Application Process: JD Transfer Program

Admission Standards

The University of Miami School of Law seeks to enroll highly qualified students who would like to transfer from other American Bar Association-approved law schools. Applications are reviewed as soon as all required documents have been received.  

Prior performance in law school, undergraduate records, and LSAT/GRE scores will be considered in the admissions process. Miami Law transfer applicants must have at least a 3.00 law school GPA or 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. If your current first-year curriculum offers less than 27 credits, your application will be considered. While there is no part-time program offered at Miami Law, competitive transfer applicants from part-time programs who have completed their entire first-year, part-time curriculum at their institution may be considered for transfer into the full-time division. 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. An applicant who has earned more than 32 credits is ineligible to apply as a transfer student and should apply as a visiting student.  

Miami Law is committed to enhancing the diversity of its student body and encourages applications from members of all minority and underrepresented groups. 

Application Deadline, Instructions, and Requirements

Students are encouraged to submit their applications and all supporting documents as early as possible. Transfer applications are only accepted for fall entry, with an application deadline of July 31. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. 

Miami Law’s electronic application is available as part of an applicant’s LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) registration. This easy and efficient option allows applicants to work on and save an application until it is ready for electronic submission. 

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.  

  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 (for applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate education is from outside the U.S.)

Transfer Admissions 101

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

UM Law graduates wearing their gowns and mortarboards

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance is outlined here. Visit our Financing Your Legal Education website for financial aid information. There are no merit-based scholarships available for transfer students. 

Law Review and Moot Court Board

Although transfer students are not automatically eligible for membership on a law review or moot court board based on class rank at another law school, they 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, Director of Law Reviews and Moot Court Programs, at fbarquero@law.miami.edu. 

JD Transfer FAQs

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  • When should I apply?

    Transfer applicants are encouraged to submit their applications and all supporting documents as early as possible. Transfer applications are only accepted for fall entry, with an application deadline of July 31. 

  • Do you offer conditional admission?

    Yes. Miami Law encourages prospective transfer applicants who receive a 3.0+ GPA in their law school first semester to apply for conditional admission upon receipt of their first-semester grades. If a conditionally admitted applicant receives a 3.15+ cumulative law school GPA after the second semester and no other significant changes to the application occur, then the applicant will be offered full admission as a transfer. 

    It is beneficial to apply for conditional admission, as these applicants are likely to receive their final admission decision sooner than those who wait to submit their application after receiving their second-semester grades. They will have more time for onboarding and be able to participate in the writing competition or on-campus interviews. 

    If an applicant’s law school GPA is below 3.0 after their first semester, they may still apply with only one semester of grades. However, the Committee is unlikely to make a decision at that point. Instead, the Committee will likely wait for the applicant to submit their second-semester grades, allowing them the chance to raise their GPA above 3.0 before a final decision is made. 

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

  • 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. Transfer applicants should submit their FAFSA using school code E00532 after submitting their Miami Law transfer application through LSAC. This will not impact the financial aid at the applicant’s current law school. Admitted transfer applicants may follow the steps outlined here.

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

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

  • Will all of my credits transfer? How do I find out whether they will?

    Upon admission, the Law Registrar will evaluate and decide which and how many of the applicant’s credits will be accepted. The transfer credit evaluation will be communicated to the applicant via email. The usual number of acceptable transfer credits is 27 to 30. The maximum number of acceptable transfer credits is 32. The Law Registrar has complete discretion in making the transfer credit determination. Their decision is final and cannot be appealed. Shortly after admission, the applicant will meet with the Student Affairs Team to discuss course selection.

  • Which of my credits will not transfer?

    No more than 32 credits will be accepted for transfer to Miami Law. Several types of courses do not transfer such as 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, and courses in which the applicant received a grade lower than a C (C grades are considered on a case-by-case basis).

  • Does my class rank transfer?

    No. Transfer students are not given a class rank at Miami Law. They are encouraged to consult with their career advisor about the best way to present their class rank from their previous institution on their resume. Though transfer students 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. Unlike many other law schools, Miami Law’s 1L curriculum includes Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure. Transfer students must take both courses and are advised to take them 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 for both of these courses, providing an excellent way to meet fellow transfer students. 

  • 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 student would have 61 credits they would need to take at Miami Law. This means they would need to take 15 credits in three semesters and 16 credits in one semester at Miami Law, which is a fairly average course load. 

  • Since I will be registering after the traditional students in my class, will I be able to register for the classes I want?

    Yes. Deposited transfer applicants should work with the Student Affairs Team in selecting their preferred courses. 

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

    Yes. To be invited to join one of our five law journals, students must participate in the writing competition, which takes place annually in mid-May. Due to the timing of our writing competition, only deposited transfer applicants by the start of the competition will be allowed to participate as rising 2Ls. If admitted after the writing competition takes place, interested transfer students can 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 Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) reaches out to deposited transfer applicants to provide information regarding OCI participation deadlines and other relevant details. However, fall OCI participation deadlines occur as early as June, so it is possible that a student will not be able to participate, depending on their application timing. Only those who have paid their seat deposit by July 1 are eligible to participate in the fall OCI process. Deposited transfer applicants should meet with their assigned career advisor to receive guidance on accurately representing their transfer status, GPA, and class rank 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. Deposited transfer applicants may reach out to the clinic director regarding availability if they are interested in doing a clinic as a 2L. Transfer students may also opt to apply for a clinic as a rising 3L. 

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

    Yes. Admitted transfer applicants should inform the Office of Admissions regarding their interest in pursuing a joint degree. The Office of Admissions will connect the student with the joint degree program coordinator. Typically, a joint degree program requires only 12-16 additional credits, or about one semester, beyond the JD degree requirements. Even if some transfer credits do not carry over, the student can often take summer classes to make up the difference and usually complete the joint degree with just one extra semester of study. 

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

    Transfer students 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. Miami Law also offers wonderful resources for its students – a devoted Student Affairs Team, a comprehensive Academic Achievement Program, a strong Office of Career and Professional Development, a collegial environment of law students, and a campus filled with activities. 

Contact Information

If you would like to learn more about the JD transfer program, please contact 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.

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