Transfer Students
Applications from transfer students will be considered from individuals who have successfully completed one year in a full-time or part-time program at another law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). Please see the American Bar Association website for a list of ABA-approved law schools. Successful second-year transfer applicants must complete at least half (45) of the 89 credits required for graduation after enrolling in the Law School. Applicants may not transfer more than 44 credits from another law school. See Student Handbook, Academic Regulations, Section 1.13.
To receive transfer credit for courses taken at another ABA-approved law school, transfer students or UH law students visiting another ABA-approved law school must first obtain the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Law School Registrar. The transfer student must provide a syllabus or an official description of the course in sufficient detail upon request to enable the Associate Dean to determine whether the course is substantially similar to an equivalent course at the Law School.
A student visiting the Law School may not participate in a course lottery for limited enrollment courses but may enroll during open enrollment if space permits. With prior written approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Law School Registrar, a visiting student may take Second Year or Law Thesis on a space-available basis. See Student Handbook, Academic Regulations, Section 1.12.
In all cases in which transfer credits are allowed, the grades earned for those credits are not counted toward the student’s GPA; a grade of “Credit” will be used for all transferred credits. A student must have earned at least a grade of “D” for the credits to be transferred. While attending another law program as a visiting student, students must take all courses for a grade; i.e. they may not enroll in courses graded “Pass/Fail” or “Credit/No Credit” unless that law school confirms that the course is only offered “Pass/Fail” or “Credit/No Credit.” The student’s prior cumulative grade point average may not be used in computing the student’s Law School cumulative GPA for any purpose, including graduation and eligibility to continue to enroll. Student Handbook, Academic Regulations, Section 1.13.
Transfer students must complete the Law School pro bono requirement. Full Time transfer students must complete a total of 10 hours of Pro Bono service for every semester enrolled in the Law School. Part Time transfer students must complete a total of 10 hours of Pro Bono service for every 15 credits taken at the Law School. See Student Handbook, Academic Regulations, Section 1.29.
Information for Transfer Students Who Want to Apply to Become Student Editors
The University of Hawaiʻi Law Review
Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal
Visiting Students
Students enrolled in another ABA-approved law school may apply to earn credit at the Law School as visiting students. JD degrees will be awarded by their home institutions. Priority in selection is given to those entering the third year of law school.
Admissions
Applications are reviewed for admission to the fall and spring semesters. Applicants must be in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school.
We give preference to applicants who:
- have attained a law school ranking in the upper half of their current class (we invite applicants in the lower half of their current class to offer an explanation);
- are residents of Hawaiʻi;
- have a close relationship to our State;
- have with a strong background and continuing interest in Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies, or Environmental Law;
- have a compelling personal need to study in Hawaiʻi (e.g., military transfer);
- meet our first-year admissions criteria (LSAT score, GPA).
Application
To apply, you must complete the online application for transfer and visiting students via LSAC. We must receive all application materials from LSAC before the deadline.
- Application Fee: Pay the $75 nonrefundable application fee online at LSAC. Students already enrolled in law school are not eligible for an LSAC fee waiver.
- Personal Statement: Compose a 500-word personal statement on a subject of your choice.
- Résumé: Write a résumé detailing your education, extracurricular activity, professional experience, and community service.
- Addendum: Please discuss your reasons for wanting to transfer to or visit our law school in an addendum.
Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
- We must receive your complete Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report from LSAC before our deadline.
- Your complete CAS report will include the following items:
- LSAT Score and Writing Sample;
- All Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Transcripts;
- Two Academic or Professional Letters of Recommendation: We strongly recommend that you submit at least one letter from a law school professor.
Letter of Good Standing
- Please request that your law school send a letter of good standing directly to the Admissions Office by email before our application deadline. Letters of good standing contain the dates of your enrollment and indicate if you are welcome to continue your legal education at the law school. In the same letter, ask that the Registrar indicate your class rank or quartile standing (e.g., top quarter, top half). Please have it emailed to lawadm@hawaii.edu.
- Visiting Students: If you intend to transfer credits back to your home institution, we will also need a statement that informs us that credits you earn at our law school will be accepted toward your degree at your home institution.
Financial Aid
- Transfer Students: If you intend to apply for financial aid, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as it becomes available on September 30 at 7:01 PM HST (October 1 at 12:01 AM EST). Need-based scholarships are awarded based upon eligibility and order of FAFSA received. You may indicate "will file" on tax-related questions and then update your responses after you file your taxes. Our federal school code is 001610. Our priority financial aid deadline is February 1.
- Visiting Students: If you are accepted and need financial aid to meet your educational costs, you will have to arrange to process your financial aid with your home institution. Typically, incoming visiting students pay non-resident tuition. To work through any financial aid agreements with your school, including arrangements for a consortium agreement, please contact the Financial Aid Director at (808) 956-5502.
Decisions
- Provisional acceptance may be made before the semester's end, but final acceptance will depend on our receipt and evaluation of an updated law school transcript showing the last semester's work.
- Provisional decisions for spring entry may be made in October.
- Provisional decisions for fall entry may be made in June.
- We will e-mail you when we make a decision about your application.
- We also will update your online status page. You can find the most up-to-date information about your application online.
