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Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD)

How to Apply

Transfer Students

Students from other ABA accredited schools are eligible to apply to our law school as transfer students. The following information applies to JD students only.

Each year, the Maurer School of Law reviews many applications for transfer and may accept a small number of students, although, in some years, no transfer students will be admitted.

The deadline for submission of the application and all supporting materials is July 1. Decisions on transfer applications are usually not made until the summer after all first-year grades are recorded. If desired, a student may apply through the school’s special "early transfer" policy option, i.e. after one full semester or after at least 15 credits have been completed. This option is only available to students who have done outstanding work in their first semester or who might have extraordinary, extenuating circumstances for desiring to transfer to our school.

Criteria

To be eligible for transfer enrollment with advanced standing, students must have completed at least 24 credits at a fully accredited ABA law school. No more than 34 credits will be accepted from another school. All credits will be accepted on a pass/fail basis only, and grades below a C or equivalent passing mark will not be accepted for transfer credit. Students must complete four full semesters at the Maurer School of Law, one of which can be through an exchange program approved by the school. Because of possible differences in the first-year curricula between the Maurer School of Law and another school, acceptance of credit will be solely at the discretion of the Law School. Of special note: summer study abroad and summer externship credits will receive additional review.

The Law School’s Admissions Committee does not require transfer students to have a specific LSAT score, undergraduate GPA, or even law school GPA; the committee looks at all of the variables in an applicant’s file in making its decision. Typically, those who are admitted are in the upper quarter of their class and express compelling educational or personal reasons for transferring to IU. The median LSAT score of the current first-year class is 164; the current median GPA is 3.8.

The IU Maurer School of Law has no pre-existing relationships or articulation agreements with any other law school with respect to transfers. In addition, students who have applied to the school in the past or who have been accepted in a prior year but chose not to attend receive no special treatment in the transfer decision-making process.

Financial Aid

Transfer students are eligible for loans in the same manner as all law students are; however, scholarship funds are not available for transfer students. Accepted transfer students should contact the Law School’s financial aid office for further help with the process of applying for loans.

Participation in Activities

Transfer students are eligible to participate in moot court competitions, either as a 2L or 3L, and may attempt to write on to one of the school’s journals. Transfer students are not eligible for Order of the Coif.

To Apply

  • Complete the basic application. If you apply electronically, your LSDAS report will be requested automatically. You may also print off the application and mail it directly to the Law School.
  • Submit the $50 application fee. If applying electronically, you must pay by credit card. If applying by paper application, you may submit a check with the application made payable to Indiana University.
  • Maintain a current subscription with LSDAS so that the school can gain access to your LSAT scores and undergraduate transcripts. This requirement can be waived if you have applied to the Law School in the past three years or if your current school will provide copies of your undergraduate transcripts, LSAT score, and writing sample.
  • Submit your law school transcript, letter of good standing from the dean of your current law school, and class rank.

Also, submit a personal statement that illustrates why you are interested in transferring, as well as letters of recommendation.

More Information

Because of the volume of transfer applications, interviews are not required of all applicants; the Admissions Office will contact only those applicants who need interviews as part of the application process. If you have additional questions regarding transfer eligibility or the admissions process, contact the Admissions Office at 812-855-4765 or lawadmis@indiana.edu.