This program is only available for fall semester entry. The application for JD Transfer for Foreign Lawyers will open on January 1st, 2025. 

Candidates must complete all necessary admissions procedures and complete all required forms by the June 15^th application deadline. Applications will not be reviewed until late spring (end of May) and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Required Credentials:

Applicants must either hold a first degree in law from a foreign law school, are licensed to practice, and have practiced law in their home country or have recently earned an LL.M. from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and first foreign law degree from their home country.

For foreign-educated attorneys, law degrees vary by country. For a list of law degrees that meet this requirement, please review the list of accepted foreign law degrees.

English Language Ability:

Students in the JD Transfer for Foreign Lawyers/LLM program should be prepared to read, write, and discuss difficult technical material in courses. Only students who feel confident in their English ability should apply to this program.

For this reason, the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required for foreign applicants seeking admission from non-native English speaking countries. A minimum score of a 100 is required on the Internet-based test.

The J.D. Admissions Committee will consider waiving the TOEFL requirement on a case-by-case basis. To request this waiver, please email an explanation detailing your education or work experience that required speaking and/or writing in English. Email it to wcladmit@wcl.american.edu. 

Candidates admitted into the program enter with advanced standing, receiving up to a maximum of 28 credits for work completed either from the U.S. LL.M. program completed or from their foreign law degree; credits received will be determined by the AUWCL registrar’s office. Admitted students are required to complete the doctrinal first-year curriculum (required for all JD students during their first year). Graduates receive a JD from Washington College of Law, with the opportunity to sit for a U.S. bar exam upon completion.

• Upon admittance into the JD program, AUWCL’s registrar’s office will review the student’s transcripts and offer a maximum of 28 credits to be prior to entering the program.
• Credit for LL.M coursework that is specific to LL.M students only will not substitute for J.D. required courses.
• Grades earned as LL.M students or foreign law students will not be included in the calculation of the AUWCL cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for the J.D. program.

Applications submitted by applicants with an LL.M. from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and first foreign law degree will be reviewed by the J.D. Admissions Committee and will be evaluated within the transfer application pool. In the vast majority of cases, LL.M. degrees granted more than five years from the date of the application will not qualify for this program.

These applicants must provide the following:

• Transfer application; include a resume and personal statement. Application deadline is June 15.

Applicants must apply as transfer students, using the Transfer Application available on-line at https://os.lsac.org/release/startup.aspx?appl=5007A3. You will need to create an account to access the application options. Once you access the application options, select the Transfer/Visiting Application for American University. On the transfer application form, for the Program Selection choose Transfer for Foreign Lawyers/LLM.

Important before submitting: Once you have filled out the application, you can either submit it through LSAC (if you do this, there will be a fee) or you can download the application on your computer (with no fee incurred) and submit it as an attachment in an email to wcladmit@wcl.american.edu. 

• Applicants must have official complete transcripts submitted for both their first law degree and LL.M. For foreign educated candidates, this can be done through the applicant’s university (if the transcript is translated into English) or World Education Services www.wes.org. AUWCL only accepts transcripts directly sent from universities that list every course taken as well as the grades received in each course. The transcript/evaluation must also include an approximate grade point average along with certification that you have earned at least the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree. If a transcript evaluation was done during the LL.M. admissions process at WCL or at another fully accredited U.S. law school, a copy of that report can be used for the J.D. program.

• The LSAT is not required for candidates applying as a Transfer for Foreign Lawyers/Advanced Standing.

• Letter of recommendation from a law professor.

• Official transcript of final LL.M. academic record

• Original copy of undergraduate transcript sent to WCL directly from the school that awarded the baccalaureate degree or the equivalent at the time of matriculation.

• TOEFL/IELTS-score report submitted to the LL.M. program will be used for J.D. admissions.

• American University LL.M. alumni admitted to the JD program must enroll in and meet the requirements of the full-time program.

• AU alum must have a recommendation from a professor
• Letter from the director of AU’s LL.M. program
• Transcripts and can be mailed directly from your current law school to the Washington College of Law Admissions Office

American University Washington College of Law
4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW, Suite C201
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: (202) 274-4101
Email: wcladmit@wcl.american.edu

Note: Applicants admitted to the J.D. program will be required to pay a $900.00 non-refundable seat deposit. Applicants may not request deferment.

Applicants must hold a first degree in law at a foreign law school, are licensed to practice, and have practiced law in their home country. These applicants may apply for admission to our transfer Juris Doctor (J.D.) program, under the following conditions:

• Transfer application; include a resume and personal statement. Application deadline is June 15.

Applicants must apply as transfer students, using the Transfer Application available on-line at https://os.lsac.org/release/startup.aspx?appl=5007A3. You will need to create an account to access the application options. Once you access the application options, select the Transfer/Visiting Application for American University. On the transfer application form, for the Program Selection choose Transfer for Foreign Lawyers/LLM.

Important before submitting: Once you have filled out the application, you can either submit it through LSAC (if you do this there will be a fee) or you can download the application on your computer (with no fee incurred) and submit it as an attachment in an email to wcladmit@wcl.american.edu. 

• The LSAT is not required for candidates applying as a Transfer for Foreign Lawyers/Advanced Standing.

• If your native language is not English and none of your degrees were conducted in English, you will be required to submit at TOEFL score. The Committee on Admissions will consider waiving this TOEFL requirement on a case-by-case basis. To request this waiver, please email a detailed explanation to wcladmit@wcl.american.edu.

Note: Applicants admitted to the J.D. program will be required to pay a $900.00 non-refundable seat deposit. Applicants may not request deferment.

Upon admission in the JD Transfer for Foreign Lawyers program, all students are subject to J.D. rules, regulations, and requirements outline in the American University College of Law catalog.

The statements and provisions in these guidelines are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between an applicant for admission to the law school or a law student and American University, because the educational process necessitates change. American University and the law school reserves the right to change at any time, when warranted, any of the provisions, degree requirements, academic programs, schedules, rules, regulations, or tuition and fees, as might be required. Such changes or modifications shall be effective upon their promulgation by the duly constituted authority.