Applicants who have completed the equivalent of the first semester of law school may apply to transfer to LMU Law. The law school from which you wish to transfer must be accredited by either the American Bar Association or a state-approved organization, which is possible in Alabama, California, Massachusetts, and Tennessee.
The deadline to apply as a transfer student is July 1st annually.
How to Apply for Transfer Admission
To be considered for admission and potential scholarship opportunities, transfer applicants must submit the following items:
- An application for transfer admission (available through the LSAC's website)
- Two letters of recommendation
- Remember, you must assign each letter of recommendation to the law school from your LSAC account. They will not be sent automatically.
- A Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
- At least one LSAT Writing Sample
- Official transcripts from every educational institution attended, at least one of which must indicate a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited school recognized by the United States Department of Education
- An official transcript from the law school from which you are seeking to transfer
- An official transcript must be sent to the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service. An unofficial transcript law school transcript can be submitted for evaluative purposes until an official transcript is received and processed by the Credential Assembly Service. In terms of grades and credit, the official transcript governs.
- A statement of good standing from an administrator at the law school(s) from which the applicant seeks to transfer credit
- A statement of why a transfer is requested
- A specific list of courses for which the student seeks to obtain credit with the number of credit hours for each course, e,g. Torts I 3 Credits
- Credit for a particular course can be transferred only for grades of “C” or higher.
- A syllabus for each course in which the student seeks to obtain credit
- At discretion of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the Academic Standards Committee, an official course description for a course may satisfy this requirement if a particular syllabus is unavailable.
* For a printer-friendly, PDF version of the Transfer Applicant Checklist, click here.
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email and link to the Applicant Status Online (ASO) Portal. Your file will not be considered until ALL ITEMS have been received. Transfer applicants should upload the requested items to their applications through the ASO Portal. If an item or items cannot be uploaded, then the item(s) can be sent to law.admissions@LMUnet.edu.
If you have any questions, please call (865) 545-5303 or (865) 545-5304. You can also email the Office of Admissions at law.admissions@lmunet.edu.
Evaluation of Transfer Applications
The evaluation of transfer applications is a two-step process.
- First, applications for transfer admission will be considered by The Admission and Scholarship Committee and Dean. All applications for admission will be governed by the policies listed in the Admission Policies & Procedures Manual.
- Then, if admission is approved, the transfer applicant's completed file will be sent to The Academic Standards Committee for course/credit evaluation and approval.
The Academic Standards Committee will, in its sole discretion, determine whether transfer credit is appropriate for each credit sought on an individual basis. In exercising its discretion, the Academic Standards Committee will review:
- The type of classes taken at the law school(s) from which the applicant seeks to transfer credit
- The similarity between the type of classes taken at the law school(s) from which the applicant seeks to transfer credit with comparable classes at LMU Law
- Whether the classes are taken at the law school(s) from which the applicant seeks to transfer credit are classes traditionally taken at a law school accredited by the ABA
- Whether the grades, including course grades awarded on a pass/fail basis, are received by the student in the classes taken at the law school(s) from which the applicant seeks transfer credit.
Transfer Credit Hours
- Unless a waiver has been obtained from the Dean pursuant to §XVI of the Student Handbook, a student from an ABA-approved law may not transfer more than forty-five (45) credit hours.
- A student from a non-ABA, but state-approved law school may not transfer more than thirty (30) credit hours.
- A student who has transferred from another law school must satisfy all other degree requirements at the School of Law, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or better.
- Under no circumstances will the Academic Standards Committee extend credit for any class in which the student earned a grade less than "C."; Credit may be extended for courses in which a student was awarded a "P" or other similar indication for a "pass/fail" graded course.
Requests for Waiver
Requests for waiver of any School of Law rule, regulation, or policy shall be submitted in writing to the Dean who shall forward requests to the faculty committee having jurisdiction over the matter. The Dean may also forward a recommendation to the faculty. If none of the standing faculty committees has jurisdiction over the issue(s) raised, then the Dean, in her/his discretion, may grant or deny the waiver. The student will be notified of the decision in writing. Under no circumstances may the Dean grant a waiver to the maximum credit hour allotment contained within § XII.A. of the Student Handbook.
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact the Office at Admissions by email at law.admissions@LMUnet.edu or by telephone at 865-545-5303.
