Advanced Standing & International Students
As an institution that prides itself on the diversity of its student body, St. Thomas Law is proud to offer an accelerated law program for foreign attorneys, also known as the Advanced Standing Program. Attorneys from abroad are able to complete their legal studies in an abridged program and receive their Juris Doctor degree after roughly two years (or 60 credits) of consecutive study at St. Thomas Law.
Pursuant to the provisions of ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools, Standard 507, the law school may accept up to 30 credits as “advanced standing credits” from any student who engaged in legal studies at an academic institution in another country and obtained the terminal academic degree required to practice law in said country. These credits are applied toward St. Thomas Law’s 90 credit hour graduation requirement, thus shortening the Juris Doctor Program for Advanced Standing Students to approximately two years.
To be considered for transfer credits the law school must find that the quality of the educational program at the foreign institution was at least equal to the quality of education at an ABA-accredited school, the student must have received the equivalent of a “C” or above in the course (courses graded on a Pass/Fail system are not considered) and the content of the course considered for the credits must be such that it is appropriate to grant transfer credits. Grades associated with the credits accepted for transfer are not used in computing the student’s grade point average at St. Thomas Law. No more than 30 credits will transfer from the foreign school.
If you are a foreign attorney and would like to be considered for admission to our Advanced Standing Degree Program please submit all of the application materials listed above in the Application Checklist, as well as a translated copy of your academic credentials from your degree granting institution. Advanced Standing Applicants must also present the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Submit a copy of your most recent TOEFL report with your application material. Foreign applicants with graduate degrees in the United States are eligible for TOEFL waivers.
Additionally, if your first language is not English AND your undergraduate degree was obtained outside the United States, you must present results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please request an original from ETS and submit a copy of your most recent TOEFL report with your application material.
Minimum TOEFL Requirements:
Computer-based: 213 or higher.
Paper-based: 550 or higher.
Internet-based: 79 or higher.
Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL)
PO Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA
Applicants with Foreign Credentials