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.
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.
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.
Learn more about the law school admissions process and HLS community through our online resources and in-person events this fall.
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.
As we fully dive into recruitment season this month, the J.D. Admissions team is reflecting on our previous admissions cycle. We ramped up our recruitment travel last year, visiting almost 90 university and college campuses across the United States and the United Kingdom. We also expanded our virtual outreach, hosting over 50 online events for September 3, 2024
We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2027 to campus this week! As we look forward to the rest of the fall, we are already gearing up for recruitment efforts for the Class of 2028. Whether you are interested in learning more about Harvard Law School or seeking guidance on the application process for August 21, 2024
The Harvard Junior Deferral Program (JDP) can take you anywhere you can imagine (sometimes even places you haven’t imagined). JDP provides time before law school to explore other opportunities, the world, and, most importantly, yourself. Reflecting on my two-year deferral time, it is difficult to narrow down all of my experiences from spending time in August 2, 2024
