Admission Policies

  • Applicants for admission must have completed a minimum of one year of legal study in a Juris Doctor program at an ABA-accredited law school (or an accredited Canadian law school).
  • The admissions committee will assess transfer applicants using the same criteria as those used in assessing first-year applicants, as well as the applicant's performance in law school courses and the quality of the law school at which the applicant has studied. The Boyd School of Law will permit a maximum of 42 hours of law course work to be transferred for credit toward its Juris Doctor degree. Transfer credit will be subject to the approval of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and will be given only for law courses in which the applicant attained a grade of C (or the numerical equivalent) or better. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 47 credit hours at the Boyd School of Law.
  • According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), LSAT scores older than five years will not be considered.
  • Use a permanent, non-college email address in this application as your primary email address. Many colleges deactivate student email accounts shortly after graduation, which can result in missed communications about your application, admission status, financial aid, or enrollment. Using a personal email (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) ensures we can stay in touch with you throughout the admissions process and beyond. Application Requirements for Transfer Students

Application Requirements and Deadlines

  1. a completed application form;
  2. a $50 non-refundable application fee;
  3. a personal statement no longer than three typewritten pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins), which should include some discussion of why the applicant wishes to transfer to the Boyd School of Law;
  4. a résumé;
  5. a CAS report containing a transcript summary and a record of LSAT scores;
  6. a letter of good standing from the law school at which the applicant has studied, following the completion of all semesters, and including class rank (if available);
  7. an official law school transcript;
  8. one to four letters of recommendation, and at least one letter from a law school professor. We strongly encourage applicants to provide at least one academic letter of recommendation, and strongly discourage recommendations from friends, family members, or social acquaintances. Recommendations must be submitted through the CAS Letter of Recommendation Service; and
  9. an optional statement no longer than two typed pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins) addressing the applicant's background, including any i) disadvantages, ii) lived experiences that inform the applicant's view of the law, iii) past service and/or leadership in the applicant's communities, and/or iv) the applicant's plans to use their law degree in addressing the needs of underserved communities, that can help assess the applicant's potential in the study and practice of law.

Transfer application deadlines:
Fall: April 1 - July 1 (applications received after July 1 will still be given full consideration)
Spring: October 1 - January 7

Applicants offered transfer admission will be asked to complete a Transfer Credit Approval form.

Selection Criteria

The William S. Boyd School of Law seeks to enroll an accomplished and diverse group of people who will contribute to the enrichment of the school’s educational program, to the community, and the profession after graduation. We seek students who have demonstrated significant accomplishments in their lives by achieving distinguished academic records as undergraduate or graduate students, engaging successfully in important and demanding careers, providing significant service to their communities, and/or meeting challenges associated with their race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or disability. We believe that the law school can and must have a student body that is both academically well-qualified and diverse. The presence in the school of students who have diverse backgrounds, attitudes, and interests contributes to the breadth and quality of the classroom and non-classroom dialogue that is a critical element of legal education.

In assessing applicants, the Admissions Committee looks at:

  1. Academic Capability. To assess an applicant’s academic capability, the Committee considers such factors as undergraduate grade point average, the trend of college grades, the difficulty of the applicant’s course of undergraduate study, the quality and grading pattern of the applicant’s undergraduate institution, the extent of work or other activities undertaken while in college, the date of the undergraduate degree, graduate studies, and performance on the Law School Admission Test.
  2. Non-academic Accomplishments. The Committee will consider evidence of significant accomplishments in extracurricular activities, employment, military service, and community service.
  3. Individual Background. The Committee will consider the applicant’s background in totality, including any disadvantages and significant barriers overcome, lived experiences that inform the applicant's view of the law, past service and/or leadership in the applicant's communities, and/or the applicant's plans to use their law degree in addressing the needs of underserved communities. The Committee considers this information through the applicant's required personal statement and the optional statement about the applicant's background and lived experiences. The Committee will also consider any history of criminality or academic and professional misconduct.
  4. Personal Courtesy and Professional Integrity. The Committee will consider the applicant's history of personal courtesy and professionalism as evidenced through the application materials, including the personal statement, letters of recommendation, and interaction with the Boyd Law community, including the Admissions Office, and among other evidence of which the Committee may become aware. Lawyers and those seeking to become lawyers should demonstrate civility, professional integrity, personal dignity, and respect because these qualities are essential to the fair administration of justice and conflict resolution.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

The William S. Boyd School of Law is an institution dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity characterized by diversity of races, cultures, and values. The law school adheres to a policy of non-discrimination that prohibits the use of admission policies or other actions to preclude admission of applicants or retention of students on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or military status.

Check Application Status

Access to the Applicant Status Online tool is provided to you after you have submitted your application. Through this tool, you can view your application status and current decision, and also verify that the law school has received your letters of recommendation. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset your password through this tool.

Apply Through LSAC Request an application fee waiver code (transfer applicants only)