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Transfers Students

Overview

In order to be eligible for admission, transfer students must be in good standing at another law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Wake Forest University School of Law prefers that your law school is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

Typical transfer applicants are seeking entry as second-year students in the fall semester (not after only one semester of law school). Applicants transferring from part-time or non-traditional programs should consult with the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid prior to applying.

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Have Questions?

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions.

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Transfer of Credits

The Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs determines the amount and type of credit given for work done in other law schools. This determination is typically based on an interview with the transfer student, a review of curriculum information from the previous law school, and, in some cases, consultation with faculty members who taught the transfer student at the previous law school.

Specifically, the Executive Associate Dean will determine the overall number of credits earned, the number of credits to be attributed to each course, and the number of graduation requirements that the transfer student has satisfied. The Executive Associate Dean’s decision is based on the similarity in subject matter and academic rigor between the course as taught at the previous law school and the course as taught at Wake Forest School of Law. The objective is to grant each transfer student the number of credits and fulfillment of degree requirements that students would receive for completing comparable work at Wake Forest School of Law.

The transfer of credits usually results in the loss of some credit because of differences in graduation requirements and course credits. Please keep in mind, full credit for Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing from the previous law school is generally not given and, depending on the previous law school’s curriculum, some first-year Wake Forest classes may be required.

Transfer Credit Limit

A student must take at least 60% (54 credit hours) of the minimum credit hours required for the JD degree at Wake Forest School of Law.

Pass/Fail Credits

Wake Forest School of Law limits the number of pass/fail credits that students may earn to nine (with some exceptions of pass/fail credits in externships, journals, and trial team/moot court, and some experiential education courses). The credits that transfer from your previous law school are not counted as pass/fail credits, but rather as graded credits (although as explained below, those graded credits are not computed in your GPA at Wake Forest). If a transfer student completed courses at the previous law school after the first two full-time semesters (for instance, a course completed during the summer after the first year), those hours do count against the seven pass/fail hours that may count toward the Wake Forest School of Law degree.

Grades and Rank

Grades earned by a transfer student at another law school are not included in their GPA calculation at Wake Forest School of Law. Transfer students are ranked unofficially after completion of their first semester at Wake Forest School of Law. At that time, the rank is established by a dual rank procedure. For example, if a transfer student receives the same GPA as the 32nd ranked person in the class, he or she will also be ranked 32nd in the class. If the GPA is not identical, ranking is based on best fit. Transfer students are officially ranked cumulatively with their graduating class.

How to Apply

Applications for transfer admission are reviewed upon completion, and applicants will be notified on a rolling basis. We review an applicant’s entire file with particular attention to first-year performance in law school.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2023

