Assistant Dean’s Corner

Back in September, we set out our expected timeline for the 2020–2021 application cycle on this blog. I’m writing today to share one update to the September blog post: we plan to interview and admit candidates in April this year.

With the turn of the calendar to January, we often wish one another a happy new year. But it has been hard to do so in the past week. As we all reflect on the first days of 2021, I wanted to share a message from our student body co-presidents to the HLS community. I found Noelle and Billy’s words meaningful, and I hope you do too. - Dean Jobson

The timing of the admissions process can feel mysterious. When will interviews begin? When will you receive a decision on your application? In an attempt to demystify the timeline a bit, we released dates for the 2019–2020 cycle on this blog last summer. After receiving positive feedback on this step from applicants, we are going to try it again this year.

Now that it is September, we are turning our attention to the upcoming application cycle. But before we do, we took a moment to look back at 2019–2020 by the numbers, as we did last year.

Happy almost-August! I’m thrilled to announce the launch of a new podcast, in collaboration with the Yale Law School admissions team. YLS admissions dean Miriam Ingber and I have teamed up to co-host Navigating Law School Admissions with Miriam & Kristi.

I’ll be honest: I’m incredibly attached to the members of the Class of 2021 that I admitted off the waitlist in summer 2018. They’re amazing. And one of them has some advice for you.

The start of May brings the start of our transfer admission cycle at HLS. Now that the summer 2020 transfer application is open, we thought it was high time for transfers to have their own section of the blog.

They say April showers bring May flowers, and certainly in Cambridge, the tulips, daffodils, and crocuses mark the transition to spring.

I hope this blog post finds you well. This has been a difficult time for all of us. Please know that I am sending you my best. While everyone’s primary focus is ensuring the health and safety of our communities right now, we wanted to take a moment to address some of the thoughtful questions […]

Many of you may have heard about some of the precautionary measures that Harvard Law School has implemented to keep our community healthy during the coronavirus outbreak. Most notably, classes have moved to online instruction, and many students, faculty, and staff will be working remotely after Spring Break.

Once upon a time, applicants began referring to my predecessor Jessica Soban as JS. The trend stuck, and everyone on our team began referring to each other by our initials. PG, CP, RV, KJ – you hear it all on the second floor of Austin Hall.

Hot take: January is our favorite month here at HLS.

Happy New Year! Many students have returned to HLS for the January Winter Term, and the energy and bustle is slowly returning to campus along with them. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight an exciting summer internship opportunity for prospective students to work at the HLS Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA). Read on for more information.

You are a truly impressive group. It has been such a pleasure getting to know you on paper and via video chat over these past weeks, and we’re looking forward to corresponding more directly over the coming months as you prepare to join us here at Harvard Law School.

Travel season is coming to a close, and we are all experiencing mixed emotions in the J.D. Admissions Office.

September is a busy and exciting time for the J.D. Admissions staff here at HLS. The Class of 2022 has finally begun classes, our summer projects have wound to a close, and we’re making final preparations to start accepting applications for the Class of 2023. We’re also getting ready to hit the road!

The Class of 2022 began 1L Orientation this week, which means that the 2018 – 2019 cycle has officially come to a close.

Our application for regular J.D. candidates opens on September 16, 2019 – one month from today – and will close on February 28, 2020.

It is only July, but our team is already looking ahead to the upcoming cycle, and we suspect you may be, too.

May 1st is a big day in our office.