the Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in the German city where you will reside to register your visa. After you have registered, you can begin to study at your German university and remain in the country for as long as your visa allows.