Transfer Admission and Application Information

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for admission as a transfer student into the Juris Doctor program at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law, applicants must have completed at least one school year (two semesters) at another ABA approved law school. Transfer applicants may be admitted in either the fall or the spring semester. The Admissions Committee at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law makes admissions decisions on a rolling basis. The Committee evaluates the academic potential of applicants through a thorough assessment of their academic record, professional and educational experiences, talents and skills. In addition, the Committee identifies candidates who will enhance the professional development of their peers and will contribute positively to the law school community as a whole.

Transferable Credits

In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law, students must obtain 53 of the 85 credits required for graduation in courses or other credit programs offered by the School of Law. Therefore, no more than 32 credits may be transferred. Furthermore, grades will not transfer. In order to satisfy the graduation requirements for specific required courses, course descriptions of courses previously taken must be substantially similar to the course as offered at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. During the application review process, transfer applicants may be asked to provide course syllabi to demonstrate similarity of subject matter covered.

Application Deadlines

Transfer applicants may be admitted in either the fall or the spring semesters.

Candidates who would like to enroll as transfer students in the spring semester of 2013 may apply between October 1, 2012 and December 1, 2012.
Candidates who would like to enroll as transfer students in the fall semester of 2013 may apply between February 1, 2013 and July 1, 2013.

Application Fees and Deposits

The application fee is $70 and may be paid online by credit card through the LSAC or by check or U.S. money order payable to the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. All fees and deposits are non-refundable. All checks must be drawn on a bank that has a branch in the United States. We also accept American Express, Thomas Cook, and Barclay's traveler's checks. Postal money orders from other countries are not acceptable. Please do not send cash.

J.D. TRANSFER APPLICATION CHECKLIST

A completed application for Transfer J.D. admission consists of the following:

The J.D. Transfer Application form submitted online through LSAC.
1. If you require a paper application, please contact us at admissions@law.umaryland.edu.
Please also submit the following online through LSAC when completing your application:
1. A nonrefundable $70 application fee submitted online by credit card through LSAC.
2. Two letters of recommendation from current law school professors who have instructed and evaluated the applicant’s work. Applicants must submit these letters to the LSAC. Please do not submit letters of recommendation from personal friends and relatives. Mail to LSAC.
3. Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a personal statement. We recommend that you use the personal statement to present to the admissions committee information and perspectives regarding your background, experience, special circumstances and interests that you believe will help the committee understand your unique story. In addition, the statement should address why you are interested in obtaining a law degree and, more specifically, in transferring to the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. The personal statement should be no longer than 2 to 3 pages double-spaced. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.
4. Résumé: Submit a complete résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, employment, skills, honors, awards and accomplishments. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.
5. Law school Course Descriptions: Applicants are required to submit course descriptions for all courses taken at your current law school and at any previously attended law school. Please provide the description found in your course syllabus or in the course catalog. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.
6. Diversity Statement (Optional): The University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law is committed to promoting diversity in legal education and in the profession as a whole. Toward that end, the Admissions Committee invites applicants to submit a statement explaining how you would contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the law school. The qualities of students we seek may be reflected in background characteristics such as geographic origin, age, cultural and language, racial, social, disability and economic barriers overcome; and other special characteristics that demonstrate the capacity for making a special contribution to the community. Limit the length of the statement to approximately 250 words. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.
Please submit the following directly to the School of Law:
1. Official Law School Transcript – In order for the Office of Admissions to make a timely decision regarding an applicant’s file, applicants must request that the Registrar at his/her current law school mail an official transcript directly to the Office of Admissions at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. Mail directly to the School of Law
  If an applicant cannot obtain a final transcript before our application deadline we will accept an unofficial copy of his/her current transcript to conduct a review of the application. However, applicants are still required to submit an official transcript when it becomes available prior to enrolling in the School of Law.
2. Statement of good standing from applicant's current law school. This letter should be sent directly from the Registrar or Dean at the applicant's current law school to the Admissions Office of the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. Mail directly to the School of Law.
3. Application for In-State Status Classification (Maryland Residents Only): Applicants claiming Maryland residency must complete an application for In-State Status Classification. Please print, complete, and submit the form and send it to the Office of Admissions by mail, fax or email. Be sure to sign and date this document before submitting it. This form can be found on the LSAC application page or here.
LSDAS Report – The School of Law will request the applicant's original Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report from LSAC, including all undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Applicants need not submit these transcripts again.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Please submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible after January 1st. Our FAFSA-priority deadline is March 1. Submit this form online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ using the code for the University of Maryland’s, Baltimore campus: 002104.

