Categories of Admission

Juris Doctor Degree Program

Regular Students with a Bachelor’s Degree

Applicants previously awarded a bachelor’s degree from a qualified institution of higher learning are considered for regular admission.

Regular Students without a Bachelor’s Degree

Trinity Law School offers law school candidates without a bachelor’s degree an exceptional opportunity to enter law school before completing their undergraduate study. Applicants may be admitted upon completion of an associate’s degree from a qualified institution or upon earning at least 60 transferable units of undergraduate study. Applicants may also be admitted as Special Students (students who have not completed the minimum two years of college work but have demonstrated intellectual achievement by achieving acceptable scores on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams prior to beginning the study of law) and must pass the First-Year Law Students' Examination (FYLSX) to advance to the second year of study.

Transfer Students

Applicants enrolled in legal study elsewhere may be considered for transfer status. The Admissions Committee evaluates transfer applicants on a case-by-case basis but usually requires transfer students to complete their last four semesters enrolled in courses at Trinity Law School. Applicants who have completed some law school credits at their original school may be eligible for advanced standing. Grades at or above the good standing level (good standing level is determined by the school where the classes were taken) may be accepted for transfer credit subject to the similarity to Trinity Law School course content. Applicants who have been previously dismissed by another law school may be considered for admission. If the student was dismissed at the end of the first year, units will not transfer unless the FYLSX is taken and passed. Admission of transfer students and transfer of units are determined by the Admissions Committee and in accordance with the rules of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California. TLS has not entered into an articulation or transfer agreement with any colleges or universities.

Visiting Students

Individuals currently pursuing legal studies at another institution have the option to apply as visiting students to the Juris Doctor (JD) program. Each Visiting Student application is reviewed on an individual basis. To qualify, applicants must be in good standing in another JD program and will maintain their enrollment at their current law school while seeking to enroll in course(s) at Trinity Law School to fulfill the required credits for their degree at their primary institution. 

Admission Agreements

California Baptist University (CBU) - Trinity Law School admits students from California Baptist University who earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average after completing the California Baptist University residency and general education requirements as well as the requirements for the Political Science Major with a Pre-Law emphasis. By the first semester of their junior year. students must: (1) complete a minimum of 98 semester units of undergraduate study; (2) receive a Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score of 143 or higher; and (3) complete the Trinity Law School application process.

International Students and/or Foreign-Educated Students

For purposes of admission to Trinity Law School, international students are defined solely on their citizenship/permanent residency status. If a student does not hold citizenship or permanent residency in the United States, the student is classified as an international student.

Trinity Law School will assist students who are not United States citizens or residents to apply for F-1 visas upon a student’s acceptance to the Juris Doctor program. There are no fees associated with this service offered by Trinity Law School.

All foreign-educated applicants, whether classified as international students or not, must request a course-by-course evaluation from a credential evaluation service approved by the State Bar of California. The list of approved agencies is available from the State Bar of California and the Trinity Law School Admissions Department.

All instruction at Trinity Law School is in English. Trinity Law School does not provide English language services.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language may be required to provide evidence of a passing Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score if they have not earned a ‘C’ or better in a regular (non-English as a Second Language (ESL)) college-level English composition course at an accredited United States college or university. 

A passing TOEFL score is either 580 (paper-based examination), 92 (internet-based examination), or 237 (computer-based examination). Scores from any test format should be sent to TLS directly from Educational Testing Service.

International students who must obtain a passing TOEFL Score may alternatively demonstrate English competency by the completion of one of the following methods:

  • Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) with a verbal recentered score of 450 or higher.
  • English Language Services (ELS) Language Centers’ Level 112 of ELS’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program with a grade of at least ‘B’.
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination score total of 6.5 or higher.

If a student does not meet Trinity Law School’s required level of English proficiency at the time of application, a “conditional letter of admission” may be granted.

Master of Legal Studies Degree Program

Applicants previously awarded a bachelor’s degree from a qualified institution of higher learning are considered for admission.

Individuals can also apply as visiting students to the Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program if they desire to take a few units but not earn a degree. To qualify, applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from a qualifying university. Each Visiting Student application is reviewed on an individual basis. The primary use of this option in the MLS program is for qualified applicants to enroll in Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) courses to prepare for the SHRM examination.