Transfer Q's. Forum

[seriesinquiry]

Hi forum,

At present I'm a 0L and will matriculate at a T4 school in the Fall of '11. I've reviewed a number of posts and have found them to be useful with a few exceptions owing to either ambiguity of terminology and acronym usage or abusive language. My questions are simple and as such will hopefully elicit straightforward responses.

1. Should I consult schools specifically concerning their transfer deadlines (proceeding on the assumption that the deadlines may vary nominally or widely) or do transfer deadlines fall along the same timeline as standard applications?

2. Would I apply as a transfer during the end of my 1L or subsequently when grades have been released? (I'm assuming law schools require one year of full time academic work before any consideration can be given; please correct me if my impression is mistaken.)

2.1 If I have to apply after the release of grades, would I continue taking classes as a 2L or would I take that term off since those 2L courses won't transfer?

3. Would I use the LOR's on file with LSAC when I submit my application to transfer or are law schools expecting transfer applicants to submit three new LOR's from their 1L law professors?

All questions presuppose an ignorance of the topic they address; in that spirit I hope my ignorance is forgiven and any abusive language is spared from any responses elicited by the preceding questions.

Thanks for your time and insights forum.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Answers to your questions:

1/2.) This info is available on law school webpages. Generally, for regular decision transfer, the applications are due some time in June/early July. If your grades haven't all come through, you submit the app anyway, and then update the app with your grades when you have them. Some schools have an early decision process, based solely on first semester grades (Chicago and GULC come to mind - Chicago is out of reach for a T4, but GULC may not be). So, you apply at the end of your 1L year, generally get a decision in late July/early August, and have a few weeks to pick up and move to your new school.

3.) You won't need three LoRs from law professors, but most schools want at least one, if not two, law professor recs.

Unsolicited advice:

You are obviously "planning" on transfering. That "plan" is incredibly idiotic. Just so you know.

And, finally - Jesus Tapdancing Christ, your writing style makes me want to kill babies. Don't know whether you're trying to sound sophisticated or what, but "[a]ll questions presuppose an ignorance of the topic they address; in that spirit I hope my ignorance is forgiven and any abusive language is spared from any responses elicited by the preceding questions" is so... wanna-be-lawyer.

[vanwinkle]

Unsolicited advice:

You are obviously "planning" on transfering. That "plan" is incredibly idiotic. Just so you know.

And, finally - Jesus Tapdancing Christ, your writing style makes me want to kill babies. Don't know whether you're trying to sound sophisticated or what, but "[a]ll questions presuppose an ignorance of the topic they address; in that spirit I hope my ignorance is forgiven and any abusive language is spared from any responses elicited by the preceding questions" is so... wanna-be-lawyer.

[seriesinquiry]

ToTransferOrNot,

Thank you for the clarification concerning the decision procedures for admission (regular/early) and for answering my question about LOR's. It was very helpful. Concerning my writing style: a double doctorate in theology and political science is to blame; aspirations for sounding like a lawyer weren't pivotal in deciding tone, diction or syntax.

Thank you for your very prompt and informative reply.

[Grizz]

[ZXCVBNM]

Hi forum,

At present I'm a 0L .

Thank you for telling me so early in your post so I could stop reading. Transfer Q's from 0L's are ridiculous.

[Grizz]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=124519

OP this should be fairly helpful actually.

[megaTTTron]

ToTransferOrNot,

Thank you for the clarification concerning the decision procedures for admission (regular/early) and for answering my question about LOR's. It was very helpful. Concerning my writing style: a double doctorate in theology and political science is to blame; aspirations for sounding like a lawyer weren't pivotal in deciding tone, diction or syntax.

Thank you for your very prompt and informative reply.

And you're settling on a T4 and planing on transferring as a 0L? Something tells me your "double doctorate" should have allowed you to do better research and have better judgment . . .

Seriously, is it a low LSAT? A low UG GPA? Why aren't you have a top school with your background (so you don't have to worry about transferring? As everybody will tell you, planning to transfer is really risky.

[vanwinkle]

And you're settling on a T4 and planing on transferring as a 0L? Something tells me your "double doctorate" should have allowed you to do better research and have better judgment . . . .

This. So much this. And to add to it, even those who succeed in transferring face problems moving and getting things done in their new school, making it a difficult process. Those I know who've transferred are nearly all glad they did it, but they still would've rather just gone to a better school in the first place, if they could have.

If you legitimately have two doctorates, there is no reason you can't prep for the LSAT and do well enough to get into, at least, something better than a T4.

[bk1]

Two things for you to work on:

1. Study for the LSAT so you can retake it and reapply.

2. Learn how to talk normally to other human beings, this will help you when it comes to trying to find a job.