Law schools using LSAC's Credential Assembly Service receive a standardized academic summary. LSAC converts eligible grades and credits from US and Canadian undergraduate transcripts. A self-calculation can help with planning but is not the CAS result.
Why the number differs
LSAC may include repeated and forgiven course grades when the grades and units remain on the transcript, even if the college removed them from its own GPA. It also uses a conversion table that assigns A+ a value of 4.33. Some nonpunitive withdrawals, pass grades, AP credit, and work after the first bachelor's degree are excluded or reported separately.
Planning formula
Simple conversion example
| Course | Transcript grade | LSAC value | Credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | A+ | 4.33 | 3 | 12.99 |
| Economics | B+ | 3.33 | 3 | 9.99 |
| History | A- | 3.67 | 4 | 14.68 |
| Total | 10 | 37.66 |
Watch cycle-specific changes
LSAC's published transcript summarization policy notes a change in how college courses taken during high school are treated beginning with the 2027-2028 application cycle. Always select the policy for the cycle in which you apply.
Create an LSAC planning worksheet
Use one row for every undergraduate course appearing on each required transcript. Preserve the transcript grade, attempted credits, repeat status, and any academic-forgiveness notation before applying a conversion. Keep excluded or unconverted work visible in a separate section rather than deleting it from the worksheet.
After calculating each institution and year, reconcile the combined attempted credits. A missing repeated course can make an estimate look better while moving it farther from the CAS summary.
Review every undergraduate transcript
Request personal copies early. Repeats, academic forgiveness, punitive failures, and grade symbols can be handled differently from the institution's GPA.