505 Letter-dismissed student-Transferring to a new school

[hereIgoagain]

Hello all,

I attended law school for a year and half before being academically dismissed. I am now exploring options at other law schools.
I've been asked to provide a 505 letter which is a letter that the dismissing school provides for the new admitting school stating the reasons showing that the student posses the requisite ability to complete the course of study at the new law school.
I need to see a sample of such letter to see what I should be asking my school because they are not very responsive.

I greatly appreciate any help.

Thank you,

HereIgoagain

[scoop333]

You may want to take a look at the book Dismissed Law Student Essays.  Its availabe on Amazon.  I don't know much about the book but it seems to fit what you are looking for...possibly.  Good luck!

[jroc8423]

hEREiGOAGAIN WHATS YOUR NEXT MOVE?

[fortook]

I am in the same boat.  I got several bad grades my second semester and was academically dismissed.  I asked my dean for a 505 letter and as I expected, he said "nope".  They won't help me go to another school.

If you had a decent guy or gal as dean at your former school you may have a shot.  He/she may help you out.  I appealed to his sense of "karma", but as I expected he refused to help me and I knew a 505 letter is not typically given.  There is no obligation to do so and don't bet on it. 

You will probably have to wait the standard 2 years per ABA rules.  Do what I am doing- get a master's in something you enjoy and apply to another school for fall 2012.

In my case I ended up in a lower tier school that dismissed 40% of their 1L class.  Now that I know this, I am saddened that I ended up going there.  I wish I knew better, but that's life- live and learn.  So I am going to take the LSAT again and apply to schools that try to help their classes succeed versus the "weeding out" approach that some law school use to up their bar passage rates. 

There are schools that have attrition rates as high as 40% and school with rates as low as 0%.  I can not stress this enough- pay attention to attrition rates. I simply did not know some of the inner workings and how different some schools can be.  I probably can apply to my former school after 1 year, rather than 2- there were so many people in the 1L and 2L classes there that were on their "second go"- creepy ehe?- should have seen that as red flags after my first week there.  Most schools, I believe, allow for this.  So if you want to deal with your old school again you may only have to wait 1 year.  As for myself, I do not.  Do your research and you can end up alright. 

I have been researching quite a bit on what students do after academic dismissal.  It must happen often.  There are maybe 7 or 8 schools, if not more, that have 30% plus academic attrition rates.  That's hundreds of student per year.  Surprisingly, there is little that I have been able to find.  Or maybe it's not so surprising due to the embarrassment involved.  I did look at the some writings from the author of Dismissed Law Student Essays available for free on line at lawschoolcrossing.com.  They are not very useful to either of us.  The author was dismissed and decided not to go back.  She mostly writes about her emotional state, not practical tangible information.  It is more of a pep talk.  Not a how to. 

If you find something in your own research, please post it.  I will do the same.  Good luck.

[Thane Messinger]

Here -

jroc asks a good question.  What is your goal? 

Among the many challenges in transferring will be the importance of grades, even in a lateral transfer.  The reasons for each academic disqualification is unique, of course, but by any objective measure you will have a tremendously difficult challenge quite apart from your original law school willingness to issue a letter of good standing. 

Note:  This is not to say that it can't be done, nor that it shouldn't be done, but objective and dispassionate analysis is a key in any legal context.

Have you read Art of the Law School Transfer?  That might help as to the threshold question.  From there, perhaps a different tack with your (former) law school dean?

Thane.

Hello all,

I attended law school for a year and half before being academically dismissed. I am now exploring options at other law schools.
I've been asked to provide a 505 letter which is a letter that the dismissing school provides for the new admitting school stating the reasons showing that the student posses the requisite ability to complete the course of study at the new law school.
I need to see a sample of such letter to see what I should be asking my school because they are not very responsive.

I greatly appreciate any help.

Thank you,

HereIgoagain

[fortook]

Did you get in somewhere?  And if so, did you have to start all over?