Applications will be considered only from applicants enrolled at U.S. law schools approved by the American Bar Association.
Applicants in part-time and evening law school programs must earn the equivalent number of credits as a rising second-year student in their schools’ full-time programs to be eligible to matriculate. With the exception or courses completed online due to COVID-19, course work completed through correspondence or online courses will not be granted credit. Typically, the completion of 24 law school credits is sufficient to be considered a rising second-year student. Upon admission, the Registrar’s Office will make a formal determination of the number of credits that will transfer to Yale Law School.
Qui Transtulit Sustinet, meaning “he who transplanted sustains,” is the official motto of Connecticut, and at YLS, it is also the name of the transfer student organization. Students who accept an offer to transfer will automatically become members of the QTs, which hosts events for transfer students, provides career guidance and mentorship opportunities, and serves as a formal way for current transfers to help improve the transfer experience by advocating for changes to the administration and other student-run organizations. After being admitted, you will receive information about getting in contact with current QTs, and at that time you can also feel free to reach out to the QT’s here for any and all questions you have about the transfer experience.
Participation in any journal at Yale Law School, including the Yale Law Journal, is in no way required, nor is it necessary for success. Most students at YLS are not members of the Yale Law Journal, and they still go on to have very successful and fulfilling careers.
For those interested in a journal experience, YLS has eight journals, all of which, with the exception of the Yale Law Journal, allow students to “walk on” during the school year, generally with nothing more than a brief statement of interest. More information about these publications can be found here.
To apply to the Yale Law Journal, transfer students have the option to either (1) apply the summer between their first and second years of law school, or (2) defer their application until after the spring of their second year. Please note that students may only apply to the Journal once, so transfer students who select option (1) may not reapply for the Journal the following year. Students may also be offered admission if they write a Note that is accepted for publication in the Journal. More information and a specific timeline for the application process for the Yale Law Journal can be found here.