Applying to UC Irvine Law - Transfer JD
Eligibility
To apply for admission as a transfer student, you must possess your bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The accredited institution must be listed on the U.S. Department of Education’s database. You must also have completed (or be in the process of completing) one year of law study at an ABA-accredited law school. In terms of your law school education, the following should be true:
- A minimum of 28 and no more than 29 credits have been completed
- The work for which transfer credit is being sought is of very high quality
- The student has not been placed on probation or disqualified
- Fewer than 5 years have elapsed since the student last attended law school
Students from law schools that are only state-approved are not eligible for transfer admission and are only eligible to apply for 1L admission without advanced standing.
Virtual Information Sessions
| Date/Time | Registration |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 12:00PM-1:00PM | Register |
| Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 12:00PM-1:00PM | Register |
Transfer JD Application Information
When submitting your application for admission, please adhere to all application instructions and answer all questions. Additional instructions can be found in the application. Applicants should utilize the application status checker to confirm that their file is complete by all deadlines.
A completed application to UC Irvine Law consists of the following materials sent to us electronically either attached to your Application for Admission or within your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report.
- The Application for Admission form
- The CAS Report, which includes your LSAT results & LSAT Writing Sample, if applicable, and previous transcripts showing bachelor's degree conferral (sent to us electronically by LSAC)
- Law school transcript(s) showing two complete semesters of coursework and grades. Note: UC Irvine Law may review and offer conditional admission based on one-semester of law school grades
- A Personal Statement (750-word limit)
- A current resume or CV
- A minimum of two (no more than three) letters of recommendation. Two letters from current law school faculty are required
- LSAT/LSAT-flex or GRE results
- Letter(s) of Standing, with rank if available, from all law school programs
- If applicable, Conduct or Character & Fitness disclosures
- Additionally, you may also include an Inclusive Excellence Essay and a response to both optional LSAT and Academic/GPA Addendums (500-word limit)
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | JD Transfer Application opens through the LSAC portal |
| May 21, 2025 | Total $750 SIR Deposit is due for applicants offered conditional admission |
| June 11-13, 2025 | UC Irvine Law Early Interview Weeks Begins (Admitted transfer students will receive access to CDO shortly after receipt of the Total SIR deposit) |
| June 15, 2025 | Fall 2025 JD Transfer Application deadline |
| July 11, 2025 |
Total $750 SIR Deposit is due (this will become rolling for later admits; refer to the dates provided in your admission notification) Statement of Legal Residence is due |
| August 11-15, 2025 | Mandatory New Student Orientation. Orientation for transfer students will take place the week of August 11, 2025. Specific dates will be communicated at a later date. |
| August 16, 2025 | 4:00PM Pacific Time – Deadline to pay Fall tuition and fees without late fees |
| August 18, 2025 | First day of instruction |
Review and Decision Timeline
Applications for admission are accepted beginning April 1 and are reviewed on a rolling basis as they are marked as Complete. All transfer applications received by June 15 and later marked as Complete will receive a decision by the end of July. At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, some applicants may receive a conditional offer of admission based on the completion of one semester of full-time classes. Please refer to our Application Instructions or FAQs for more detailed information.
When submitting your application for admission, please strictly adhere to all application instructions. Detailed instructions regarding all application components are included with the application.
- Electronic Application
- Application Status Check
- No Application Fee
- Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report
- Transcripts
- Letter of Standing
- Standardized Test
- Personal Statement
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Optional Essays
Electronic Application: The application is available through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website beginning on April 1. After you submit your application, you will receive an email confirmation of our receipt of your Fall 2025 transfer application. Please ensure the correct documents are submitted with your application; updates or revisions of documents will not be accepted. Please follow formatting instructions and be sure to indicate your name, LSAC Account number, and the type of document (Personal Statement, Inclusive Excellence Essay, etc.) in the header of each document. Note: Conduct disclosures are separate and distinct from the optional statements. There is no word count limitation on conduct disclosures, please utilize the space you need to fully explain any incident(s) and rehabilitation.
Application Status Checker: After applying, you will receive your log-in credentials for the Applicant Status Online system within 72 business hours of submission (3 business days). Please check all your folders and/or tabs for this email.
No Application Fee: There is no application fee to apply. Please do not contact the Admissions Office requesting a fee waiver, as it is unnecessary. Due to our limited resources, we are unable to grant CAS Report fee waivers.
Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report: All applicants must register for and utilize the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report. The CAS Report houses your transcript(s), letters of recommendation, letter of standing, and, as applicable, your LSAT score(s) and LSAT writing sample.
