Transfer and Visiting Student Applicants

Application deadlines

• Fall Admission - July 15
• Spring Admission - December 31
• Summer Admission (Visiting Students Only) - April 15

Visiting Students

Visiting students should make sure to collect all the required documents to complete the application process. You must successfully complete one year (approximately 30 credits) of law school in a J.D. program at an ABA law school before applying.

Required Documents

• Application, submitted via the LSAC website.
• Letter of good standing granting permission to visit and agreeing to accept course work satisfactorily completed at California Western.
• CAS Report.
• Official law school transcript reflecting the completion of the first year.

Transfer Students

While California Western accepts transfer students, academic performance in one’s previous law school plays a critical role in the admissions process.

Required Documents 

If you are considering transferring to California Western, make sure to collect all the required documents to complete the application process.

• Application, submitted via the LSAC website.
• Letter of good standing from current law school.
• An official law school transcript reflecting completion of first year, including class rank.
• CAS Report.
• A personal statement, specifying your interest in transferring to California Western.
• One letter of recommendation, preferably from law faculty.

Factors to Consider

Before applying as a transfer student, applicants should consider the following:

• You must successfully complete one year (approximately 30 credits) of law school in a J.D. program at an ABA law school before applying.
• We can accept up to 44 credits (with a grade of C or better) from law schools that are: 1) approved by the ABA, and 2) are AALS members
• We can accept up to 30 credits (with a grade of C or better) from law schools that are approved by the ABA but are not AALS members.
• LSAT score and undergraduate grade point average are considered as secondary factors.

PLEASE NOTE: If you were academically disqualified from law school, you are not eligible to apply for transfer admission.

Credit Valuation 

To determine if previous law school coursework meets California Western’s academic requirements, we will examine course descriptions, syllabi, transcripts, and other sources. No credit is given for a course where an applicant received a grade below a C (i.e., credits of C- and below do not transfer). If an applicant received a C- or below, but the applicant still passed the course the following will apply to the course:

• The course will not have to be repeated.
• The course will not show up on your California Western transcript.
• The course credits will not count towards the total unit graduation requirement, and
• The course credits can count towards satisfaction of the residency requirement.