Students who are in good standing at either a state-accredited or ABA-accredited law school and are applying to SJCL for admission with advanced standing are considered transfer students. Transfer students are required to complete an application and submit official transcripts for all law school work. In addition, transfer students must provide a letter of good standing from the dean or registrar of the law school previously attended. The decision to admit a transfer student falls within the purview of the admissions committee.
Assessment Criteria for Transfer Credit
Upon admission to SJCL, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, in cooperation with the Director for Student Services, will review a transfer student’s academic record to determine (1) how much credit for the student’s prior law school course work will be accepted and applied toward the SJCL degree, and (2) what SJCL degree requirements must be completed by the student after his or her matriculation at SJCL.
To determine whether course credit will be granted the Associate Dean assesses the substantive content of each previously taken course to determine if it is substantially similar to the content and rigor of a comparable course required for the degree by SJCL. Additional information, such as course descriptions and syllabi from the transfer student’s current law school, may be requested in order to assist in the assessment of possible transfer credit.
Transfer credit is limited to a maximum of half the credit required for graduation. As such, no more than 43 units of transfer credit may be applied to the SJCL degree. In addition, in no event will transfer credit be granted for any course in which the student received a grade below a “good standing” level or its equivalent.
If a transfer student believes that there exists a compelling reason upon which to base an appeal of the transfer credit determination or upon which to seek credit for units above the unit limit, he or she may appeal the determination via a petition to the Faculty Committee. The transfer student should include the rationale for the appeal and include course syllabi, outlines, or other supplemental material to be used for Faculty Committee Review.
Satisfactory Performance and Academic Standing after Admittance
Once admitted, in order for a transfer student to qualify for good academic standing at SJCL, the transfer student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least a 65 at the end of the first year in residence at SJCL. Only the cumulative grade point average for courses taken at SJCL will determine the transfer student’s academic status and good standing.