Specialized Admissions Requirements
Admission with Regular Status
To be considered for admission with Regular Status, applicants must have either a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, an Associate degree from an accredited community college, or have completed, in good academic standing, (a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units) at an accredited institution. The grade point average on all subjects undertaken must be equal to that required for graduation. San Diego Law School is also authorized to accept a few special students, those who do not have semester units of college credit.
Law School Admission Test
Most applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) which is given four times a year at test centers locally, throughout the US, and in many foreign countries. Individuals who have previously taken the LSAT may not be required to retake the exam providing that their scores are sufficiently current, acceptable and obtainable from Law Services. Further LSAT information can be obtained at www.lsac.org. San Diego Law School accepts documents compiled by the Credential Assembly Service of LSAC. The San Diego Law School code is that of San Francisco Law School 4712.
Admission with Special Status
Applicants who are unable to satisfy the academic requirements for admission with Regular Status may be considered for admission as Special Status students. Special Status is designed for students who have achieved a level of maturity and professional experience which has prepared them for successful completion of the law school curriculum.
The State Bar of California requires that all applicants seeking admission with Special Status pass the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations prior to admission to law school. The applicant must attain passing scores on the following general examinations administered by CLEP: 1.) English Composition or English Composition with Essay (passing score is 50) and 2.) Two of the following: humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and history (in the 50 percentile). Please see the State Bar of California website for more detailed information. http://www.calbar.ca.gov.
Upon successful completion of the First Year curriculum, Special Status students must take the First Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX) administered by the State Bar of California, Committee of Bar Examiners. Students can continue into their second year of study despite not having taken or not having passed the examination. However, they will receive credit for study completed up to the time they pass the examination, only if they pass the FYLSX it within the first three administrations of the examination after they first become eligible to take the exam. If a student passes after the third administration, credit can only be allowed for the first year of study.
For CLEP Test applications or information contact:
The College Board, Western Regional Office
2099 Gateway Place, #480
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 452-1400
Admission to Advanced Standing
In addition to the requirements of applicants for regular status, those students in good standing wishing to transfer from other law schools must provide official transcripts of all law study and a letter of good standing from the last law school attended. Only courses successfully completed (C or better grade) will be considered for transfer. A student must earn 45 units while in residence in order to graduate from San Francisco Law School.
Applicants not in good academic standing at the time of leaving their prior law school, must also provide two letters of recommendation from the Dean and/or professors at the law school attended who can attest to the student’s ability for success in law school and a personal statement by the applicant detailing the circumstances that led to the student’s academic disqualification and the remedies taken to ensure success in future study.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to contact all references for a more detailed assessment of each applicant’s potential. It is within the discretion of the Admissions Committee if credit is given for any previous courses. In the case of disqualification, credit for prior law school study would be unusual.
Admission with Visitor or Auditor Status
Students currently enrolled in good standing at another accredited law school may, with the approval of their Dean, be admitted to San Diego Law School with visitor status. Individuals who are not in law school may take law courses as auditors .Students with visitor or auditor status are subject to the same tuition (plus a visitor fee per unit), applicable fees, policies and regulations of San Francisco Law School. For information regarding application for visitor or auditor status and the required documentation, contact the Admissions Office of San Francisco Law School at 415-626-5550.
International Applicants
Applicants who have attended schools outside of the United States, must arrange to have transcripts evaluated by either:
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 289-3400
www.ece.org
or
International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Telephone: (310) 258-9451
www.ierf.org
San Diego Law School requires a level of English proficiency, both verbal and written, consistent with that which must be demonstrated to achieve an acceptable score on the required Law School Admission Test (LSAT). San Diego Law School requires a minimum TOEFL score as established by Alliant International University.
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