Transfer admission

Criteria

Transfer applicants must have successfully completed at least 22 credits from an ABA accredited law school. No more than 34 credits will be accepted from another school. All credits will be accepted on a pass/fail basis only. Courses with grades below a C- or with no-pass marks will not be given transfer credit.

The Law School’s admissions committee does not require transfer students to have a specific LSAT score, undergraduate GPA, or even law school GPA; the committee looks at all of the variables in an applicant’s file in making its decision. Typically, those who are admitted are in the upper quarter of their class and express compelling educational or personal reasons for transferring to IU.

Transfer students must complete four full semesters at the Maurer School of Law, one of which can be through an exchange program approved by the school. Because of possible differences in first-year curricula, acceptance of credit will be solely at the discretion of the Law School.

To Apply

• To apply to the JD program as a transfer student, applicants are required to submit the following information no later than July 15th:
• A completed transfer JD application, which is hosted by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), along with the $50 domestic application fee or the $85 international application fee.
• A current credential assembly service (CAS) report from LSAC.
• An official copy of your law school transcripts – sent directly to the JD Office of Admissions.
• A letter of good standing indicating you have permission to continue your studies at your current law school. This letter should also include your class rank (if possible).  The letter of good standing and class rank information must be sent directly to the JD Office of Admissions.
• A current résumé which outlines your professional and volunteer experience, academic accomplishments, and other pertinent aspects of your background.
• Two letters of recommendation that attest to your potential success as a law student and as a member of the legal profession. While strong preference is given to letters from law faculty who are familiar with your academic strengths, we welcome letters from employers or individuals who know you professionally, especially in a legal setting.
• A 2-3 page personal statement that offers insight about you and on your reasons for transferring to Indiana Law. A compelling statement will be clearly written, well-organized, and will highlight the distinctive strengths and experiences that you would bring to our law school and the legal profession.
• International applicants only: If your first language is not English, the admission committee may require you to include results of the test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) or the international English language testing system (IELTS) with your application materials. TOEFL scores and IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Financial Aid

While scholarships for transfer students are limited, each transfer applicant who is offered admission will be automatically considered for merit aid. The Office of Admissions will inform transfer admits of their eligibility for scholarship at the time of admissions. Transfer students are eligible for loans in the same manner as all law students. Accepted transfer students should visit the costs and financial aid page or contact the Law School's financial aid office at iulawfa@indiana.edu for further help with the process of applying for loans.

Contact Us

If you have additional questions regarding transfer eligibility or the admissions process, please contact the Office of Admissions:

Office of Admissions
IU Maurer School of Law
Baier Hall
211 S. Indiana Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405
812-855-4765
lawadmis@indiana.edu.