Transfer Applicants

Requirements:

Students in good standing at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, may apply to St. Mary’s University School of Law for admission with advanced standing after completing at least one year of a full-time JD program or its equivalent. A maximum of 30 transfer credits can be counted toward graduation from St. Mary’s Law, and all remaining credits must be taken in residence at St. Mary’s Law. Transfer credit will not be granted for any course in which the final grade was below “C”. St. Mary’s Law may also deny or reduce credit for particular courses. Grades received at another law school are not counted in determining a student’s cumulative grade point average at St. Mary’s Law.

The law school limits the number of students it admits to transfer each year. Transfer admission may only be granted if a student:

  • completes the application for transfer admission;
  • meets the admissions standards for new first-year students at St. Mary’s Law; and
  • has at least the equivalent of a C+ average (2.5 on a 4.0 scale) for all law courses undertaken.

How to Apply:

We accept transfer applications between June 1 and July 1.

In order to be considered for transfer admission, a completed application must include the following:

Items to be submitted by you:

  • the completed application for transfer admission, submitted through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC);
  • a statement explaining your reasons for wanting to transfer to St. Mary’s Law;
  • a resume of not more than two pages; and
  • complete explanations to any affirmative responses to the character and fitness questions asked in the application.

Items to be submitted by your home law school directly to St. Mary’s Law Admissions Office:

  • an official copy of your law school transcript reflecting the completion of all first year coursework;
  • a statement of good standing and eligibility to enroll for the coming semester; and
  • your official class rank OR a statement explaining the grading policy, if your home law school does not rank first-year students.

You must also arrange for LSAC to release to St. Mary’s Law Admissions office your complete Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report, including

  • scores from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT);
  • transcripts reflecting ALL postsecondary academic coursework undertaken or attempted and all degree(s) conferred; and
  • letters of recommendation:  For transfer admission, we highly recommend (but do not require) that you submit at least one academic letter of recommendation from a professor from your home law school. Such letters may also be sent from the recommender directly to the St. Mary’s Law Admissions Office.

Interviews are not part of the application process.  However, applicants are invited to visit the campus. The Admissions Office gives tours by appointment. Please call the Admissions Office at 210-436-3523 to schedule a visit.

For students previously excluded from St. Mary’s or another law school

Individuals who have been academically dismissed from any law school may apply to St. Mary’s University School of Law as a beginning first-year student any fall term after at least one complete academic year has elapsed. Each admission decision will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Apply to the J.D. Program

Transient Applicants

A “transient student” is a student who earns academic credit at St. Mary’s toward fulfillment of the graduation requirements of another law school, which will ultimately award the student’s degree.

The typical length of enrollment at St. Mary’s for a transient student is one or two semesters. A student seeking transient status at St. Mary’s must be enrolled at an ABA-approved law school and must submit a Letter of Good Standing from that institution.

For the Fall semester, the application should be submitted July 1 through August 1.
For the Spring semester, the application should be submitted October 1 through November 1.
For the Summer session, the application should be submitted April 1.

Transient Application

Visiting Student Policy

The St. Mary’s University School of Law Office of Career Strategy grants reciprocal services to visiting students of ABA-accredited law schools which afford visiting student services to St. Mary’s students.

Visiting student privileges include the on-campus use of the OCS Student Resource Center materials, in office use of student computers to view job postings, access to all NALP publications and any St. Mary’s University School of Law handouts. The visiting student will be granted access to 12Twenty (CORE) under our reciprocity policy during the time they are enrolled and paying tuition to the St. Mary’s University School of Law.

The Office of Career Strategy’s regular business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer.

The Office of Career Strategy reserves the right to adjust the above-stated policy to match other school’s policies. With or without notice, the Assistant Dean of Career Services may deny further services to any individual who misuses or abuses the staff, facilities, resources, equipment or services, or to any school surpassing a reasonable number of requests within any academic year. If you have any questions, please call 210-436-3511.

For more information regarding transfer and transient students, contact Law School Admissions today.

Law School Admissions
St. Mary’s University
One Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, Texas 78228-8601
210-436-3523
Fax: 210-431-4202
lawadmissions@stmarytx.edu

Give Now