J.D. Applicants - Harvard Law School | Harvard Law School

Overview & Eligibility

Overview

The J.D. (Juris Doctor) at Harvard Law School is a three-year program of study that first gives students the intellectual foundations for legal study and practice, and then gives students the opportunity to focus their studies on areas of particular interest through advanced classes, clinics, and legal writing projects.
Eligibility

All applicants must hold or expect to hold a bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) prior to August of the year for which they apply to enter (except in cases where all requirements are met prior to September and degree conferral occurs after September).

Applicants may apply for admission to Harvard Law School through the regular J.D. application no more than three times. Applications submitted via the Junior Deferral Program (JDP) and the J.D. Transfer pathways do not count towards this cap.

Ineligible candidates who submit an application will not be considered for admission and will not receive an application fee reimbursement.

Admissions Events

Students walking on the HLS campus with the Red and Green flagpole banners in the background

Recruitment Events & Information Sessions

Learn more about the law school admissions process and HLS community through our online resources and in-person events this fall.

Connect with Admissions

Apply

View Application Requirements and Apply

Application Timeline

Apply for Admission

The application for Fall Term 2025 enrollment will be available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website in mid-September 2024.
Submission Deadline

The application for Fall Term 2025 enrollment will close in mid-February 2025.
Decision Release

We expect to share more information about our expected decision release timeline for Fall Term 2025 enrollment by the end of July 2024.

Application Toolkit

We compiled the application resources, information, and advice from across our website to help you put together an application that best reflects your abilities and readiness for Harvard Law School.

Application Toolkit

1L Class Profile

Meet the Class of 2025

HLS 1L Profile and Facts

J.D. Admissions Blog

Visit the J.D. Admissions Blog

Transferring to HLS: Joining the Harvard Law Review

Thinking about transferring to Harvard Law School (HLS) and interested in writing on to the Harvard Law Review? Students that transfer to HLS can join the Harvard Law Review either as a rising 2L, or as a rising 3L (although they may only participate in the competition once). Write-On is a six-day competition where students

June 14, 2024
Transferring to HLS: A Transformative Experience in Legal Aid

By joining the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB), I am doing more hands-on, direct services work as a student than I could be doing anywhere else. When I was considering transferring, one of my biggest concerns was whether I would have the opportunity to get clinical experience in my second year, given the uncertainty about

May 13, 2024
JDP Reflections: The Varied Roles of a Teacher

–Mohini Tangri ’24 During the second semester of my junior year, I decided to apply to Harvard’s Junior Deferral Program. I was excited and nervous — I didn’t know what my chances were, and I also wasn’t sure what I would spend my two gap years doing if I got in. But in June of

May 1, 2024
Transcending Borders: The Story of a Dreamer at Harvard Law School

Embarking on a journey to Harvard Law School was a path I never could have imagined as a child. The decision to move to the United States at the age of seven marked the beginning of a profound transformation. From squeezing our entire lives into a single cramped room, fearing the constant threat of deportation,

April 25, 2024