J.D. Applicants

Status Checker

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 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.

Recruitment Events & Information Sessions

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

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

Connect with Admissions

Application Timeline

  • Apply for Admission

    The application for Fall Term 2023 enrollment is now available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website.

  • Submission Deadline

    The application for Fall Term 2023 enrollment closes on February 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

  • Decision Release

    The J.D. Admissions Office will begin releasing decisions for Fall Term 2023 applicants in January 2023. We aim to notify all applicants of their admission decision by early April.

    Applications are reviewed approximately in the order in which they are completed. We appreciate your patience with the process of providing individual consideration to each application.

    Visit our blog for more information on important dates for the 2022–2023 application cycle.

Application Process

Application Advice

1L Class Profile

Meet the Class of 2025

HLS 1L Profile and Facts

J.D. Admissions Blog

  • Featured image for 2021–2022 by the Numbers article

    2021–2022 by the Numbers

    With our 1Ls rounding out their first official month at Harvard Law School, the J.D. Admissions team is reflecting on our past admissions cycle. We are grateful to have met with various prospective students throughout our virtual Q&A sessions, forums, fairs, and conferences. Our team welcomed admitted students to the HLS campus for the first

    September 21, 2022

  • Featured image for Admissions Officer: Mark Richter article

    Admissions Officer: Mark Richter

    Mark Richter is our newest team member, and we’re so glad he’s here. Read our conversation with Mark to learn a bit more about him.

    September 16, 2022

  • Timeline for the 2023 Application Cycle

    For the past four years, we have announced our timeline for decision dates in advance of the cycle. We hope it will help applicants plan for the coming year, and alleviate at least some of the stress inherent in the process.

    July 8, 2022