J.D. Applicants

Application Information

• Overview

  The J.D. (Juris Doctor) at Harvard Law School is a three-year, full-time, in-person rigorous 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.

  For generations, our teachers have taken instruction and pedagogy very seriously. Learn more about what the HLS faculty expect of our students.

• 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.

• When to Apply

  Each year, the application for Fall semester enrollment opens in mid-September, and closes in mid-February. We aim to notify all applicants of their admission decision by early April.

  Please see the Application Components webpage for precise dates.