Application Forms & Procedures
The Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program*
First-year Applicants: Our application period for first-year applicants is September 1-February 1. We are currently not accepting applications for Fall 2013. We will release the application for Fall 2014 on September 1, 2013.
Transfer and Special Status Applicants:
Transfer (2nd Year) Applicants - The Transfer application for the 2013 Fall term is now available. Be sure to submit your application by June 15th even if copies of your home law school transcripts will be unavailable until after the deadline. Please read our Transfer FAQ and the application instructions before submitting your application. You may submit the application form using one of the following methods:
1. Submit the application form electronically through the LSAC website (preferred). Some documents must be submitted directly to our office. Please review the transfer requirements for more details.
2. Complete and mail a paper copy of the 2013 JD Transfer Application.
Special Status (3rd Year) Applicants - The Special Status application for the 2013 Fall term is now available. Be sure to submit your application by the June 15th deadline even if copies of your home law school transcripts will be unavailable until after the deadline. Please read our Special Status FAQ and the 2013 Special Status Application Instructions before submitting your application. Special Status applicants cannot submit an application through LSAC. Method of submission:
1. Complete and mail a paper copy of the 2013 JD Special Status Application.
Application Fee
A non-refundable $75 application fee must be paid by a check or money order drawn from a U.S. bank and made payable to "U.C. Regents", or by an international money order in U.S. currency. You may use a credit card if you apply online through Law Services. The fee must accompany the application. Your application will not be processed without it. The fee cannot be used for processing applications to other law schools within the University of California System.
Fee Waivers
We offer a need-based application fee waiver program which is administered by Law Services. If you obtain an LSAC fee waiver your application fee will be waived automatically when you apply to Berkeley. Information on the LSAC fee waiver program and how to apply is available here.
Merit-based waivers are not offered.
Fee waivers also are available to applicants who are current or recently-separated participants in public service programs (i.e., Peace Corps, Teach for America, AmeriCorps), who are active or recently-separated members of the military, or who have special circumstances.
If your circumstances are unusual, or if you have recently experienced a substantial financial hardship, you may attach an explanation that describes your current financial status via the online application form.
Click here to access our fee waiver application form.
Submit the form with proof of your participation in a public service program and/or other supporting documentation.
The deadline to submit a fee waiver application is the end of business on January 15.
Applicants who do not receive a waiver or who miss the deadline must pay the fee.
We do not offer a fee waiver program for transfer or special status applicants.
Reapplying to the School
If you took the LSAT more than five years ago you must take the test again. You must renew your CAS account and resubmit transcripts and recommendations if your Law Services account has expired. Contact Law Services to determine your status and then use their system to apply online. Although a decision from a previous year has no bearing on a subsequent application, we recommend reapplicants not to submit an identical application. This usually means submitting a revised personal statement, obtaining additional work or other experiences, pursuing a graduate degree in the intervening period, and/or taking the LSAT again. We will use the highest LSAT score except when two or more scores are clustered closely together, in which case we will use the average.
Financial Aid
Please refer to the Financial Aid section of the website for more information about financial aid.
*If you are disabled and experience difficulty accessing the application and instructions on our website, please contact Minara Mordecai at (510) 642-2274 for assistance.
