Transfer Students

Each year the Law School considers applications from students at other law schools who request to transfer to the University of Chicago for their second and third years of law school. We receive approximately 150-200 transfer applications each year for a transfer class of approximately 15-25 students. The J.D. program is a full-time program only. We do not offer a part-time or evening academic program.

Application Process

The Law School bases transfer admission decisions primarily on an evaluation of the applicant’s law school performance, including the law school attended and a letter of recommendation from a law school professor. We will also consider LSAT scores and undergraduate transcripts, though to a lesser degree.

We have a paperless admissions process. All applicants must apply through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Electronic Application, which is fully accessible to the visually impaired. We will not accept any paper application materials. Please do not send any paper copies or any additional paper materials to the Admissions Office. Applicants with disabilities in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Admissions Office at 773-702-9484 or email admissions@law.uchicago.edu with their request.

Transfer applicants may apply through our Early Decision or Regular Decision program.

Early Decision

Applications for Early Decision transfer applicants will be accepted from March 1 to March 31. The Admissions Office will notify you of their decision by mid-April. Early Decision transfer applicants must ensure that we have received their application and all supporting materials, including a law school transcript containing all first-year, first-semester grades and the Law School Information Form, by March 31. Second-semester law school grades are not required to apply under the Early Decision program. Early Decision acceptances are binding on the applicant, which means that, if admitted, you must commit to matriculating at the Law School and immediately withdraw all other transfer applications at other law schools. If you apply Early Decision, you may not apply to transfer to any other law school through a binding early decision or early action program.

All applicants accepted under the Early Decision program will be required to submit a law school transcript containing their final first-year law school grades. All offers of admission made under the Early Decision transfer program are contingent upon the Law School's receipt of a final first-year law school transcript demonstrating consistent performance and successful completion of one full year of study at an ABA-accredited law school. Applicants should plan to send their second-semester grades through LSAC as soon as they become available. In the interest of time, please also email your unofficial transcript to admissions@law.uchicago.edu as soon as it is available.

Regular Decision

Applications for Regular Decision transfer applicants will be accepted from March 1 to June 15. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in April; applications completed and received by May 1 are guaranteed to receive a decision in time to fully participate in the Chicago Law Interview Program (please see details and requirements below). Regular Decision transfer applicants must ensure we have received their application and all supporting materials, including the Law School Information Form and a law school transcript containing all first-year, first-semester grades (including Pass/No Pass grades) from an ABA-accredited law school. Second-semester law school grades are not required to apply under the Regular Decision program; however, some candidates may be waitlisted for further consideration until second-semester grades are released and shared with the Admissions Office. Applicants should plan to send their second-semester grades through LSAC as soon as they become available. In the interest of time, please also email your unofficial transcript to admissions@law.uchicago.edu as soon as possible. Offers of admission under the Regular Decision program are not binding on the applicant.

All applicants accepted under the Regular Decision program will be required to submit a law school transcript containing their final first-year law school grades. All offers of admission made under the Regular Decision transfer program are contingent upon the Law School's receipt of a final first-year law school transcript demonstrating consistent performance and successful completion of one full year of study at an ABA-accredited law school.

Transfer Application Materials

All transfer applicants must submit the following materials:

Completed Transfer application
Resume: Include any anticipated or current 1L summer work experience and any position you may have accepted for your 2L summer. Note: if you accept a position for either summer after you submit your application, please email an updated resume with the updates highlighted in yellow to admissions@law.uchicago.edu as soon as possible.
Personal statement: Please include an explanation of why you want to study law at UChicago
Two letters of recommendation, including at least one letter of recommendation from a law school professor. Only two letters are required, but we will accept up to four. Send letters of recommendation through LSAC.
$90 application fee
Law school transcript: please send a law school transcript showing all first-year, first-semester grades through LSAC for processing. Once second-semester grades are available, please submit an updated transcript through LSAC and email an unofficial version to admissions@law.uchicago.edu as soon as possible.
All undergraduate and graduate school transcripts, reflecting a complete history of your academic performance in your undergraduate education and at any graduate schools. Send through LSAC for processing.
Standardized test score (unless you completed your LL.M. degree at the University of Chicago Law School)
Law School Information Form (this form must be submitted directly to the Admissions Office from your current law school)

Please note that the Law School Information Form is a supplemental form with the application you must download from LSAC. However, the Law School Information Form must be completed and submitted directly to our Admissions Office by your current law school. It cannot be submitted to us through LSAC at this time. All other materials must be sent electronically through LSAC. Your application will not be considered complete until we have received all of the materials listed above.

