Junior Deferral Program

JDP Overview

As an undergraduate student thinking about what to do after graduation, you may know you want to go to law school, however, you may want to explore other professional, educational, or service opportunities first. Harvard Law School’s Junior Deferral Program gives you that option. Through the program, you can apply to HLS as a college junior (or the international equivalent) as long as you are scheduled to complete all required coursework and graduate the following year. If admitted, you must commit to defer your offer of admission for a minimum of two years once you’ve completed your undergraduate degree. You may use this deferral period to explore your interests and gain hands-on work experience before returning to the law school classroom.

Eligibility

Students interested in applying to the Junior Deferral Program during the current admissions cycle must be scheduled to complete coursework and graduate from their undergraduate program by Spring 2024. In addition, an applicant’s undergraduate degree must be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree to be eligible to apply. The duration of the undergraduate program may vary.

Information Sessions

Cohort Profile

*Data reflects all students admitted to HLS via the Junior Deferral Program in the past five years

Student Voices