Attachments

Please upload your personal statement, résumé or curriculum vitae, law school course descriptions, diversity statement (optional), a detailed explanation of character and fitness disclosures, and any other addenda when completing your application online.

Disclosure Policy: Character and Fitness for Bar Admission

Just as lawyers are held to high ethical standards, so are University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law students. One ethical duty is to fully and accurately disclose the information sought in our applications. The failure to provide honest and accurate information in the application is a very serious matter and may result in a delay, rescission or denial of admission to the School of Law and/or a denial of admission to the bar. Applicants have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission and enrollment process to inform the Admissions Office of any changes in the information provided in the application to ensure that it remains complete and accurate.

Applicants are encouraged to read the rules of admission to the bar of the state where they intend to practice law. These rules will provide an understanding of the qualifications for admission to the bar, including those related to the character and fitness of applicants to practice law in that state. The National Conference of Bar Examiners provides information on each state's requirements regarding character, fitness and other qualifications.

Responding to Character and Fitness Questions in the Application

Please carefully read and respond to the 6 questions in the Application for J.D. Transfer Admission that relate to your Character and Fitness for Admission to the bar. The questions posed ask you to disclose any incidents involving misconduct in an employment or academic setting, felony convictions, convictions of misdemeanors involving drugs or alcohol, and any pending criminal charges among other questions. The failure to provide honest and accurate answers to these questions may delay your application decision and/or result in disciplinary action from the law school.

If your answer to any character and fitness question is “yes," you must submit a statement with this application explaining the circumstances in full. There is no need to submit a separate document for each question. You can address more than one character and fitness question in one statement. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Because facility with written and spoken English is necessary in order to successfully participate in our academic experience, applicants for whom English is a second language or not their primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Please contact the Educational Testing Service (www.ets.org) and request that they send your TOEFL score directly to LSAC (institution code number 0058, department code 03). The Education Testing Service will provide your score to LSAC for inclusion in your LSAC report which will be submitted to the law school. TOEFL scores are only valid for two years, and we will not accept outdated scores.

Request for Waiver of TOEFL: If you believe that you are proficient in English and that the TOEFL requirement should be waived in your case, please submit a brief statement describing your English language instruction and proficiency. Upload attachment(s) when completing the application form.

Applicants with Disabilities

The School's admissions policies fully comply with the ADA and other applicable laws and regulations. Consistent with the School's commitment to diversity, the life experiences and backgrounds of applicants with disabilities may be viewed positively in admissions decisions. Applicants should use the personal statement to emphasize these factors.

Sign and Date

Please sign (or type) and date the application. By signing this application and transmitting it electronically, you certify that the information in this application is complete, accurate and honestly presented. You also certify that any information submitted on your behalf is authentic, including letters of recommendation, academic transcripts and certifications. You understand and agree that any inaccurate, misleading or omitted information will be cause for an investigation of misconduct in the admissions process, rescission of any offer of admission, or cause for disciplinary action, dismissal or revocation of degree if discovered at a later date. You further agree to abide by the rules, policies, and regulations of the University of Maryland if you are admitted as a transfer student.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this application or about the admissions process, please contact the Office of Admissions at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law at (410) 706-3492 or admissions@law.umaryland.edu. Be sure to notify the Office of Admissions promptly of any change in your address as well as any new facts that may change the responses to any part of your application.

University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law
Office of Admissions
500 West Baltimore Street, Suite 130
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 706-3492 (phone)
(410) 706-1793(fax)
admissions@law.umaryland.edu

The University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, financial status or veterans status. The University is required by federal regulatory agencies to supply admissions and enrollment information by racial, ethnic and gender categories. Provision of the information is voluntary and will not be used to determine eligibility for admission.