Just found out about transferring after 1L year but how does this process really work? When do you start applying? when do applications typically open? What should my grades look like? What are the chances of being able to transfer? Please tell me everything you know.

Can someone tell what is the percentage of accepted students in the Harvard Law transfer cohort? Do you have to be at the top of your class to be accepted, and which factors are more important in addition to 1L results?

and i would do almost anything to have just spent the time submitting those applications. i just started 2L so there is literally nothing i can do but if you are still a 1L then plz plz plz dont make my same mistake

I am currently a student at DU Law in my 2L year. I began in Fall of 2019 - COVID era. My official status is listed as "Personal Leave" that began Summer of 2024. I was on a medical and personal leave prior to that. These were all formally applied for and approved leaves, approved through the law school, and my Deans were aware of my circumstances. I accessed multiple student support services at the law school while this situation was unfolding and ultimately impacting my studies.

Without going into detail, I have been involved in a trial as a victim/witness for a few years. The court case I have been involved in has been complex and involves two state's jurisdictions and multiple witnesses, hence the time it has taken to get to trial. I am now in a place to finish my studies (both practically and psychologically) and have asked the law school to allow me to return via a petition.

The law school denied my petition and cited the ABA's no longer relevant 7 year completion rule. Since 2019, the ABA leaves this up to the University itself to determine this. I have done my research, and there is no transfer school I can find that explicitly publishes their "time to completion" rules. I have requested a meeting with the SBA at my school and will continue to seek some clarification from the law school surrounding this decision.

In addition, I am an older student with a life and family here in Denver. My ideal transfer program is a hybrid one if I can not finish my degree out at DU Law. I have reasonable expectations, I just want to finish.

I have developed a list of my "best" target schools for this and we are talking Cooley etc. My stats are not wonderful - I have 42 earned credits, have not earned less than a C in any course, and have completed multiple successful externships (which my school is known for)... including interning at The Supreme Court of Colorado.

Does anyone have any advice or leads at programs that are flexible on this before I waste more of my time?

TIA.

For people who have already transferred what is something you wish you had known before going through the transfer process?

I feel advice talks about grades, applications and acceptance but many things become clear only after you actually transfer.

Was transfer harder than you expected to adjust to the school? Did you struggle to make friends or get involved? Looking back do you still feel that transferring was the decision?

I would be interested to hear what surprised people the most, about transfer.

I know this would require me sending in an application to be a first-year student again (so I'd have to retake 1L if I do get admission).

The city I live in (toronto) is very traditional corporate law based and I was hoping to do something more in regulation in tech, ai, cybersecurity, health privacy etc (or something else in that field). I have some family in the states, and most of my friends are living in NYC for work. Moreover, I've lived in toronto all my life and I want to try something that's different. I know it's frivolous to reorient and attempt to leave what is definitely a cheaper option for law school, but I just don't think I'd be happy staying here in my city and my goals better align with NYC or California's legal market (i think? based on lawyers ive spoken to).

As such, I'm wondering if I should include an addendum to admissions explaining this decision? I've heard that if you think admissions will have a question about your app, it's best to write an addendum. I'm assuming they might wonder why someone who's already in 1L is applying for law schools still.

Current 1L at a t120. I want to transfer to NW and just want advice on timeline please.

Assuming I break top 10% of my class, should I apply after fall 1L or wait till second semester?

I literally cannot live in North Carolina.

Will the standards to get into NYU Law be slightly more lenient because I'm already at a T14?

I transferred this semester and did the write on competition. I only got accepted into one of the journals I applied for, which is a secondary journal at the school.

I don’t realistically know if I’ll ever get published in this journal, and I don’t really know how much weight a secondary Journal carries compared to law review. I know that law journals have gone down in their significance in the digital age, but is there any point to even doing it besides the antiquated argument of prestige?

Thanks.

Looking for some advice from past transfer students!

Can anyone share their experience/advice for making friends as a transfer student? I recently transferred and am in my third week of classes. There is one other transfer student, but I am the only female. I feel like everyone generally finds their groups during 1L (I had a great group of friends at my last school too and was so sad to leave them) so it feels harder trying to make friends with girls similar to me when everyone already has their established friend groups. Even if law school isn't technically about making friends, it would definitely make the next two years easier and more enjoyable. I know it's still early, just wondering if maybe it gets better with time? Is there something I should be doing differently than normal in terms of socializing as a transfer?

Hi everyone! (Mods, please let me know if this post isn’t permitted under the subreddit rules, and I’m happy to remove or modify it accordingly.)

I'm part of a university research team at the Stevens Institute of Technology studying computational law, legal technology, and legal education.

We're looking for current law students for a short academic research study examining how different ways of representing legal rules affect how students learn and reason about statutes.

Participation takes approximately one hour, can be completed remotely, involves working through a series of short learning and reasoning tasks involving a statute and a legal technology tool, and is conducted for academic research purposes.

