Admissions

Transfer/Visitor Application Instructions

The checklist and instructions for the transfer/visitor application are revised annually in April.

2011

Transfer/Visitor Application Checklist

The following items are required. We will notify you by email once your application has been received. The email will include instructions on how to monitor your file status online.

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Application Deadline

The application deadline is July 1.

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How to Apply

For information on applying electronically, contact LSAC at 215-968-1001 or www.lsac.org. It is important to review the complete application checklist and procedures.

Applicants with disabilities who are unable to fully access the LSAC electronic application service may submit the application form, resume and personal statement directly to the Office of Admissions by email attachment or postal mail. A check or money order in the amount of $70 to cover the application processing fee must be submitted by postal mail.

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Advanced Standing Credit

Transfer students will receive no more than one year of academic credit toward a Duke Law degree for work completed at another law school.

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Application Review Process

Applications are reviewed in mid-July through early August. Applications that remain incomplete at the end of the review period will not be considered.

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Application Fee Waivers

Fee waivers are not available for transfer and visitor applications.

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Bar Admission

We recommend that you investigate the rules governing bar admission in the jurisdictions where you intend to practice. Information about bar admission requirements may be obtained by contacting the appropriate state board of bar examiners.

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Scholarships

Scholarship assistance is not available for transfer and visitor applicants.

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Application Instructions

Please read the following instructions carefully before preparing each section of your application.

Section 1: Application Fee

The application fee is $70. A credit or debit card payment is required and must be submitted with the electronic application. The application processing fee is non-refundable.

Section 2: Personal Information

Complete this section in full. Submit updates to your contact information directly to the Office of Admissions by email.

Section 3: Application Selection

Indicate whether you are applying to transfer to Duke as a second-year student, or to spend your third year at Duke as a visiting student (with the degree granted by your home institution).

Section 4: Application Status

Please indicate whether you are a first-time applicant to Duke Law School, or if you have applied previously. If you were a previous applicant, please indicate the term(s) for which you applied for admission.

Section 5: Educational History

Provide the name, city, and state of the high school where you earned your secondary diploma. Provide the names of all colleges, universities, and law schools you have attended along with the dates of attendance, major, degrees earned, and date the degree was awarded.

Section 6: Family Information

Complete the information requested regarding your parents.

Section 7: Conduct

Duke Law School requires a candidate to reveal knowledge of all criminal incidents or disciplinary charges, even if expunged, sealed, or otherwise removed from the candidate's records. When in doubt, you should err on the side of full disclosure, as subsequent discovery of a failure to fully and accurately answer these questions may have serious consequences. Failure to disclose information is often more significant than the act or event described in the questions. Failure to provide truthful answers, or failure to inform the Law School of any changes to your answers after submission of your application, may result in any of the following: misconduct investigation by the LSAC; revocation of admission; disciplinary action by the Law School; and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission. You have an ongoing obligation to report any conduct that would require you to answer yes to any of the questions in this section during the pendency of your application. If an offer of admission is extended to you, the obligation to report conduct applicable to the questions in this section continues until your first day of class at Duke Law School.

If you answer yes to any of the questions, you must provide a supplementary statement including details, the current status of any disciplinary action or judicial sanctions, and the final resolution of the issues involved. If you answer yes to question 1, you will also be required to have a dean, registrar, department supervisor, judicial officer, or academic officer with access to official records from your institution submit a letter that provides complete information about the incident.

Section 8: Resume, Personal Statement and Law Professor Recommendations

Resume: You must submit a current resume with your application. Your resume should include your full name at the top and list all honors and awards you have received. Include dates for all items listed on your resume. There is no required length.

Personal Statement: You are required to submit a personal statement. The statement should focus on the specific resources and opportunities at Duke Law School that will further your legal career goals, as well as the contributions you might make as a member of the Duke Law School community. There is no required length. Visitor applicants should explain their reason(s) for wanting to spend their third year of law school at Duke.

Recommendation Letters: Two recommendation letters from law school professors or instructors must be submitted using the LSAC Letter of Recommendation service. To use this service, follow the directions outlined at www.lsac.org. Additional letters may be submitted through LSAC or mailed directly to the Office of Admissions; however, the first two letters assigned to Duke University School of Law must be the two required letters from law professors.

Section 9: Law School Letter of Good Standing or Permission to Visit Letter

Transfer applicants are required to submit a letter of good standing. Visitor applicants must submit a permission to visit letter indicating that credits earned at Duke Law School will be accepted. These items must be submitted directly from your institution to the Office of Admissions.

Section 10: Law School Transcript and Class Rank

Law school transcripts must be submitted directly from your institution to the Office of Admissions, along with evidence of your recent semester class rank. If your institution does not rank students, we must receive documentation directly from them indicating so.

Section 11: Conditions of Application and Signature

Applications will not be processed without an electronic signature agreeing to the Conditions and certifying that the information is true and complete. You are obligated to notify the Office of Admissions immediately of any change in the information provided.