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Deferring Law School
Many law school applicants have heard of deferring, but few know anything about the practice. In order to make applicants more aware of this process, we have outlined exactly what deferring is, how it works, and what you should know about it.
What is Deferring?
Deferring is a process by which accepted law school applicants can delay matriculation to a law school for a year or longer, without having to reapply when they are ready to begin taking courses. By deferring admission to a law school, applicants effectively accept the admissions offer, delay their first year of classes, and guarantee that their space is held for them until the following year.
How Deferring Works
The typical process of receiving a deferment is outlined below:
- You must be accepted
for admission at the law school in question. Note: your admissions offer
must still be valid at the time of your deferment request. For example,
if the deposit deadline to hold your seat passes and you have neither
paid the deposit nor made a deferment request, the option to defer or
even enroll is typically no longer valid.
- While holding a
valid admission offer from the school, you make a formal written request
for deferment to the school’s admissions office. This request
must include a valid reason for deferment, such as sickness, personal
issues, employment commitments, delays to a degree currently in progress,
or financial constraints.
- Your request for
a deferment is not automatically granted by the school, and your request
can be rejected. If the request is rejected you have two choices: either
enroll for the upcoming semester, or relinquish your hold on a seat
and reapply when you are ready to start school. If your deferment request
is granted, you must typically take the following steps:
- Make a non-refundable seat deposit. This deposit usually ranges from $300-$1000.
- Pay a non-refundable processing fee (this varies somewhat by school).
- Sign an agreement stating that you will not enroll at another law school, accept a deferment offer from another law school, or apply to another law school.
Important Notes
- Students who are
granted a deferral request will typically be allowed to defer for only
one year; very few schools allow longer deferments.
- Students who are
accepted off of a waitlist typically do not have the option to request
a deferment.
- Receiving a deferment
is rare in most cases; in fact, some schools offer only 5 to 10 deferments
per year.
- Accepting a deferment
and then applying to another school or enrolling at another law school
is looked upon as unethical and can cause serious problems during your
State Bar review and inquiry.
- If you choose
to defer for a year or more, make productive use of the time off. Focus
on something that will help clarify your legal career goals. For example,
if you are interested in environmental law but are not unsure as to
whether you would enjoy it as a long-term career, get a job related
to environmental law in order to clarify your objectives in law school.
- If you know that you are going to attempt deferment to pursue further work experience, hold off on applying until you are actually ready to attend school. An applicant who has some post-graduate work experience is generally viewed as more stable and worldly than a graduating senior, thereby giving the working applicant a better chance of admission.