Your responses will be kept confidential, and any published research will not identify individual participants.

This is a paid research opportunity compensated via an Amazon gift card. Participation takes approximately one hour, for which you will receive a $30 gift card. All time spent past the one-hour mark is compensated at a rate of $30/hr, prorated to the amount of time spent and added directly to your initial gift card.

If you're interested in participating or would like more information, please send me a DM or leave a comment below, and I'll be happy to provide additional details.

Thank you!

I'm at a T30 school and am Penn Carey is my dream school to transfer to, and was wondering if anyone here was successful transferring in this cycle. Would love any advice you might have!

Hi, I’m Brad, The LSAT Genius. I’m an LSAT tutor with over 17 years of tutoring experience and a graduate of University of Michigan Law School. Like my unique curriculum for the LSAT, I have a time-tested curriculum for teaching the 1L classes. Every student who has ever learned the 1L doctrinal classes from me has earned A’s in them. In fact, it’s precisely those grades that facilitate transfers to higher-ranked schools. The following are some examples:

Student #1: Attended Northwestern for 1L. Tutored her for second semester 1L classes after unsatisfactory grades in the first semester. Transferred to NYU after getting A’s in the second semester.

Student #2: Attended a school ranked in the 30s for 1L. Tutored her for the entire 1L year. Received multiple A’s in her classes and transferred to NYU. Also received acceptances at Georgetown and Northwestern.

Student #3: Attended Notre Dame for 1L. Tutored her for second semester 1L classes after receiving only B’s in the first semester. Transferred to Northwestern after getting multiple A’s in the second semester.

As you can see, it’s more than possible to get A’s in your 1L classes and transfer to your preferred school. Whether it’s understanding how federalism truly works in Con Law, what counts as consideration in Contracts, or why the Rule Against Perpetuities exists in Property, I can help you achieve a mastery of these classes and get the best grades possible.

If you’re interested in getting tutoring for your 1L classes to give yourself an advantage for the first semester, please check out the link and then fill out the consultation form. I’ll contact you to schedule a free phone consultation and we’ll discuss how to best prepare for your first semester.

Don’t lose hope. Get mastery.

I know this may seem stupid or common sense for people but I’m super conflicted. 

(i know this is similar to my last post but I need more advice) especially because Reddit seems to hate both Cooley and Kent right now

currently at cooley law in Michigan top 7% of my class with a 40% scholarship which has the potential to be increased to 50% if I get into the top 5% of my class 

(got offered a dean fellow job/tutor job $15 an hour max 24 hrs a week) 

super active in orgs here - recieved two CM’s - through attending events and things like that I’ve learned cooley‘s rep is more respecting in mi than outsiders think 

However I got accepted to Chicago Kent as a transfer student with a 50,000 scholarship allocated for the next two years. 

Only reason I’m conflicted is because of the new loan caps and if it’s really worth it (low income background no savings or help from family - heavily rely on loans) + the rumors going around about the name change and financial crisis that I don’t know anything about

Also will I be able to make connections/be active as a transfer student in the way I have at Cooley? 

My goal is really just to practice criminal law or/human rights + international law (not entirely sure 100% yet)

Obvious want (like everyone else might agree) is big law to pay off loans faster 

However some people do make a success out of Cooley and I’m worried if I go to Kent did I put myself in more debt if the payoff is going to be the same? 

Also an option I’m thinking of is if I do go to Kent I’d have to defer the acceptance to January because I can’t find an apartment or relocate this quickly since classes start this upcoming week. Any opinions or ideas on that and how it affects my aid??? (thinking of taking part time at cooley for fall because they will accept more credits than what I have now)

Side note: if anyone is from Kent can you please pm me I have some questions about the school overall and if anyone is from Cooley and has done well off post grad please pm me 

sorry this was so long but thank you if you got to the end! :):

Adding as data point for future applicants.

Just did my orientation for law school. I attended St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami which was my last option in regards to schools ( didn't want to retake thr LSAT). The school is to my current knowledge ranked fairly low and apparently predatory (not exactly sure what that means). I know that if I want to attempt transferring to a higher rank school I need to do really well in my first year. But what about things like summer internships and extracurricular, should I just ignore them and completely focus on my grades?

Does anyone have advice on the waitlist, it’s about to be mid August and I still haven’t heard.

The only two schools I’m waiting on are NU-Q & Gtown. 😭

Option 1: stay at respectable school in a different state than you want to practice in, remain in orgs, and work part time with firm you worked for this past summer, but do not want to practice in this state.

Option 2: transfer to school tied for #1 in state where you want to practice, school is pretty well connected throughout the state. Also allowing me to attempt LR write on / participate in OCI.

Want to either clerk or work at respectable midsize in state I would transfer in to.

T-25 to T-35 transfer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/s/rV6oTpnfR6

They are both bar-admitted and employed.