  1. Complete the online application
    • Transfer applicants must apply electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website by submitting Wake Forest School of Law’s application and selecting 'Fall 2022 - Transfer Application' under the Application Status section.
  2. Submit the following materials:
    • An official transcript of all courses taken in law school.
    • A letter of good standing from the Dean of your current law school or other appropriate official, written as of the end of your first year in law school, stating that you are a student in good academic standing and are eligible to return if you choose to do so.
    • A statement of your class rank at the end of your first year in law school. If your law school does not rank students, please submit a statement of that policy from your registrar or academic dean.
    • A letter of recommendation from a law school professor.
    • An original copy of your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) law school report sent directly from LSAC. You will not need to re-register for CAS if you are applying within five years of your initial registration.
    • A legal writing sample (e.g., memo) that you submitted for a grade during your first year of law school.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Wake Forest School of Law accept transfer students?
Yes. After the completion of the first year of law school, transfer applicants can apply. Applicants applying for transfer admission must apply electronically via the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) by submitting the regular Wake Forest School of Law application and selecting “Transfer and Visiting” within the Application Status section.
What is the application deadline for fall semester transfer students?
July 1.
Can I transfer after second year?
No. After your second year, we will grant visiting student status. Visiting status is usually granted based on extenuating circumstances and your diploma will still come from your original school.
Do you offer transfer application fee waivers?
We are not able to offer fee waivers for transfer applications.
How many transfer students are accepted each year?
We seat transfer students most years, but the number varies. Historical data is not predictive of how many offers of admission we will extend in a given admissions cycle. We do not provide statistics on transfer applications or admissions.
Do you require my LSAT score to be reported from LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service?
Yes, we will request a report from CAS that contains your LSAT score and undergraduate transcript upon processing your transfer application. However, if you applied here before, we will use the CAS report supplied with the first application.
Does my LSAT score matter when applying to transfer?
Yes and no. Your LSAT score will be considered, but it matters less than it did when you initially applied to law school. With a year of actual classroom experience behind you and the grades that accompany it, there is less need for a prediction from a test score.
Should I send my law school transcript, letter of good standing, and class rank to LSAC for processing?
No. You should send all that information directly to the Wake Forest School of Law Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. This will help reduce the processing time of your application.
Do you require a letter of good standing from my current law school?
Yes. The letter of good standing should be sent to the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid after the completion of your spring semester.
Do you require class rank in addition to the transcript?
Yes. We require both class rank and an official transcript. The transcript must include fall and spring term grades, and the class rank must be calculated after spring grades are released.
How many recommendations do I need to submit?
Applicants are requested to submit one letter of recommendation from one of your law school professors.
What if my school is not able to submit my transcript, letter of good standing, and class rank by the application deadline?
We understand that each law school may not have all of the information available by the application deadline. Please contact us if information will not be available.
When can I expect a decision on my application?
We begin review of transfer applications as files are completed. Applicants are notified on a rolling basis as soon as decisions are made. An applicant’s entire file is reviewed with particular attention paid to performance in the first year of law school.
Are transfer students eligible for scholarships?
No, transfer students are ineligible for scholarships.
How much is tuition?
Please refer to Tuition and Fees.
When is my seat deposit due?
A $500 seat deposit is due as soon as possible upon offer of admission and prior to registration. Please make sure that we have your current mailing address and email address on file.
How many credits are required to apply as a transfer?
There is not a minimum or maximum requirement. However, transfer students must complete a minimum of 54 hours (60%) at Wake Forest School of Law in order to qualify for a degree.
When will I find out which law school credits are transferable to Wake Forest School of Law?
Official notification is given the first week of September. However, you will receive a good indication of transferable credit during the interview with the Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Can credits from a previous graduate degree transfer toward the JD?
No. Only credits taken at an ABA- or state-approved law school may count toward the JD.
What is the maximum time to earn the Wake Forest School of Law JD degree?
Students must complete the JD program of study within five years.
Are transfer students assigned advisors?
Yes. Transfer advisors are assigned during the first week of September. Prior to receiving your official advisor, the Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will give guidance in registering.
Are transfer students permitted to participate in extracurricular activities?
Yes. If you wish to become a member of the Wake Forest Law Review, Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law, or Wake Forest Journal of Law and Policy, you must participate in the transfer write-on competition. All transfer students will be notified of the exact dates of the competition via email prior to its commencement. Transfer students who are not extended an invitation through the write-on competition are again considered for membership on the Wake Forest Law Review after the second year if his or her grades place them in the top 10 percent of the class. Transfer students are also invited to participate in the wide-ranging experiences offered at Wake Forest School of Law including student organizations, community service and pro bono activities, and intramural sports, among others.
Can I participate in the Moot Court program as a transfer student?
Yes. You are encouraged and invited to participate in the various Moot Court activities. You can earn a spot on the Moot Court Board by demonstrating exceptional writing and oral advocacy skills in the Edwin M. Stanley Intramural Moot Court Competition. The Stanley Competition is held in the fall of all students’ second year and is designed to coincide with the completion of students’ final writing assignments in Appellate Advocacy. Invitations to join the Moot Court Board are issued to the top 16 finalists in each competition, plus a select few honorable mention qualifiers who exhibited exceptional skill in writing or oral advocacy.
When is orientation?
Transfer Student Orientation, which you are required to attend, normally occurs on the Thursday before classes begin in August.
When can I utilize the Office of Career and Professional Development?
Once you have accepted an offer of admission, paid the requisite seat deposit, and confirmed your intention to enroll at Wake Forest School of Law, you will receive a letter from the Office of Career and Professional Development with instructions on how to log-in to Symplicity (a web-based program through which students search for part-time, full-time, and summer job opportunities as well as review employer profiles).

If you have a question that is not answered here, please let us know. You can contact the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid at lawadmissions@wfu.edu or 336.758.5437.