J.D. Admissions Transfer Applicants

Policies

A J.D. student who has completed their first year J.D. curriculum at a member school of the Association of American Law Schools may apply for admission with advanced standing as a J.D. degree candidate.

An LL.M. student who is currently enrolled in an LL.M. program at an ABA-accredited law school may apply to transfer as a J.D. candidate with advanced standing provided the applicant has met all of the following criteria: (1) the applicant is a graduate of a law school in a country outside the United States; (2) the applicant successfully completed J.D. degree coursework while enrolled in the LL.M. program; and (3) the law school that the applicant enrolled at for their LL.M. degree has a grading system for LL.M. students in J.D. courses that is comparable to the grading system for J.D. degree students in the course. LL.M. applicants are not required to take the LSAT.

Transfer students are accepted on a space-available basis only. Selection of applicants is based on evidence that: (1) the candidate can produce above-average work at the University of Washington School of Law and (2) the candidate will contribute to the diversity of the student body.

Application Deadline

Transfer applications are accepted beginning May 15 through July 15.

Academic Credit

Please note that semester-hour credits are converted to quarter-hour credits at a ratio of 1:1.5; e.g., 30 semester-hour credits will convert to 45 quarter-hour credits. For transfer students, UW Law will accept all of the credits earned during the student’s first-year program. Additional credits earned after the first-year are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but may not exceed one-third of the total credits required for graduation. Transfer students are expected to be in residence for a minimum of five quarters and 85 quarter-hour credits. These students are also eligible for graduation with honors based upon academic performance in the second and third years of law school at UW Law.

Only after receiving an offer of admission will the determination of course credits be assessed.

Nondiscrimination Policy

UW Law provides for a selective admission process with the objective of attracting students who demonstrate the strongest prospects for high quality academic work. This selective admission process shall assure that the University's educational opportunities shall be open to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability or veteran status. The process of admission shall be mindful of the need for diversity in the student body and for highly-trained individuals from all segments of the population. For more information, please visit the UW Policy Directory, Executive Order No. 31.

Applicant Responsibility and Accuracy of Information

Applicants are under a continued obligation to notify the law school immediately of any and all circumstances and events that may occur from the date an application is submitted to the first day of enrollment that may change any of the responses to their application. UW Law reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission if the candidate fails to maintain satisfactory scholastic standing for work in progress, if final records fail to show completion of courses and/or degrees required for admission or if the admission decision was based on incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information furnished by the applicant. In addition, the law school may also report its findings to LSAC's Misconduct and Irregularities Committee.

Character and Moral Fitness

Applicants who have been convicted of a felony or other serious crime are eligible for admission into the law school; however, because state bar associations often prohibit persons with criminal records from being admitted to the bar regardless of their degrees or training, it may be impossible for such individuals to practice in some states.

In addition to the bar examination, there are character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Interview for Admission

As part of the admission evaluation process, the admissions committee may request an interview of a prospective transfer applicant. These interviews will be conducted either in-person or online and will be 30 minutes in length.

Journal Membership

Transfer applicants may have the opportunity to join one of the four journals through a process parallel to that in which our rising 2L students participate. Transfer applicants interested in joining one of the journals must participate in the Transfer Write-On competition. Dates for the 2024 competition are TBD.

On-Campus Interview (OCI) and Resume Collection Program

Admitted transfer applicants are invited to participate in the Fall Recruiting Program, which includes OCI and resume collection.

OCI provides students with an opportunity to interview with attorneys from local and national law firms, government agencies and corporations. These interviews are coordinated by the Center for Career Development in August. The deadline to apply for OCI has not yet been determined. We will update applicants when this information is available.

While we make every effort to render a decision by that date, we are unable to guarantee that all applicants will have a decision rendered before the OCI deadlines. We encourage applicants to submit their materials as soon as possible.

Resume collection is for employers who are unable to visit campus for interviews but wish to review applications from UW Law students. Application deadlines vary from early-July to October but will begin June 1. These employers review applications on their own timeline and interview selected candidates off campus.

Once an admitted transfer student has deposited, the Admissions Office will confirm receipt with Career Development. Students will then be provided with details about participating in the program. We ask that students not contact Career Development before they have received this confirmation from the Admissions Office.

Application Instructions

An application is complete and ready for evaluation when the following items are received:

• Application — Applicants must submit the application through the Law School Admission Council.
• $60 Application Fee — The application fee will be collected when you submit your application through LSAC.
• Personal Statement — The University of Washington School of Law aspires to be the best public law school in the nation and one of the world's most respected centers for interdisciplinary legal studies. Advancing access to justice, facilitating a fair and thriving global marketplace and fostering an environment of inclusivity and equity is integral to who we are.
  
  The primary goal of the admissions process is to enroll students who strive to be leaders; demonstrate outstanding academic, professional, and leadership promise; are committed to generous public service and ethical advocacy; and who have background and experiences that will enhance the diversity of the student body, thereby enriching the law school educational environment. As such, applicants are invited to write a personal statement that describes their potential contributions to our vibrant community. Please limit your response to 700 words.
  Applicants may include the following factors in their personal statement or the optional supplemental statement: perseverance against substantial obstacles; social or economic disadvantage; family or personal adversity; social hardships; disability; prejudice or discrimination; leadership potential; studying or living abroad; foreign language skills; special talents; unique life experiences; or geographic diversity.
• Supplemental Statement — Applicants may supplement their personal statement by providing a statement that addresses their compelling academic or personal need to transfer to UW Law, and the objectives they hope to achieve. Please limit your response to 500 words.
• Resume — Please provide a resume detailing any significant vocational, non-vocational, extracurricular or community activities, volunteer work, honors, awards, any service in the Armed Forces, job descriptions and major areas of responsibility along with dates of employment (mm/yyyy) and the number of hours per week devoted to such activities, publications or other information that you believe the University of Washington School of Law should consider in evaluating your application. Also please include details as to any foreign language proficiencies you possess, including the level of ability with regard to speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing. Your resume may not exceed three (3) typewritten pages.
• Letter of Good Academic Standing — Please arrange for a Letter of Good Academic Standing to be sent directly to the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. This letter should be prepared from your law school Registrar or Academic Dean and must (a) provide your class ranking at the end of your first year of law school instruction (if it is not provided on your law school transcript) or indicate that your law school does not rank students, and (b) state that you are in good academic standing and eligible to continue. This letter may be emailed to lawadm@uw.edu by the Registrar or Academic Dean.
• Official Law School Transcript — Please arrange for an official law school transcript that reflects all 1L grades to be sent directly to the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. A transcript may be emailed to lawadm@uw.edu if your school is able to provide official electronic transcripts.
• Credential Assembly Service Report — We will request this report from LSAC upon receipt of your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that LSAC has received all necessary materials to complete the CAS file. You are advised to confirm that your CAS file is complete; LSAC will not send the law school a CAS Report until then.
• Letter of Recommendation — One (1) letter of recommendation is required and should be submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service. The letter should be from a law professor who knows an applicant's work well and can give a well-substantiated assessment of their academic potential.

Please note: all records become part of the official file. They will not be returned or duplicated.