How to Apply

UC Davis School of Law is well-known for offering a top-quality legal education in a supportive and accommodating environment, and King Hall has a long tradition of welcoming transfer students from other law schools. Each year, the King Hall community benefits immeasurably from the intellectual contributions of dozens of students who join the UC Davis School of Law student body as second-year transfers. The Law School is committed to helping those students find the educational opportunities they need to succeed in their chosen career paths.

To be eligible for admission to UC Davis School of Law as a transfer student, you must have completed at least one full-time year of study in another American Bar Association-approved law school. Students in good standing may be admitted to UC Davis School of Law with credit for not more than one year of study. No more than 30 previously earned units may be credited toward the Juris Doctor degree at King Hall. Transfer students are admitted for the Fall semester only with applications being accepted from (generally) January 1 - June 30 of the year for which admission is sought.

Early Admission

Those applicants who demonstrate high academic performance during the fall semester may receive offers of admission prior to the completion of the first full year of law school studies. Such offers of admission are contingent upon completion of the first year within the top one-third of the class or the School of Law reserves the right to reconsider the offer of admission.

Information Sessions

To learn more about the transfer process, including the application and evaluation of candidates, please join us for a virtual information session. Our upcoming information sessions will be posted here later this fall!

Application Filing Checklist

  • Electronic Application (you will need to first login with your LSAC account information to access these links)
  • Transcripts of all law school work (must include at least one full-term of graded courses)
  • Letter(s) of good standing from the dean(s) of any law school(s) previously attended
  • Letter from current law school indicating class rank
  • One letter of recommendation from a law professor
  • Personal statement (not to exceed two pages, double-spaced)
  • Résumé
  • LSAT or GRE score - CAS registration
  • Undergraduate transcripts (Note: Pursuant to ABA Standard 502 (d) governing law school admissions, all matriculating students must supply an official transcript denoting conferral and date of conferral of a bachelor's degree by October 15. Failure to submit an official transcript may result in disenrollment. Disenrolled students may still be responsible for any tuition and fees incurred to date.)

   There is no application fee for either the transfer or the visiting student application. 

   The transfer application period is January 1 - June 30 for admission in fall. Transfer students matriculate in fall semester only.

   The visiting student application period is April 15 - July 15 for the upcoming full academic year and the upcoming fall semester. It is November 1 - December 1 for the upcoming spring semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I be informed about admission as a transfer?

Decisions will be made as soon as possible, and applicants will be notified as promptly as circumstances permit. Notifications are made on a rolling basis from as early as March and into the first week of August. Those offered admission will receive an email notification as well as a hard copy admission letter.

What factors are considered for admission as a transfer?

The primary factor relied upon in admission is the first-year law school GPA. Applicants finishing in the top 30 percent of their class are most competitive for admission, however, applicants falling outside that range are considered and may receive offers of admission. We may take into account other factors, including the rigor of the law school attended, LSAT or GRE, undergraduate GPA, and professional and academic experiences.

How many students are typically admitted as transfers?

Typically, offers of transfer admission are extended to 15-30 applicants. The size of the transfer applicant pool usually ranges from about 75 to 100.

How many units must I complete in order to be eligible?

Applicants must have completed at least 30 semester units in order to receive serious consideration for transfer, unless the unit total for full-time first-year attendance at the prior law school is less than 30.

I have completed one year of study in a part-time evening program. Am I eligible to apply for transfer?

If you have completed the number of units required to move to second-year status at your prior ABA-approved law school, you may apply for admission as a transfer.

I am an international student, and I have completed an LLM degree at an ABA-approved law school. Am I eligible to apply to transfer? How many of my LLM courses will be credited?

Only students who have completed the traditional first year of a Juris Doctor degree program at an American Bar Association-approved law school may apply to transfer. Credits earned in an LLM program will not be credited toward a Juris Doctor degree at UC Davis Law School.