Transfer & Visiting Students
Transfer Students
Applicants may be accepted with advanced standing to Pacific McGeorge School of Law after having completed one or more years at another accredited law school and may only apply for admission to begin their law study at Pacific McGeorge commencing in the fall term.
Pacific McGeorge's policy allows applicants to transfer up to 32 credits in courses with satisfactory grades of C or better. Each applicant's prior law transcript will be evaluated and compared to Pacific McGeorge coursework. Any courses which are not commensurate to Pacific McGeorge courses will be required to be retaken upon enrollment.
Transfer applicants must furnish the following to the Admissions Office:
Application
Click here to begin your application. Please note that Pacific McGeorge does not accept hardcopy applications. All applications must be completed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC.) The deadline to submit transfer applications is July 15 for the following fall term.
Application Fee
A nonrefundable application fee of $65 must be submitted with the application if an applicant does not have a fee waiver. Click here to waive your application fee.
Certification of Good Standing
A certification letter of good standing from your current law school is required. This document contains your academic results for the year currently being completed and includes certification of your class standing. Please have this document sent directly to the Pacific McGeorge Admissions Office.
Credential Assembly Services (CAS)
All transfer applicants must pay for a Credential Assembly Services (CAS) report to be submitted to the law school along with their LSAT score.
Letters of Recommendation
In support of the application, applicants must submit two letters of recommendation directly to LSAC, and will accept a maximum of three letters or an evaluation. Letters of recommendation should be written by faculty from their prior law school who have had the opportunity to assess their law school aptitudes.
Please note that LSAC will not release an applicant's CAS report to Pacific McGeorge until they have received a minimum of two letters of recommendation. Furthermore, the application will remain incomplete and will not be reviewed until the applicant's file is complete.
Personal Statement
The admissions committee requires each applicant to submit a personal statement focusing on their interests and motivations for studying law. Additionally, the committee is interested in reading about your personal experiences, talents, background and accomplishments. Applicants must limit their personal statement to three pages, double-spaced and 12-point font. If an applicant wishes to address their grades, academic disqualifications, etc. they may do so by addressing these circumstances in a separate addendum.
Resume
Applicants are required to furnish a resume which includes, but is not limited to, scholastic honors, work and/or volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, etc.
Transcripts
All transcripts for college and graduate work must be submitted directly to LSAC. The transcript from your degree granting institution(s) must show conferral of your degree. LSAC will evaluate each transcript and forward a report to each law school the applicant designates.
Transcripts from the current law school are required and should be mailed directly to the Pacific McGeorge Admissions Office. The transcripts must contain grades for your first year of law school and will be reviewed carefully along with the syllabi for the courses the student has taken.
Notification of Acceptance
Because application decisions are based on a transcript and certification of good standing containing information about the academic year just completed, Pacific McGeorge usually notifies transfer students of their acceptance in mid-July.
Careful consideration is paid to students coming from non-ABA law schools. We consider both the reputation and type of school (i.e., California-accredited, non-California-accredited, online only, etc.). Only students performing at or near the top of their class from a non-ABA school are considered for admission. As often as possible, our Assistant Dean for Admissions will meet with transfer candidates to explore their potential for success at McGeorge. To date, we have never accepted transfer students from international institutions (including Canada).
An offer of admission to a transfer student comes with a detailed letter stating which coursework will be accepted either as credit or as credit along with the fulfillment of a course requirement. The letter also urges students to contact the Office of Student Affairs for academic advising for second year and beyond. The Office of Student Affairs hosts a welcome for transfer students at the beginning of each academic year. At that event, students are made aware of the various services provided by each department on campus. Transfer students are also included in the MAP Program, the academic advising program for first year students which takes place during the first half of the Spring Semester.
Visiting Students
Students enrolled at another law school accredited by the American Bar Association who desire to take one semester or one academic year of course work at Pacific McGeorge to be applied toward degree requirements at their home law school will be considered for visiting status. Students may submit applications for the spring or fall semester. Visitors are not eligible to receive their J.D. degree from Pacific McGeorge.
To apply for admission as a visiting student, applicants must submit the following:
Application
Click here to begin your application. Please note that Pacific McGeorge does not accept hardcopy applications. All applications must be completed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC.) The deadline to submit transfer applications is July 15.
Application Fee
A nonrefundable application fee of $60 must be submitted with the application if an applicant does not have a fee waiver. Click here to waive your application fee.
Law School Transcript
This document must contain grades for at least one full academic year and should be submitted directly to the Pacific McGeorge Admissions Office.
Personal Statement
The admissions committee requests a brief statement indicating reasons for wishing to visit at Pacific McGeorge. Usually the statement is no more than one page, double-spaced and 12-point font.
Visiting Student Verification Form
The Visiting Student Verification Form (pdf) must be completed by the Law School Registrar or other appropriate Law School Administrator, and must be turned in to the Pacific McGeorge Admissions Office. Class registration will not occur without the submission of this form.
Notification of Acceptance
Visiting students will receive their decisions soon after their files are complete.
Questions?
Pacific McGeorge Admissions
Email | 916.739.7105
