Transfer & Visiting Students

Law students in good academic standing who have completed at least one full semester of study leading to a J.D. degree in a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) or the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) may apply for admission to Syracuse as a transfer student. 

After transferring, students must earn at least 58 of the credits required for the J.D. degree at Syracuse University College of Law.  A maximum of 29 credits will be transferred in to Syracuse Law. Syracuse University College of Law will consider transfer students who have completed at least one semester of study.

If the original law school is not an ABA-accredited law school, applicants can apply as a first year law student.

Transfer applicants must apply for admission in the same manner as first-year applicants. In addition, transfer applicants must submit the following information:

• Written certification from the dean of the applicant's law school stating that she or he is in good academic standing and is unconditionally eligible to return (must be submitted to Syracuse directly from your law school).
• An original CAS report from the Law School Admission Council.
• Two letters of recommendation are required. At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the applicant's law school.
• A current official transcript of coursework completed at the applicant's law school (must be submitted through LSAC to be considered official).

• Review of transfer applications is ongoing throughout the summer and we will accept applications through July 15th. Students may begin to apply as soon as a final fall semester transcript is available but a complete file won't be considered until spring final grades are received.

• If the prospective transfer student is taking summer classes, we will make an exception and complete the file once we receive grades.
• Syracuse will accept transfer applications for the spring semester. Spring transfer students MUST have a final fall semester transcript to us no later than 5 business days prior to the first day of class. If the prospective transfer student wish to transfer into the spring semester, we will need a final transcript showing fall grades prior to considering the file.
• Transfer applications are considered as soon as all required materials have been received by the Admissions Office.
• In order to be eligible for transfer credit, students cannot have been out of law school for more than 2 calendar years from the date they would begin again at Syracuse Law.
  
• Spring transfer applications are due by December 1st. 
  
• Transfer applicants with more than one semester of coursework – Transfer applicants who have more than one semester of study may be considered for admission prior to receiving fall grades. We will accept transcript updates from transfer students with more than one semester of study until December 22nd. The final admissions decision is contingent upon successful completion of fall semester courses.
• Transfer applicants in their first semester of course work – Transfer applicants who are currently in their first semester of law school cannot be considered for admission until a transcript with fall grades is available. We will accept a transcript reflecting first semester grades until December 22nd as long as the remainder of the transfer application has been submitted. Applicants who will not have all fall grades by December 22nd should apply for transfer admission for the following fall semester.
• Fall transfer applications are due by July 15th with flexibility for transcript updates on a case-by-case basis. 
  

Merit Scholarships for Transfer Students

Please contact the Office of Admissions with specific questions about merit scholarship awards or other forms of financial aid for incoming transfer students.

Opportunities available to transfer students can include:

• Access to Career Service's on-line job postings
• Participation in the On-Campus Interview Program through the Office of Career Services
• The opportunity to participate in academic journals and the advocacy program should timing allow
  
• The opportunity to compete in the Syracuse Law Review & Journal of International Law & Commerce write-on competitions
• Pursuing a joint degree
• Earning a certificate by participating in a College of Law Center or Institute
• Participating in a clinic or externship
  
• Joining a Syracuse University College of Law student organization
• Law in London summer program
  

Transfer of Credit Policy

Policy for granting credits from another ABA-accredited law school (Transfer)

To graduate from the Syracuse University College of Law, a student is required to have 87 credits. A transfer student must earn a minimum of 58 credits at Syracuse University College of Law in order to fulfill the 87 credit hour requirement. Additionally, these 58 credits must be fully graded if a student is to be eligible for honors upon receipt of the J.D. diploma.

The credits earned from the transferring school will be recorded on a pass basis if the grades received are equivalent to a "C" or higher. Transfer students may receive credit for the following first-year required courses if the grades received are "C" or higher and the course content is materially the same:

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law I
  
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Property
  
• Torts
• Legal Communications & Research I & II
• First Year Experiential Elective Course
  

Additional upper division requirements include:

• Administrative Law or Statutory/Legislative Course
• Constitutional Law II
  
• Legal Communications & Research III
• Professional Responsibility
• Writing Requirement
  
• Six credits of experiential learning (applies to any student who will be an incoming 2L transfer beginning in Fall 2017)

Deposit Requirement

If admitted, transfer candidates are required to submit a seat deposit, detailed in the admission email. Admitted students can check their applicant status online for more information. 

Questions on these policies can be addressed to the Office of Admissions at lawadmissions@syr.edu.

Transfer Information Session Recording

• May 12, 2021

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Students from other ABA or AALS approved law schools may be permitted to complete their third year as a visiting student at Syracuse University College of Law.

Application requirements for visiting student applicants:

• Current admission application form indicating "Visitor" status.
• Official law school transcript showing all first and second year grades.
• CAS report (a file copy of the top page sent by current law school's Registrar's Office is acceptable).
• Letter from the dean of the applicant’s current law school verifying that the student is in good academic standing and that the law school will award the J.D. degree after the student completes all requirements. This letter must also state that the school approves of the student’s curriculum choice at Syracuse, list any special course requirements that need to be completed, and provide the minimum grade acceptable for coursework completed at Syracuse University College of Law.
• Spring visitor applications are due by December 1st but we will accept transcript updates until December 22nd.
• Fall visitor applications are due by July 15th with flexibility for transcript updates on a case-by-case basis. 

Students Visiting Syracuse Law for a Term or an Academic Year

Students from other US law schools who have been accepted to take upperclass courses at the College of Law as non-matriculants (receiving their J.D. degree from their home institution), and who need financial aid to meet their educational costs, must arrange with their home institution for the processing of their financial aid. 

The home institution must forward a Consortium Agreement form to Syracuse University College of Law’s Office of Financial Aid, confirming that the home institution will process all financial aid for its student. Syracuse will complete the Consortium Agreement and will verify the student’s cost of attendance, dates of attendance, and enrollment status for the period of study at Syracuse Law. Syracuse Law will not process any financial aid for the visiting non-matriculating student.

Generally, the student’s home institution will forward the financial aid proceeds to our Financial Aid Office to be applied toward the student’s Syracuse tuition and fee charges. Please check with your home institution regarding their policies and procedures. 

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Applicants Who Have Attended Another Law School

For applicants who have been academically disqualified or dismissed from another law school, applicants cannot apply as a first year law student until two years from the date of disqualification has passed.

Applicants Who Have Attended Syracuse University College of Law

For applicants who have been academically disqualified or dismissed from Syracuse, applicants cannot apply as a first year law student until one year from the date of disqualification has passed.