Transcripts: UC Irvine Law requires transcripts from every college or university attended (except study abroad transcripts from foreign universities) and must be submitted for inclusion in your CAS Report. Failing to include a transcript will result in your file being marked as incomplete (and may also delay delivery of a CAS Report) and delay review by the Admissions Committee. You are required to register for the CAS. Please request official transcripts from all your undergraduate institutions (and graduate schools, if applicable) be sent directly to LSAC and included in your CAS account, regardless of age or amount of credits earned. Although LSAC attempts to inform each applicant about the receipt of transcripts, you are responsible for ensuring all transcripts are received by LSAC.
If you received your undergraduate degree from an educational institution outside the United States, its territories, and Canada, you are also required to register with CAS and have your transcripts and any other required documentation sent to LSAC for processing and evaluation. LSAC will then forward your complete CAS Report to the Law School. International transcripts often take more time; please allow for this when requesting and transmitting the transcripts.
Law school transcripts should be included in the CAS Report. However, we will accept electronic copies directly from the Registrar’s Office to admissions@law.uci.edu. Regardless of method, you remain responsible for your law school transcripts reaching UC Irvine Law. Applicants may apply with only their fall semester grades from an ABA-accredited law school (plus a letter of standing), in anticipation of their spring semester grades.
The Admissions Committee may, at its discretion, consider transfer applicants with one semester of grades - the applicant cannot request this. Applicants who are admitted with one-semester of grades receive a conditional offer of admission to UC Irvine Law. Terms of their condition will be outlined in their admission letter.
Letter of Standing: All transfer applicants are required to submit a letter(s) of standing as part of the application and must come from every law school you previously attended (even if no grades were issued). The letter must be based on your most recent semester of attendance and grades from that semester. This letter should be included with your CAS Report. However, we will accept the letter of standing in PDF format directly from the Registrar’s Office to admissions@law.uci.edu. Regardless of method, you remain responsible for your letter(s) of standing reaching UC Irvine Law.
Standardized Test: UC Irvine Law requires a standardized test as a part of the JD transfer application. Applicants must have been admitted to their current JD program with either the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The standardized test included must be the same as the one utilized when you applied to your current JD program. UC Irvine Law utilizes the term LSAT to refer to both the traditional LSAT and the LSAT-flex. LSAT results are sent directly to the Law School from LSAC as part of your CAS Report.
Applicants may submit their GRE result(s) directly to UC Irvine Law from ETS. If you submit your GRE scores for consideration and have taken the GRE more than once in the last five years then you must submit all valid GRE results. UC Irvine Law uses the graduate school's GRE school code, which is 4859. Please see the application form for additional directions. For applicants who were admitted to their current JD program with the GRE, please be mindful that you must submit all GRE scores for the five (5) years prior to your admission to your current JD program. Applicants must not use the ScoreSelect option offered by ETS. Failure to submit all GRE scores and/or use of ScoreSelect may result in a withdrawal of an admission offer. Applicants who utilized the GRE must still utilize the LSAC CAS Report for transcripts and letters of recommendation. After receipt of your GRE Score Report, we will manually request the CAS Report.
Personal Statement: The Personal Statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the UC Irvine Law Admissions Committee. Applicants should respond using Microsoft Word and format your document to 8-1/2 x 11 inches, double spaced, with 12-point font and one-inch margins. Most importantly, please include your name and LSAC number at the top of each page. We will not accept revisions to the Personal Statement after you have submitted your application. Additional instructions and information are included in the application instructions. Word limit is 750.
Letters of Recommendation: UC Irvine Law requires a minimum of two (2) but no more than three (3) letters of recommendation. Two (2) letters must be from faculty at your current law school. Letters of recommendation must be on file with LSAC and assigned to UC Irvine School of Law. We will not receive your CAS Report until at least two (2) letters are assigned to UC Irvine Law and on file with LSAC. The optional third (3rd) letter of recommendation may come from either academic or professional sources. We do not suggest solely personal references.
Resume or Curriculum Vitae: Applicants must submit a resume illustrating their work history, volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, and any awards and/or honors. There is no page limit; however, the Admissions Committee encourages that an applicant’s resume be professionally formatted with all sections listed in chronological order with the most recent first. Most resumes received are between 1-2 pages. Summer employment plans after your 1L year should be indicated on the resume you submit with your application. If your summer plans have fallen through or have changed, please email an addendum in PDF format to admissions@law.uci.edu. The addendum should be a short explanation of the situation and explain how you will be spending your summer.
