Applying for Transfer Admissions

If you applied as an incoming 1L to the JD program at BU Law last year, and are currently enrolled at another law school, but you still want to be part of our BU Law community, we encourage you to take advantage of our Streamlined Transfer Application process. Form will be available here starting Feb 1. 

Due to your previous interest in BU Law, you can bypass the full transfer application and simply fill out the form above to streamline your transfer application. We will then reactivate your previous application, waive the application fee, and send you a brief checklist of required materials you must submit to update your application. These required materials include: your first-year law school transcript; your first-year class rank; an updated resume including plans for summer 2025 employment; a statement addressing your reasons for applying to transfer; and a letter of good standing from your current law school dean. Although not required, you may choose to submit a letter of recommendation from a law professor, which should be sent directly from the recommender to our office at bulawadm@bu.edu.

Should you wish to do so, you may apply through our Streamlined Transfer Application process and take advantage of the Transfer Early Action program.

Students enrolled in BU Law’s LLM in American Law or the LLM in Intellectual Property may apply to the JD program as transfer students during the spring semester of their LLM year and—if they are admitted—may receive up to 28 credits for their LLM studies towards the JD degree, consistent with American Bar Association standards. This means they may be able to complete the JD program with two additional years of study. Applicants from BU Law LLM programs must apply with a complete, academic year transcript.

Transfer students who matriculate into the JD program need to complete all the requirements of the JD program. Transfer applicants from the LLM programs need to take the LSAT and will be judged in comparison to all other JD transfer candidates. Candidates should not expect preferential treatment by the admissions committee simply by virtue of attending the American Law or Intellectual Property programs at BU Law. Admission is not guaranteed. For fall semester transfer candidates, completed application forms, fees, and supporting documents are due to the JD Admissions Office by August 1.

Subject to American Bar Association regulations, BU Law may admit graduates of foreign law schools and allow credit for studies at foreign law schools. Foreign law graduates apply for admission following the same procedures as other first time foreign-educated applicants. Foreign law graduates who have been admitted to BU Law may petition the Academic Standards Committee to determine whether, based on the courses taken at a foreign law school, they might be exempt from certain first-year courses. Petitions must be submitted before the beginning of first-year classes. After their first year at BU Law, foreign law graduates may petition the Academic Standards Committee for credit toward their upper-class credit requirements for courses taken at a foreign law school. The maximum credits that may be granted for first-year and/or upper-class courses may not exceed one-third of the total required for the BU Law JD degree.

Yes. Each fall we welcome students who have successfully completed one year at an ABA-accredited law school. When making admissions decisions, we place strong emphasis on performance during the first year of law school.

You should submit your transfer application online via LSAC. Please be sure to use the Transfer Application.

A transfer application consists of the following:

• Electronic Application
• $85 Application Fee
• First-Year Law School Transcript
• First-Year Law School Class Rank or written notification that your law school does not provide class rank.
• Letter of Good Standing from Law School Dean
• LSAC Law School Report including LSAT scores.
• Personal Statement
• Two Letters of Recommendation, including one from a law school professor.
• Resume—this should include any information you have about how you plan to spend the summer after your 1L year

Note: previous applicants to BU Law can take advantage of our Streamlined Transfer Application.

BU Law only accepts transfer students for the fall semester. Transfer applications are available on the LSAC website beginning February 1, and can be submitted through July 15. You must complete your file with all supporting documentation by July 15.

However, we encourage transfer applicants to complete their applications as soon as possible.

Each year a small number of transfer applicants may be accepted through the Transfer Early Action program. If you wish to be considered through this program you should submit your materials as soon as possible and indicate that you wish to be reviewed through this program on your application. These decisions will be based on only the first semester of 1L grades. You will be asked on your application whether or not you wish to be reviewed with only one semester of grades. In order for your application to be reviewed, BU must also be in receipt of a letter of recommendation from one of your law school professors and a letter of good standing from your law school.

If you are admitted via the Transfer Early Action program you will be expected to confirm your intent to enroll with a $1,000 deposit within two weeks of your admission. It is expected that students admitted based on only one semester of grades will perform at a level consistent with their first semester during their second semester.

Applicants who apply through the Transfer Early Action program and are not admitted, will either receive a deny decision or may be held for their complete first year transcripts. A deny decision from the Transfer Early Action program is final. Applicants who are held for their complete first year transcripts will be reviewed again once their second semester grades are received. The Admissions Committee will review complete applications on a rolling basis. Every effort will be made to provide applicants with decisions as quickly as possible.

This depends largely on when your application is complete. The Admissions Committee will review applications as quickly as possible, but decisions will be sent out on a rolling basis.

Transfer applicants should have completed the equivalent of one year of full-time study at an ABA accredited law school. Most transfer students are granted between 28 and 30 credits. The maximum number of credits a transfer student can be granted is 30. Students who have not taken courses required as a part of the BU Law first year curriculum (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Administrative Law, Property, and Legal Research and Writing) will be required to complete those courses before graduating from BU Law.

Typically around 100 students apply to transfer to BU Law each year. The number accepted varies from year to year. In recent years, this number has ranged from 3-21 students.

Most admitted transfer students are admitted in time to participate in one of two journal writing competitions for transfer students. In order to participate, you must complete your application, be admitted, and pay your seat deposit by TBA (TBA for the summer write-on competition).

Information on this will be posted shortly.

Depending on the timing of your offer of admission, you will have anywhere from a few days to two weeks in which to decide whether you will enroll at BU Law and submit a $1,000 deposit. We encourage you to research the opportunities at BU Law once you decide to apply, so that you can make a fully informed decision once you receive an offer.

BU Law does not have scholarship funds available for transfer students. However, the Financial Aid office is happy to assist you in determining other funding options as you navigate the process of transferring to BU Law.

A transfer student’s GPA will be calculated based solely on grades for classes taken at BU Law. For this reason, transfer students will not receive any sort of class rank until the end of their 2L year. Transfer students are eligible for all graduation honors and awards.

Information on this will be posted shortly.

Yes. Transfer orientation will be held on TBA.

The Admissions Office may grant application fee waivers on a case by case basis. If you wish to request a fee waiver please send an email detailing the reason for your request to bulawadm@bu.edu. Please do not wait until the day before the application deadline to make this request.

Yes. You need to have a letter from your current law school sent to BU Law. The letter should address whether you are currently in good standing and provide ranking information if available. If your law school does not rank first year students please provide a statement of this policy.

You must submit at least two letters of recommendation, one of which must be written by someone who taught you during your first year of law school.

Previous applicants to BU Law may take advantage of the Streamlined Transfer Application and the recommendation requirement will be waived.

You may take advantage of our Streamlined Transfer Application process. Start by filling out a form online; we will then waive the application fee and send you a brief checklist of required materials you must submit to update your application.