Applying as a Transfer Student to the J.D. Program

Admission Standards

Miami Law welcomes and encourages applications from students who have compiled strong records at other American Bar Association-approved law schools and wish to transfer. Applications are reviewed as soon as all required documents have been received.

While one standard indicator of potential for admission for transfer applicants is prior performance in law school, undergraduate records and LSAT scores are also considered in the admissions process. To be considered for transfer, Miami Law applicants are normally required to have at least a 3.00 law school GPA or to be in the top third of their class at an ABA-accredited law school. Exceptions may be made for students from highly competitive institutions.

The usual number of acceptable transfer credits is 27 to 30. The maximum number of acceptable transfer credits is 32. Therefore, in order to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law, a minimum of 56 additional credits over four full-time semesters is required. Typically, 30 credits are required for transfer; however, if fewer credits comprise the entire first-year, full-time curriculum at the applicant's school, the application will be considered. Transferring with less than two years of law study remaining is highly unusual. While there is no part-time program offered at Miami Law, competitive transfer applicants from part-time programs who have completed the entire first-year, part-time curriculum at their home school may be considered for transfer into the full-time division. All previously stated factors are considered in the review process.

Important Application Dates and Deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications and all supporting documentation as early as possible. Transfer applicants who have completed at least two semesters of law school may enroll for spring (January 4 application deadline), summer (May 1 application deadline), or fall (July 31 application deadline) semesters. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Admission Requirements for JD Transfer Applicants

1. Application Form
2. Transcripts
3. Personal Statement
4. Résumé
5. Class Rank and Letter of Good Standing
6. Letter of Recommendation (preferably from a law school professor)
7. TOEFL or IELTS Score (for applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate education is from outside the U.S.)

Ways to Apply to the JD Transfer Program

1. Applying Electronically (Preferred Method)

Miami Law's electronic application is available as part of an applicant's LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) registration and is a very convenient way to apply. All applicants are required to register for CAS. This easy and efficient option allows applicants to work on and save an application until it is ready for electronic submission.

2. Applying by Hard Copy

Although applying electronically through LSAC is the preferred method, Miami Law will accept hard copy applications. Candidates who prefer to submit a paper application should email admissions@law.miami.edu.

Transfer Admission 101

Learn about the transfer application process and hear the answers to transfer FAQs by watching this video.

Cost of Attendance

For more information about tuition and costs, please click here. Please visit our Financing Your Legal Education website for financial aid information. There are no merit-based scholarships available for transfer students.

English Language Proficiency Test

Applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate education is from outside the U.S. are required to submit the results of an English language proficiency test. Miami Law will accept scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum required TOEFL score for admission is 580 paper-based, 237 computer-based, and 92 internet-based. The minimum required IELTS score for admission is 7.0. LSAC's institutional code to report the TOEFL score is 8395. No institutional code is needed for the IELTS. Scores from either test will be included in the authentication and evaluation feature of the CAS Report.

Law Review and Moot Court Board

Although transfer students are not automatically eligible for membership on a law school review or moot court board on the basis of class rank at another law school, transfer students may still be able to participate in these activities at Miami Law. Any transfer student interested in joining one of our law journals should contact Farah Barquero at fbarquero@law.miami.edu. You may find additional information on the Law Review and Journals at the University of Miami webpage.

• When should I apply?

  Miami Law encourages prospective transfer applicants who receive above a 3.0 GPA in their first semester of law school to apply for conditional admission upon receipt of their first semester’s grades. If an applicant’s cumulative law school GPA after their second semester is a 3.15 or above, and no other significant changes to the application occur, the applicant will then be fully admitted to Miami Law as a transfer.

  As an applicant, it is advantageous to apply for conditional admission because these applicants will likely receive their final admission decision sooner than applicants who wait until after receiving their second semester’s grades to submit the entire application, potentially allowing the applicant more time to onboard as a student and participate in activities at Miami Law like the writing competition or on-campus interviewing.

  If an applicant does not have above a 3.0 law school GPA after their first semester, an applicant may apply with only one semester of law school grades, but the Committee is unlikely to render a decision on the application. The Committee will likely wait to render a decision on the application until the applicant submits their second semester grades, to give the applicant an opportunity to raise their law school GPA above 3.0.

  Applications received with two semesters of grades will be considered for regular, not conditional, admission.

  Transfer applicants who have completed at least two semesters of law school may enroll for spring (January 4 application deadline), summer (May 1 application deadline), or fall (July 31 application deadline) semesters.

• Am I eligible for institutional scholarships as a transfer?

  No. Miami Law does not offer scholarship funding for transfer students.

• Am I eligible for financial aid as a transfer?

  Yes. To avoid any delay in receiving loan funding, upon submitting their application for admission, applicants should also submit their FAFSA to Miami Law by adding Miami Law (E00532) as a recipient. This will not impact the financial aid at your current law school. Once admitted, applicants may follow the steps outlined here.

• How many credits can I have and still be considered as a transfer applicant?

  Transfer applicants who have completed more than 32 credits towards their law degree will not be considered for transfer admission and are advised to apply as visiting students.

• Will all of my credits transfer, and how do I find out whether they will?