Optional Essays: Applicants are welcome to provide additional information about themselves through optional essays. These essays include an Inclusive Excellence Essay and/or an Addendum.
Inclusive Excellence Essay: One of the overarching values at UC Irvine Law is our commitment to inclusive excellence. This optional statement gives you the opportunity to discuss how you will contribute to UC Irvine Law's commitment to inclusive excellence. The total word count for this optional essay must not exceed 500 words. We will not accept revisions to the Inclusive Excellence Essay after you have submitted your application.
Addendum: An optional addendum is your final opportunity for the Admissions Committee to receive additional information about your candidacy. The two topics you may cover are (1) your performance on standardized tests and/or (2) your academic performance/undergraduate GPA addendum. Applicants may answer both prompts, but the total word count must not exceed 500 words. We will not accept revisions to the addendum(s) after you have submitted your application.
Note: Conduct disclosures are separate and distinct from optional statements. There is no word count limitation on conduct disclosures; please utilize the space you need to fully explain any incident(s) and rehabilitation. Please refer to the Character & Fitness/Conduct Information section below for more detailed information.
An affirmative answer to any of the character and fitness questions on our application requires a detailed written explanation and supporting documentation that needs to be included with the application. If an applicant answers in the affirmative to these questions and does not provide the required statement(s), the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. All applicants have an ongoing duty to disclose changes to their application especially as they relate to conduct matters (criminal or disciplinary) to our office by sending an email to admissions@law.uci.edu.
Transfer of Credit Policy
Enrolled transfer students will receive up to a maximum of 29 transfer credits towards the UC Irvine School of Law J.D. degree for coursework completed the first year. The specific number of transfer credits, whether the UC Irvine Law requirements have been fulfilled, and UC Irvine Law course equivalencies will be determined by the Assistant Dean of Student Services. You may be asked by the Assistant Dean of Student Services to submit course descriptions and syllabi of coursework to confirm course content. Transfer students must complete all UC Irvine Law first-year course requirements that they have not completed at their prior law school (and for which they did not take an equivalent course) within their first year as a transfer student. The UC Irvine Law grade point average will be computed only on the work completed at UC Irvine Law. Transfer students must meet all graduation requirements and are eligible for all UC Irvine School of Law awards and honors.
Financial Aid
Law school is an important investment; funding for a law degree requires preparation and planning. Students admitted to the J.D. program as transfer students are not considered for UC Irvine Law Scholarship or Need-Based Grant assistance. U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens who plan on borrowing from the federal loan programs (Direct Unsubsidized Loan up to $20,500 and Direct Graduate PLUS up to the Cost of Attendance) should file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. UC Irvine Law's Federal School Code is 001314. Please refer to our Financial Aid Process website for additional information on the application and awarding process. International students do not need to file a FAFSA, as they are not eligible for federal financial aid. However, they may qualify for private educational loans. To apply for a Private Educational Loan, submit an application with the lender of your choice and inform UC Irvine School of Law’s Student Financial Services Office of your pending application. You may use any lender, but we suggest that you compare loan terms with those on our Preferred Lender List.
Applying for financial aid is separate from the admissions process and financial assistance information has no bearing on admissions decisions.
We also offer one of the country's most robust Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP). UC Irvine Law's LRAP provides graduates who enter the public service field with loan repayment assistance if they earn $90,000 or less per year. LRAP assists eligible graduates in repaying undergraduate and law school federal student loans for up to ten years.
We encourage you to utilize all possible resources to offset the cost of your legal education, including our listing of outside scholarships as you begin to finalize your law school plans.
FAQs
What is the transfer application process?
Transfer admissions is an opportunity for rising 2L students to join the UC Irvine Law School community after completing their 1L year at another ABA accredited law school.
Who is eligible to apply as a transfer?
To apply for admission as a transfer student, you must possess your bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. You must also have completed (or be in the process of completing) one-year of law study at an ABA-accredited law school with a minimum of 28 credits.
I applied to UC Irvine Law previously. Am I eligible to apply as a transfer student?
Yes. Each year we have several students who previously applied to UC Irvine Law. The Admissions Committee reviews each application holistically.
Do you offer spring admissions?
No, UC Irvine Law only accepts applications for fall entry.
How do I apply?
The application is available through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website beginning on April 1.
When can I expect to hear a decision on my application?
Applications for admission are accepted beginning April 1 and are reviewed on a rolling basis as they are marked as Complete. All transfer applications received and marked as Complete by June 15 will receive a decision by the end of July.
Can I submit my application without my spring semester grades?
