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Transfer Students

Each year, the Law School reviews the applications of successful students at other law schools who request to transfer to the University of Chicago for their second and third years of law school. We receive approximately 150-200 transfer applications each year for a transfer class of approximately 15-25 students. The J.D. program is a full-time program only. We do not offer a part-time or evening academic program.

Application Process

We have a paperless admissions process and transfer applicants are required to apply online through the Law School Data Assembly Service ("LSDAS"). We will not accept any paper application materials. Please do not send any paper copies or any additional paper materials to the Admissions Office.

We base our transfer admissions decisions primarily on an evaluation of the applicant's law school performance, including the law school attended and a letter of recommendation from a law school professor. While the LSAT and undergraduate record are still considered and will be a part of the file, they are not as critical to the application as the applicant's current law school record.

Transfer applicants may apply through our Early Decision or Regular Decision program.

Early Decision:

Early Decision transfer applicants must ensure that we have received their application and all supporting materials, including a law school transcript containing all first-year, first-semester grades and the Law School Information Form, by April 15, 2009. Second semester law school grades are not required to apply under the Early Decision program. Early Decision transfer applicants will receive a decision from the Law School in early May. Early Decision acceptances are binding on the applicant, which means that, if admitted, you will commit to matriculating at the Law School and will withdraw all other transfer applications at other law schools. If you apply Early Decision, you may not apply to any other law school through a binding early decision or early action program.

All applicants accepted under the Early Decision program will be required to submit a law school transcript containing their final first-year law school grades. All offers of admission made under the Early Decision transfer program are contingent upon the Law School's receipt of a final first-year law school transcript demonstrating consistent performance and successful completion of one full year of study at an ABA-accredited law school.

Regular Decision

Regular Decision transfer applicants must ensure that we have received their application and all supporting materials, including the Law School Information Form and a law school transcript containing all first-year law school grades, by July 1, 2009. Your entire first year of law school grades are required to apply through the Regular Decision transfer program. Offers of admission under the Regular Decision program are not binding on the applicant.

Transfer Application Materials

All transfer applicants must submit the following materials:

  • Completed Early Decision or Regular Decision Transfer Application
  • Resume (updated to include any anticipated or current 1L summer work experience)
  • Personal Statement (an explanation of why you want to study law at Chicago is helpful to the Admissions Committee)
  • Two letters of recommendation, including at least one letter of recommendation from a law school professor (only two letters are required, but we will accept up to four).
  • Application Fee of $75
  • Law school transcript (sent through LSDAS for processing)
  • Law School Information Form (sent directly to the Admissions Office from your current law school, available )

Please note that the Law School Information Form is a Supplemental Form with the application that you can download from LSAC. However, the Law School Information Form must be completed and submitted directly to our Admissions Office by your current law school. The Law School Information Form will not be submitted to us through LSDAS. All other materials must be sent electronically through LSDAS. Your application will not be considered complete until we have received all of the materials listed above.

Important Deadlines:

Due to the timing of the Law School's August On-Campus Interviewing program, the timing of the transfer admissions process will be accelerated. Please pay close attention to the following deadlines.

  • March 16, 2009: Transfer Application will be available and may be submitted electronically through LSDAS.
  • April 15, 2009: Early Decision Transfer Application deadline.
  • July 1, 2009: Regular Decision Transfer Application deadline.

Additional Information for Transfer Students

On-Campus Interviewing: As in previous years, the Admissions Committee will make decisions on both Early Decision and Regular Decision transfer applications with sufficient time to allow our incoming transfer students to participate in our On-Campus Interviewing program and bid for fall interviews, which are scheduled for August 17-28, 2009.

Academic credit:

All transfer students will be given credit for 40 credit hours and three quarters of residence, which is equal to what University of Chicago law students complete in their first year. Transfer students are eligible for selection for Order of the Coif and graduation with honors based upon academic performance in the second and third years of law school at Chicago.

Registration:

University of Chicago students do not register for Autumn Quarter classes until the week before classes begin in late September, and therefore transfer students are not at a disadvantage in selecting classes. Because we are on the quarter system and do not begin classes until late September, admitted transfer students typically have an additional three to four weeks to prepare to attend Chicago.

Journals and Clinical Programs:

Transfer students are eligible for membership on one of the Law School's three student-edited journals. Transfer students may obtain journal membership through the summer writing competition or the Topic Access Program, which is available to all 2L and 3L students. If you would like to participate in the 2009 Writing Competition, please review this letter and email Jayme McKellop, the Assistant Director of Admissions, at jmckellop@law.uchicago.edu to indicate your interest in participating. Incoming transfer students are also eligible to participate in the Law School's clinical programs and spots in the clinic lottery process are reserved for transfer students.

Tuition and Financial Aid:

The tuition for the 2009-2010 academic year will be $42,330. Transfer students are not eligible for scholarships from the Law School, but transfer students may apply for government-backed and private loans to assist with financing their education. The University of Chicago Student Loan Administration processes and disburses loans for our students.