Admissions Interviewing Program: Certain students applying through the Transfer Program will be invited to interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Learn more about our Admissions Interviewing Program.

Important Deadlines:

March 1: Transfer Application will be available and may be submitted electronically.
March 31: Application deadline for Early Decision Transfer Program
May 1: Application deadline for Regular Decision Transfer Program to guarantee a decision in time to fully participate in the Chicago Law Interview Program (please see details and requirements below)
June 15: Application deadline for Regular Decision Transfer Program

Chicago Law Interview Program (2L Private Sector Summer Job Search)

While you are awaiting your decision, we encourage you to continue to work with your current law school’s career services team on your 2L summer job search.

The Chicago Law Interview Program (CLIP, formerly OCI) will be held virtually the week of June 23, 2025, with students bidding for interviews in early June.

All transfer students admitted through the Early Decision program will have access to CLIP (pending their confirmation that they are not participating in any other school's on-campus interview program, please see below) and, upon receipt of their seat deposit and commitment form, will be able to meet with our Office of Career Services (OCS) team.

In order for transfer students admitted through the Regular Decision program to meet with our OCS team, they must (i) pay their seat deposit, (ii) complete their commitment form, and (iii) confirm that they have withdrawn all other transfer applications from consideration and turned down any other transfer offers received. Transfer students admitted through the Regular Decision program will also have full access to CLIP if they take these steps by 5:00 p.m. Central on June 5, 2025. Transfer students admitted after June 5 or who commit to the Law School after June 5 may not be able to participate in CLIP (or may have limited options to interview), pending availability in the schedule. Transfer students who are applying through the Regular Decision program and are interested in participating in CLIP are encouraged to apply on or before May 1 to guarantee that the timing of their decision will allow them to participate.

All transfer students who wish to participate in CLIP must certify that they are not participating, and will not participate, in any other law school’s on-campus interview program. A false certification will be considered a violation of the University standards of student conduct. If you have participated in your law school’s on-campus interview program prior to receiving an offer, you may still participate in CLIP, provided that you meet with a member of the OCS team to discuss potential conflicts prior to bidding.

Journal Writing Competition

Transfer students are eligible for membership on one of the Law School's four student-edited journals. Transfer students may obtain journal membership through the writing competition or the Topic Access Program. The Topic Access Program is available to all 2L and 3L students.

The writing competition will occur in early June.

(The following information is from the 2024 transfer cycle and is provided for illustrative purposes. We will update this information with information on the 2025 journal writing competition when available.)

Writing Competition Details for 2024

Business Law Review Welcome Letter
Law Review Welcome Letter
Chicago Journal of International Law Welcome Letter
Legal Forum Welcome Letter (2023 - updated letter coming soon)

Important Dates for the Writing Competition

Tuesday, May 21, at 5:00 pm CT: Virtual Information Session for the Writing Competition - Register here.
Wednesday, May 22, at 11:59 pm CT: Writing Competition Signups Close - Sign up here.
Saturday, June 1, at 9:00 am CT: Writing Competition Begins
Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 pm CT: Writing Competition Ends

The writing competition is open to all transfer applicants, including those who intend to apply and have not done so, as well as those who have applied, but have yet to receive a decision on their application. Please note: participation in the writing competition prior to receiving an offer of admission will not guarantee you will be admitted to the University of Chicago Law School. You will not be able to accept any offer of membership to a journal until you have been offered admission to the Law School.

Topic Access Program Details

Once deposited, admitted transfer students may also attempt to join a journal through the Topic Access Program.

Law Review Topic Access Memo
Chicago Journal of International Law Memo
UChicago Business Law Review Topic Access Memo
Legal Forum Topic Access Memo

Legal Forum Volume 2025 Announcement

Frequently Asked Questions

Make sure to check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the Transfer program.