  When a transfer applicant is admitted, the Law Registrar does a credit evaluation to determine which of the applicant’s credits will transfer. The Registrar has the discretion to accept or deny transfer credits, and the decision of the Registrar is final. Shortly after admission, the applicant will meet with Jack Townsend, Assistant Director of Student Life, to discuss course selection and the Registrar’s credit evaluation.

• Which of my credits won’t transfer?

  No more than 32 credits will be accepted for transfer to Miami Law.

  There are several types of courses that do not transfer:

  • Intro to Law School-type courses (depending on factors such as the course description and syllabus, the length of the course, and how many credits it was worth)
  • Externship credits
  • Courses in which the applicant received a grade lower than a C (C grades are considered on case-by-case basis)

• Does my class rank transfer?

  No. Transfer students are not given a class rank at Miami Law and are encouraged to discuss how best to represent their class rank from their previous institution on their resume with their Career Development Office advisor.

  Though transfers are not eligible for a class rank, they may be eligible for cum laude-level Latin honors, Dean's List, and Book Awards.

• Are there any courses I will have to make up?

  Possibly. Miami Law’s 1L curriculum includes Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure. Many law schools do not include both of these courses in their 1L curriculum. Transfers must take both of these courses, and Miami Law strongly advises that transfers take these courses in their first semester at Miami Law, as these courses are prerequisites for many upper-level courses. Miami Law often has a special transfer section of both of these courses, which also provides a nice way for transfers to meet fellow transfers.

• Can I still graduate in three years?

  Yes. Miami Law students must earn 88 credits to graduate. If a transfer student took a standard, full-time course load of 30 credits in their 1L year, and even if one, three-credit class was not accepted for transfer, the transfer student would have 61 credits that they would need to take at Miami Law. This means the transfer would need to take 15 credits in three of their semesters at Miami Law and 16 credits in one semester at Miami Law, which is a fairly average course load.

• Will I be able to register for the classes I want as an incoming transfer, since I will be registering after the traditional students in my class?

  Yes. Miami Law offers such a huge course catalog (150-180 upper-level courses each semester) that it should be no issue finding great courses in which to enroll. Transfers applicants may register for courses within 24 hours of placing their seat deposit.

• Can I do a journal or moot court as a transfer?

  Yes. To be invited to join one of our five law journals, transfer students must participate in the writing competition, which takes place annually in mid-May. Due to the timing of our writing competition, only conditionally admitted transfer students who have been conditionally admitted by the competition's registration deadline will be allowed to participate in the competition as rising 2Ls. If admitted after the writing competition takes place, interested transfer students have the opportunity to participate in the writing competition in the subsequent year, as rising 3Ls. 

  Moot Court does not bring on new members until the fall, so transfer students may try out alongside traditional rising 2L students.

  More information will be provided about the selection process for each activity upon admission to the law school.

• Can I participate in fall on-campus interviewing (OCI) after I transfer?

  Yes. The Career Development Office connects with applicants upon their admission to the law school to keep them abreast of OCI participation deadlines, amongst other things. However, fall OCI participation deadlines occur as early as July, so it is possible that an applicant will not be able to participate, depending on when in the cycle they apply. Only applicants who have paid a seat deposit by July 1 are eligible to participate in the fall OCI process. Please note that transfers should meet with their assigned career advisor after placing their seat deposit to learn how to represent their transfer status, GPA, and class rank appropriately on their resume.

• Will I be able to enroll in a clinic as a 2L?

  Possibly. Traditional rising 2Ls and 3Ls complete the clinic application process in the spring before the clinic begins. If a transfer applicant is interested in doing a clinic as a 2L, we recommend that the student contact the director of the clinic in which they are interested to inquire about availability after placing their seat deposit. Transfers may also opt to apply for a clinic as a rising 3L.

• Am I able to enroll in a joint degree program?

  Yes. Upon admission to the law school, transfer applicants should inform the Office of Admissions of their interest in pursuing a joint degree program. The Office of Admissions will connect the applicant with the program coordinator of the joint degree program in which the applicant is interested. A joint degree program typically adds only 12-16 credits, or one semester, beyond that required for a JD degree. Even if several of a transfer applicant’s classes do not transfer over, a transfer can take summer classes to catch up and usually still complete a joint degree with just one additional semester of study.

• How does Miami Law ensure that transfer students are connected to the student body?

  Transfers have their own Orientation and typically take Constitutional Law and/or Criminal Procedure in a section with fellow transfers. Miami Law encourages transfers to join student organizations. There is a dedicated transfer seat on SBA. And, Miami Law offers wonderful resources for its students – a devoted student affairs team, a comprehensive Academic Achievement Program, and a strong CDO within the law school; a collegial environment of law students; and a campus full of activities.

Contact Information

If you would like to learn more about the transfer program, please connect with the Office of Admissions at admissions@law.miami.edu or 305-284-6746.

Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the University of Miami that no person within the jurisdiction thereof shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected factor be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination or harassment (including all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence) under any program or activity of the University, regardless of whether such program or activity occurs on-campus or off-campus. Retaliation against an individual who files a complaint of discrimination, opposes a policy/procedure/practice because he/she believes it to be discriminatory, or who participates in the investigation of a discrimination complaint, is prohibited.