While the Admissions Committee prefers fall and spring grades, we recognize that the timing of spring grades does not align with UC Irvine Law's Early Interview Week (EIW) program. Therefore, transfer applicants who are interested in participating in EIW are welcome to submit their application if their spring grades are not yet available. At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, conditional offers of admission may be made to those who have completed one full-time semester and demonstrated high academic success. An applicant who is offered conditional admission is required to submit their official law school transcript that includes their fall and spring semester grades, as well as an updated letter of standing with class rank if available.
If I am accepted as a transfer applicant, how much time do I have to respond to the offer of admission?
If you receive a conditional offer of admission, the deadline to submit our Statement of Intent to Register Deposit (SIR) is May 21, 2025. For all others, the deadline is July 11, 2025. This will become rolling for admits.
Which standardized test scores should I submit with my application?
Applicants must have been admitted to their current JD program with either the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The standardized test must be the same as the one utilized when you applied to your current JD program. UC Irvine Law utilizes the term LSAT to refer to both the traditional LSAT and the LSAT-Flex. LSAT results are sent directly to us from LSAC as part of your CAS Report.
How should I communicate my summer employment plans?
Summer employment plans after your 1L year should be indicated on the resume you submit with your application. If your summer plans have fallen through or have changed, please email an addendum in PDF format to admissions@law.uci.edu. The addendum should be a short explanation of the situation and explain how you will be spending your summer.
Who should write my letters of recommendation?
Two (2) letters of recommendation must be written from faculty at your current law school. We will accept a maximum of three (3) letters.
How do I find out whether a document has been received or if my application is complete?
After applying, you will receive your log-in credentials for the Applicant Status Online (ASO) system within 72 business hours of submission (3 business days). Please check all your folders or tabs for this email.
Am I eligible to participate in UC Irvine Law’s Early Interview Week (EIW) as a transfer student?
While awaiting your admission decision, we encourage you to continue to work with your current law school's career services team on your 2L summer job search. The UC Irvine Law Early Interview Week (EIW) is scheduled to be held virtually June 11-13, 2025 with the bidding deadline being May 28, 2025. You can begin working with our Career Development Office (CDO) once you submit your SIR Deposit of $750.
All transfer students who wish to participate in our EIW program must certify that they are not participating, and will not participate, in any other law school's on-campus interview program. If you have participated in your law school's program prior to recieving an offer, you can still participate in EIW but you must meet with a member of our CDO team to discuss potential conflicts prior to bidding.
Do I have to be the top-ranked student at my law school to receive an admission offer from UC Irvine Law?
No, you are not required to be the top-ranked student in your 1L class to be admitted. However, successful transfer candidates have excelled academically in their 1L year, and the quality of work performed is of high quality.
Can I participate in an academic journal as a transfer student?
Absolutely. Admitted students who submit their SIR Deposit will be connected to the leadership board of our two academic journals.
Can I participate in Pro Bono projects during my first semester at UC Irvine?
Yes, absolutely. Over 90% of our students have particiapted in over 160,000 Pro Bono hours since opening in 2009. We encourage all applicants to learn more about the Michael G. Ermer Pro Program and view the current list of pre-approved projects.
When can I do my clinical requirement?
Participation in one of our core clinics is contingent upon completion of the UC Irvine Law first-year curriculum, including Civil Procedure and either prior or concurrent enrollment in Evidence. If eligible, as deemed by the Assistant Dean of Student Services, UC Irvine Law will contact the incoming transfer student to share information about each core clinic and to let them know which clinics have openings. Transfer students will submit their preferences and be placed in a clinic that has openings. UC Irvine Law cannot guranteee that a student will receive their first-choice, however, every effort will be made so that students receive one of their top choices. Completion of core clinic will occur during either the 2L year or the first semester of the 3L year.
Are transfer students eligible for UC Irvine Law Scholarship?
Students admitted to UC Irvine Law as transfer students are not considered for UC Irvine Law Scholarship or Need Based Grant assistance.
How does the financial aid process work for transfer students?
U.S. Citizens and eligible noncitizens can borrow from the federal loan programs (Direct Unsubsidized Loan up to $20,500 and Direct Graduate PLUS Loan up to the Cost of Attendance). Please refer to our Financial Aid Process website for additional information on the application and awarding process.
Connect with Us
The Office of Admissions and Student Financial Services is more than happy to assist you with applying to law school and financing a UC Irvine Law education. If you would like to schedule a personalized virtual appointment with a member of our team or be connected with a current UC Irvine Law student, please go to our Experience UC Irvine Law website to schedule an appointment.