
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.
Application Timeline
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.

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.
1L Class Profile

Meet the Class of 2025
J.D. Admissions Blog
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From Community College to Harvard Law School
Community college students form an important part of the Harvard Law School community. Meet Josh and Saeed, two students at HLS who attended community college before transferring to a four-year institution. We hope this post inspires more community college graduates to consider HLS. Josh and Saeed, tell us about your path to Harvard Law. Saeed:
January 31, 2023
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Updated Timeline for the 2023 Application Cycle
It’s been an eventful week in our office, to put it mildly. With our first batch of decisions out, I thought it might be helpful for us to update our expectations for the 2023 Application Cycle Timeline.
January 12, 2023
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Should you include a “why Harvard” statement in your application?
Each year at this time, we receive questions about how applicants should express interest in Harvard Law School. Include a “Why Harvard” essay? Talk about HLS in the personal statement? Maybe an addendum on this topic? The answer to all these questions is the same: no, that’s not necessary. Let’s start with the separate “why
December 2, 2022
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Launching to 1L: How to Make the Most Out of a Law School Event
In our blog series, Launching to 1L, we offer applicants advice on navigating the application process from beginning to end. To continue this series, we will discuss how to prepare for law-related online and in-person events. Associate Director of Admissions, Courtney McMann Remember that prospective student events, Q&As, and forums are for you. “This an
November 8, 2022