Application Timeline
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| December 1st | Application becomes available |
| July 1st | Application due |
| April 15th | Application due for Conditional Review (all application materials must be received by this date to be considered for conditional review) |
Eligibility to Apply
Transfer Students
To apply as a transfer student, you must have attended an ABA-approved law school and must be academically eligible to continue as a regular full-time student in the school you last attended. Generally, you will have needed to complete the equivalent of the first-year curriculum, and no more than 45 credits, to receive a degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Applications are only accepted for the fall semester.
Visiting Students
To apply to be a visiting student, you must be in your final year or final semester of law study and have permission to attend another law school. It is your responsibility to make certain that credits will transfer back to your home institution. You should also ensure that our academic calendar will work with your law school's calendar with regard to the start and end dates for academic terms. Applications are only accepted for the fall semester.
It is important to note that the University of Wisconsin will not generate financial aid awards for visiting students. If a visiting student is in need of financial aid, these arrangements must be made with the home law school.
Application Checklist
Transfer and visiting applicants must submit the following application requirements. A detailed list of application requirements is included in the application for admission.
- Application Fee
- Application for Admission
- Record of Residence Form
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score
- Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report, including all college and graduate school transcripts
- Resume
- Personal Statement
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official law school transcript, including fall and spring grades
- Dean's Certification Letter
- Class rank
The Admissions Committee carefully considers whatever information we receive in your application when evaluating you for admission. If there is something that you would like to explain or elaborate on that is not showcased elsewhere in your application, feel free to add a separate addendum. Interviews are by invitation only. Completing a formal interview with one of our admissions counselors does not guarantee acceptance. We are happy to answer your questions at any point throughout the admissions process, and we invite you to set up a visit to the Law School.
The Law School Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach to the review of transfer and visiting applications. Applicants are generally accepted when they are able to demonstrate strong academic performance in their first-year curriculum, depending on the quality of the law school from which they are applying.
Application Details
Below are further details on some of the application requirements. A detailed list of application requirements is also included in the application for admission.
Application Fee
The application fee to apply to the Law School is $60. The application fee is nonrefundable, and should be paid through your LSAC applicant portal. The Law School provides a limited number of need-based application fee waivers.
To complete our application fee waiver request form, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@law.wisc.edu.
Record of Residence Form
All applicants are required to complete the Registrar’s Record of Residence form, regardless of whether you are claiming residency. This form will be sent to you via email after you apply, and is used to determine whether you are eligible for in-state tuition.
Residency for tuition purposes can be a complex issue and is governed by Wisconsin state statutes. Residency determinations are made by the UW-Madison Registrar’s Office, and not by the Law School.
For more information about residency for tuition, please visit the Registrar's Residence for Tuition Purposes page or contact the Office of the Registrar's Residency Counselors at 608-262-1355.
Credential Assembly Service
All applicants are required to subscribe to the Credential Assembly Service, sponsored by LSAC. You must send an official CAS report to the Law School with your application, which will include transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended.
For questions about CAS, please refer to LSAC’s website or contact them directly at 215-968-1001.
Official Law School Transcript
An official law school transcript, including fall and spring grades, must be submitted with your application. You may submit the transcript with your CAS report, or have your institution send it directly to the University of Wisconsin Law School Admissions Office.
If you are requesting conditional review of your application, you must send an official transcript showing your fall grades prior to April 15th, and submit a second official transcript showing your spring grades when they become available. Either your official law school transcript or your Dean's Certification letter must include your class rank.
Admissions Interview
During our holistic review process, you may be invited to participate in an interview. These interviews will happen throughout the admissions cycle. The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid will contact applicants directly to set up a virtual interview with one of our admissions counselors. Completion of an interview does not guarantee acceptance.
Dean’s Certification Letter
We require a letter from your Dean or Registrar stating that you are in good academic standing and are eligible to continue, or in the case of visiting applicants, have permission to attend another law school. The letter must be sent directly from your institution to the University of Wisconsin Law School Admissions Office. Before making arrangements to have the letter sent, wait until both your fall and spring grades have been posted. Either your official law school transcript or your Dean's Certification letter must include your class rank.
Class Rank
Either your official law school transcript or your Dean's Certification letter must include your class rank.
Conditional Review
Transfer applicants have the option to request an early conditional review of their application based on fall semester grades.
To qualify for conditional review, you must submit a completed application by April 15th. All application materials must be received by that date, except for spring semester grades and the Dean's Certification letter.
Any offer of admission will be conditioned upon continued and consistent academic performance during the spring semester at your original law school. An admission offer will not be finalized until after you have submitted an official transcript showing spring semester grades, the Dean's Certification letter, and an updated class rank.
Credit Transfer Policy
Upon a transfer student's matriculation as a University of Wisconsin Law School student, the UW Law School will transfer to the student's UW Law record those credits associated with each law course completed at the student's original law school, under the following conditions: the original law school is an ABA-approved law school, and the grade earned in the law course, if graded, is at least a C (or equivalent) or better.
Prospective transfer students should also note that, in order to earn the J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, a minimum of 50 credits of the 90 credits needed for the degree must be earned as a University of Wisconsin Law School student.
Application Resources
