Transfer law students find academic success, lack maximum integration

Transferring schools and the rapid change, unfamiliarity and stress that come with it can make for a difficult process.

A recent study by the Law School Survey of Student Engagement shows that J.D. students who transfer midway through their legal education thrive academically but struggle to acclimate at their new law schools.

The study, which incorporates the responses of 33,000 students in 95 U.S. and Canadian law schools, found that  transfer students not only report higher levels of academic and personal development but also are more likely than nontransfer students to come to class prepared after having read and studied more.

This group of students also were significantly more likely to report that they were satisfied with their overall legal education experience at their new school. 

“Despite their academic success, transfer students’ overall experience at their new school is mixed,” said Carole Silver, director of LSSSE and law professor in the Maurer School of Law, in a press release.

“The survey finds that transfer students do not fully integrate into their new environment, at least in the 2L year, although they are successful according to traditional academic measures.”

On the other hand, transfer students are less likely than their nontransfer peers to engage with others in co-curricular activities and other collaborative efforts with other students and faculty members.

They also are less likely to do pro bono activities and work in law-related settings.
“LSSSE is premised on the notion that students’ reflections on their own experiences comprise a valuable barometer of the health of the law school,” Silver said.

“As law schools increasingly compete for students, opportunities for transferring likely will increase. Awareness of these differences therefore enables law schools to address the challenges of transferring and adjust their programs accordingly.”

The survey results add insight into the ways studetns develop and learn while in law school Tom Morgan, Oppenheim Professor of Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law at The George Washington University Law School, also noted in the release the value of LSSSE.

Law faculty “tend to be profoundly ignorant  about...how our students study, learn and grow. Each year, LSSSE gives us insight into that kind of important information,” he said.

~Matthew Glowicki