Admissions Requirements

The Colleges admit students in three categories—"regular," "special," and "transfer"—which reflect differences in academic background. The supporting materials a prospective student must submit with the application vary slightly, depending on which admissions category applies.

Admission as a Regular Student

Prospective students who will be considered for admission as "regular students" include those who have earned, from a college or university then accredited by one of the six academic regional accrediting agencies in the United States:

• a bachelor's degree;
• an associate's degree with an academic major from a college or university in California; or
• at least 60 semester, general academic units (or 90 quarter units) in subjects considered academic in content.

Applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are not eligible for admission.

Admission as a Special Student

State Bar regulations permit the admission of a limited number of applicants who do not meet the academic requirements for "regular student" admission. Prospective students who are at least 21 may apply for admission as "special students."

Applicants in this category must be personally interviewed by the Dean and provide, in addition to the application materials required of all applicants, the following:

• a minimum score on the LSAT in the 50th percentile or above;
• one additional letter of recommendation (two in total);
• scores of at least "50" on CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) tests, including a) either the "College Composition" or "College Composition and Modular" test, and b) TWO tests, each designed to correspond to full-year courses (6 semester hours each) or FOUR other tests, each designed to correspond to semester courses (3 semester hours each) selected from the following subjects:
  • Composition and Literature (Humanities Examination only)
  • Science & Mathematics
  • Business
  • History & Social Sciences
  • Foreign Language

After completing the first-year curriculum, each "special student" is required to take the State Bar's First-Year Law Students' Examination (FYLSX). Under state law, a special student who does not pass the examination may continue law studies, but failure to pass by the third consecutive administration of the test after becoming eligible will result in loss of academic credit and dismissal from law studies. Additional information about attending law school as a special student is available from the State Bar.

Admission as a Transfer Student

An applicant who has attended another law school is subject to specific requirements, which vary depending on the applicant's academic status at the prior law school. When more than two years have elapsed since an applicant was enrolled at a prior law school, the applicant is not eligible to "transfer" but may apply for admission as a beginning student, without transfer credit. When no more than two years will have elapsed since the applicant was enrolled at the prior school, admission as a "transfer student" will be considered.

A "transfer student" applicant must meet the requirements set forth above for admission as either a "regular" or "special" student. At least 60 days before the semester for which admission is sought, the "transfer student" applicant must submit the application materials required of all prospective students and, in addition, must submit transcripts from all law schools previously attended.

Admission with Advanced Standing: General Requirements

Due to the cyclic nature of the Colleges' course offerings, a transfer student admitted with advanced standing will be allowed to enroll beginning only with a summer session or fall semester. Transfer student applicants must provide a letter from the Dean of the prior law school, indicating whether or not the applicant was a student in good standing and eligible without condition to continue law studies.

An applicant from an accredited law school may be admitted with transfer credit for courses successfully completed at the prior law school, up to a maximum of 30 semester units of transfer credit. An applicant from an unaccredited law school or correspondence law school may be admitted with transfer credit only:

• if the applicant received a grade equivalent to a  "C" or higher on the State Bar's First-Year Law Students' Examination (FYLSX) and,
• for courses tested on the FYLSX (Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law).

Admission After Prior Law School Disqualification

An applicant previously disqualified from, or without good standing at, the prior law school rarely will be admitted. The Academic Standards and Admissions Committee will consider such applicant's admission on essentially the same bases applied to former students of the Colleges who apply for readmission after academic exclusion, as follows:

• An application for "immediate readmission" (when less than two years have elapsed since academic disqualification) will be considered only if the applicant can substantiate that the exclusion was caused by exigent circumstances of an extreme, unavoidable, immediate, and personal nature. "Immediate readmission" is very rare.
• An application for "delayed readmission" (when more than two years have elapsed since academic exclusion) must document that, during the period since exclusion, the applicant has engaged in work, study, or other activity which provides a compelling reason to conclude that there now exists a materially greater potential for success in a law degree program. The application should focus on the applicant's activities and accomplishment during the period, not on the mere passage of time. "Delayed readmission" is seldom granted. The applicant must also submit an LSAT score, normally at or above the 50th percentile.