J.D. Admissions | Columbia Law School
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Frequently Asked Questions | Early Interview Program | Journal Participation | Transfer and Visiting Student Organization | Transfer of Credits Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer and Visiting Students
Early Interview Program
Transfer students are eligible to take part in the Office of Career Services’ Early Interview Program (EIP) for 2L summer associate positions, which occurs in mid-August. In order to participate fully in this five-day program, transfer students must be admitted to the Law School at least one week prior to the start of the program. Admitted transfer applicants must also submit their deposit to the Office of Admissions prior to their participation in EIP. Once these conditions are met, newly admitted transfer students will be able to participate in the program along with the rest of the rising 2L class.
Journal Participation
Transfer students are eligible to apply to participate in all student law journals at Columbia Law School. Each journal has its own application criteria. With the exception of Columbia Law Review, transfer students are informed of application procedures for journal participation upon admission to Columbia Law School’s transfer program.
Transfer students with an interest in the Columbia Law Review may apply in one of two ways: through an annual week-long writing competition or the Publishable Notes program.
- The writing competition is typically held during the second or third week of May. Transfer applicants may participate in the writing competition prior to the submission of an application for transfer admission. In order to take part in the writing competition, transfer applicants should contact David Friedman at ene@columbialawreview.org prior to May 17 to register for and receive information regarding the competition.
- In addition to the writing competition, the Columbia Law Review conducts a Publishable Notes program, through which second-year students may submit a note for publication. If a student’s note is accepted, he or she will be offered a staff position on the Columbia Law Review during the 3L year.
For more information, please see Columbia Law School’s Student Journal website.
Transfer and Visiting Student Organization
The Transfer and Visiting Student Organization (TVSO) is open to all students and is primarily designed to ease the integration of transfer and visiting students into the Columbia Law School community. TVSO aims to achieve its goals by establishing a support network through which these students may gain insight and information about the Law School from experienced students and faculty while providing opportunities for transfer and visiting students to gather and discuss important issues particular to their status.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the organization at tsvo@law.columbia.edu
Transfer of Credits Policy
Applicants are eligible to apply for transfer admission into the second-year class after having accrued a minimum of 28 credits from law schools that are either members of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) or approved by the American Bar Association's section on Legal Education. Please note that after you have transferred, a review with the Director of Academic Counseling will determine how many of the credits that you earned at your prior school will be eligible toward your Columbia Law School J.D. and whether you have completed Columbia Law School’s core first-year curriculum. Work completed at another law school is generally accepted at the credit value assigned by the original institution, up to a maximum of 32 law credits. Generally, no credit toward the Columbia J.D. is granted for summer school courses or for non-law courses. No credit will be accepted in transfer for courses in which the student has received a grade lower than a C, or, generally, for courses graded on a Pass/Fail system.
At least 83 academic points must be earned in order to complete the Columbia Law School J.D. For students who spent their first year of law school at another U.S. law school or as an LL.M. student, at least 51 of these points must be taken at Columbia Law School, since a maximum of 32 credits may be accepted in transfer. Transfer students must complete four terms of full-time residency at Columbia Law School as a matriculant in the J.D. program.