5. Admission Policies

A. Standards for Admissions

The standards for admissions to the Jacksonville University College of Law advance the mission of the College of Law to provide quality legal education, focused on experiential learning and community partnerships, especially in the service of Jacksonville, Florida, and beyond.

The College of Law seeks to admit students who demonstrate academic excellence, integrity, and a commitment to the legal profession. The College of Law is committed to enrolling students with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.

The College of Law evaluates holistically all information provided by applicants, however, the College weighs substantially the numerical indicators of success in legal education (undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores), as well as the Character and Fitness evaluation. Candor in the Character and Fitness evaluation portion of the application is paramount because it is the beginning of candidates’ application to the practice of law. Legal jurisdictions and organizations have varying standards and may require information beyond what our application specifically requires. Applicants are encouraged to research states in which they intend to practice and seek the assistance of our admissions counselors for any questions about what should be included.

Other considerations for admission include challenges that may have impacted prior performance, letters of recommendation, graduate school or other professional training, and other information that demonstrates an applicant’s preparation and potential.

B. Admissions Requirements

All applicants to the College of Law must submit:

• Completed application
• Personal statement
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Two letters of recommendation
• Character and Fitness evaluation
• Official Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score
• Official transcripts for all colleges and universities attended

Applicants may provide additional materials including addenda, GRE Scores, and LSAT writing samples.

C. Qualifications for Admission to the Bar

The College welcomes transfer applications from applicants with superior academic records in law study will be considered. Transfer applicants will be accepted only to the extent that vacancies exist in the second-year class.  The previous law study must have been undertaken at a law school which is an ABA accredited institution.

(1)   Application for Admission as a Transfer Student. Candidates for transfer admission must submit the following documents, following the general admissions deadlines:
a. Application for admission
b. Resume
c. Personal statement explaining the reason for transfer.
d. LSAT test scores
e. Transcripts from undergraduate and graduate institutions, including the current law program
f. Letter of good standing from the Dean of current law program

(2)   Transfer of Credits. The Registrar and Associate Dean of Academics will identify which courses and credits will transfer, if admitted, and this will be disclosed at the time of acceptance. Each
transfer student’s transcript from the other law school will be evaluated to determine whether the student has completed the courses required of a Jacksonville College of Law student in the first year.  To the extent that a student has not completed those requirements, his or her offer of admission will set forth the required courses that must be completed. The following polices apply to all transfer credits:

a. A student may transfer up to 30 credit hours from an ABA accredited institution.

b. A grade of “C” (not C-) or higher must be earned for transfer of credit. Courses taken  pass/fail will not be awarded credit.

c. Credits will be applied to the equivalent Jacksonville University College of Law course(s).
d. A Student may appeal a transfer of credit decision in writing to the Associate Dean.
e. Transferred courses will not factor into a student’s Jacksonville University College of Law GPA. Courses will be recorded with a grade of “TR”.
f. Credits earned 10 years or more from the time of enrollment will not be accepted.

(3)   Class Rank for Transfer Students. The College of Law ranks each class of students and determines quartile thresholds at the end of each Spring semester based on the cumulative GPA, excluding courses completed at other institutions. During their 2L year at the College of Law, transfer students will not have an official rank or quartile. They will be ranked for the first time after all grades have been entered at the conclusion of the Spring semester.

E. Transfer Credits for Existing College of Law Students

Current Jacksonville University College of Law students must get prior written approval from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to take courses at another institution. The Associate Dean and the Registrar will determine whether those credits may count toward the Juris Doctor degree program and/or whether they will satisfy any specific degree requirements.

F. Admissions Appeals