Transfer Applicants

There are increased opportunities for Harvard Law students to study off-campus through joint degree and foreign study programs which make it possible for us to admit more transfer students than ever before.  We encourage all interested and eligible applicants to apply as soon as possible. Our transfer application  for the 2010-2011 academic year will be available in April 2010.

Eligibility

Applicants for transfer admission must have completed one year of full-time study in a JD program (or one third of total credits required in a part-time program) at a United States law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Students may apply for transfer to begin the second year of JD studies in the fall semester only.

Competition for Transfer Admission

The competition for transfer admission is high. Many successful transfer candidates typically place very near the top of their first-year law class and would have also been admitted or wait-listed as first-year students on the basis of their pre-law-school credentials. Given the small number of transfer spaces available and a comparatively large and accomplished transfer applicant pool, some applicants who meet these characterizations cannot be offered admission. We cannot make estimates of an individual's chances for admission.

Harvard Law Review

The Harvard Law Review encourages transfer applicants to apply for membership on the Review. If you wish to be considered for membership, you must participate in the Writing Competition. All prospective transfer students may participate in the competition, including those who intend to apply and have not yet done so and those who have applied and have not yet received a decision. You will be notified of the results of the Writing Competition in late July.

Those admitted transfer students who are selected to join the Harvard Law Review must return to Cambridge by mid-August to begin work. Further instructions will be posted later in the spring on the Membership Details site.