Moritz College of Law - The Ohio State University Law School

Application Process: Transfer Applicants

In order for the Moritz College of Law to fully consider the application of a student desiring to transfer into the Law 2 class, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

  1. The applicant must have completed one year of work as a full-time student in a law school accredited by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).
  2. The applicant should rank in the upper third of his/her law school class. (On rare occasions, the criterion may be modified.)
  3. The applicant must have quantifiable pre-law credentials comparable to those of the OSU student with whom he/she would be competing. (The medians for this year's Law 1 class, the next year's Law 2 class, are: GPA - 3.6, LSAT score - 161)

The competition among transfer applicants is usually as high as that for admission to the entering first-year class. The number of students accepted each year with advanced standing frequently depends upon the attrition experienced in our current Law 1 class. First-year attrition is usually minimal. All who apply cannot be admitted even though they may meet the aforementioned criteria.

A transfer applicant is responsible for making certain that the items below are on file with the Admissions Office six weeks prior to the desired date of enrollment (usually mid to late July).

  1. The completed application form and application fee of $60.
  2. Official transcripts of all work completed at:
    • all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended and;
    • the law school attended
  3. The applicant's LSAT score (may be forwarded by LSDAS, the law school of current enrollment, or, if the applicant previously applied to Ohio State, we may still have the score).
  4. An official letter from the law school attended certifying good standing & class rank.
  5. A letter of recommendation from a law professor who has taught the applicant in class.
  6. A resume including honors, awards, activities, and work experience.
  7. A statement giving your reason for desiring to transfer to The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Admission into the Moritz College of Law as a transfer student is especially selective and is based upon the applicant's prelaw qualifications under the admission standards for Moritz, as well as the applicant's academic record at the law school from which transfer is requested.

A transfer student may enroll any term in which the courses scheduled provide the student with a viable program. In all cases where admission is granted, the law school work that has been completed will be evaluated for transfer credit in light of the curricular offerings of Moritz. Only up to 45 quarter- or 29 semester-hours of transfer credit will be accepted.

Final decisions concerning transfer applicants for the beginning of the academic year are made in early August.

If you have any questions about these instructions, please call the Moritz College of Law Admissions Office at (614) 292-8810.