Transfer students.

Transfer Students

Scholarships are available and it's free to apply!

The transfer admission process seriously considers those applicants who have demonstrated sufficient capacity to successfully complete the program of studies, i.e. those who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher through their first year of attendance in a J.D. program at another ABA-accredited law school. Transfer applicants must have completed at least one full year of law school (with a minimum of 22 credits) and may transfer in no more than 45 credits, or half of the 89 credits required to graduate.  Students may apply with more than 45 credits but risk losing those additional credits upon matriculation at St. John's.  Transfer applications are accepted to our full-time and part-time program beginning in the fall and spring semesters.

Please note, we know many law schools converted to a pass fail grading system for the Spring 2020 term. You are still eligible to apply. The Admissions Committee will evaluate your application and take into consideration the cumulative law school GPA which includes the strength of your first semester grades as well as your LSAT score, undergraduate GPA, graduate work, work experience, etc.    

Transfer Application Checklist

Applying for transfer to the School of Law requires the following: 

  • A St. John's University School of Law application submitted via the LSAC website, containing a statement of the applicant's reasons for seeking transfer admission to St. John's in lieu of a traditional personal statement; 
  • An official transcript, sent through the LSAC's CAS or directly to the Admissions Office from the applicant's current law school; Special transcript note: Fall transfer applicants must submit a transcript that includes spring semester grades.  We do not require a transcript with fall semester grades for spring transfer applicants. 
  • A letter from the Dean or appropriate law school official sent directly from the applicant's current law school certifying that the applicant is in good standing at his or her current law school;
  • Special letter of good standing note: For fall transfer applicants, the letter must be dated after the completion of the spring semester. For spring transfer applicants, the letter may be dated any time during the fall semester.
  • An official copy of the applicant's CAS report sent by the LSAC;
  • A resume, in reverse chronological order, including all employment, volunteer and extracurricular activities along with all educational institutions attended. Include an explanation for any gap of time (three months or more) not explained on your resume; and
  • A minimum of 2 (maximum of 3) letters of recommendation.
  • There is no application fee to apply for transfer. 

Special Notes: Transfer Applicants may submit an unofficial grade report and we can complete a preliminary review of your application.  Applications with a decision made without a Dean’s Letter and with an unofficial transcript will be considered a conditional decision. The conditionally admitted transfer applicant must submit official documents prior to the start of classes.

Transfer Application Deadline

Transfer applications for are evaluated on a rolling basis and completed applications can be considered up until the first day of the semester. The Spring 2024 Transfer Application opens on September 1, 2023.  We encourage you to submit your application prior to December 15 for spring admission. 

Apply online for Fall 2023

Transfer Scholarships

Scholarships are available to incoming transfer students. We will evaluate your application for scholarship award. Additionally, transfer students are eligible to receive Academic Achievement Awards. Historically, Academic Achievement Awards are offered to those who begin their career at St. John's with no scholarship award but who demonstrate outstanding academic performance (i.e. ranking in the top 25% or higher of their class based on their transfer equivalent rank) after their first full year at St. John's. Consideration for Academic Achievement Awards occurs each May.

Questions? Contact [email protected] or 718-990-6474.

Learn More

Admitted transfer students will be notified of the number of credits that St. John's will accept for transfer, as well as which St. John’s Law J.D. program graduation requirements have been fulfilled by equivalency, shortly after they receive their acceptance letter. Admission with advanced standing is subject to conditions the faculty may impose. Differences in programs and courses, as well as scheduling difficulties, may result in the loss of some credit, although most applicants find that the vast majority or all of their credits transfer, provided they have earned grades of C or higher.

Transfer students entering in the fall semester are eligible to participate in a transfer writing competition to apply for invitation to any of St. John's journals, provided they matriculate before the transfer writing competition begins. The competition typically takes place in early August.

Transfer students can apply to participate in the Dispute Resolution Society (DRS) once they have satisfactorily completed the St. John’s Law Lawyering course. The Dispute Resolution Society accepts applications in the spring semester, and accepted participants participate in ADR Advocacy Intensive, a 2-credit fall pre-session course that takes place each August.

Transfer students entering in both the fall and spring semesters are eligible to participate in the Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute (“PTAI”) and to compete in internal competitions. Those students entering in the fall semester are also eligible to attend “Summer Skills,” to try out for the PTAI-specific Trial Advocacy class, and if selected, to participate in external interscholastic competitions. Those students entering in the spring semester are also eligible to attend “Summer Skills” the following summer, and to try out for the PTAI-specific Trial Advocacy class, participation in which is required to compete in Externals.

Further details will be provided to transfer students upon admission regarding co-curricular eligibility.

Transfer students are eligible to participate in the Office of Career Development's fall recruitment programs, beginning in mid-August. Admitted transfer students will receive information about Career Development in their acceptance letter.

The LL.M./J.D. program allows for a select group of St. John’s LL.M. graduates to continue on to receive the J.D. degree, with the LL.M. year counting as free electives towards the J.D.  A full-time student in the program completes both degrees in a total of three years. (The LL.M. is awarded after the first year; the conferral of the J.D. degree occurs two years after that, once the student has completed all of the requirements of the J.D. program.) The program provides students with a deeper understanding of American law and opens up the option of taking the bar exam in any U.S. state.

Students who participate are transfer students and are not required to take the LSAT or GRE.

More Details and Checklist (PDF)

The Fall 2022 LL.M./J.D. Transfer Application is available here.
The Spring 2023 LL.M./J.D. Transfer Application is available here.

Please complete and email to [email protected].