Applying for JD Degree
Applying to law school can be a challenging process, but it is an opportunity for you to begin planning for your future. The best advice is to read all of the instructions carefully, pay close attention to detail, ask questions, and be yourself.
Application Process Overview
Timeline
Applications for admission to the first year of the J.D. program are accepted during the fall/winter before study is to begin. New students enter Berkeley Law in the fall only; there is no mid-year nor spring admission.
To begin the J.D. program in the Fall term of 2009, you should complete your application about 6-10 months earlier (in the fall of 2008 or very early in 2009). Applications are accepted between October 1 and February 2.
You should apply as early as possible. We make admission decisions on a "rolling" basis. This means that there are more admission offers available early in the cycle. You may submit your application before you receive your LSAT score.
Requirements
You must hold a bachelor's degree from an approved college or university in order to be a law student. You may complete your undergraduate coursework while applying. It is not necessary to wait to apply until after your fall, senior year grades are posted.
You are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and to provide official transcripts to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). Transcripts should be from all schools attended.
Your LSAT score and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) are the most important criteria in evaluating your academic potential to study law. You can use the average LSAT percentile and undergraduate GPA of the previous year's admitted applicant pool to understand the competitive nature of our admissions process. However, because we take several other factors into account in making admission decisions, higher or lower scores and grades neither ensure nor preclude admission.
Parts of the Application
- Application Form to be submitted as an e-app via Law Services (preferred) or downloaded from our website
- Supplemental Questionnaires (optional but recommended)
- Application Fee
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement (2-4 pages)
- Resume (recommended)
- Addenda (optional)
- LSDAS Report (transcript summary and LSAT score report)
Please see Preparing to Apply and Application Forms and Deadlines for more information about how to prepare and submit your application.
If you have questions you may contact the Admissions Office by calling, (510) 642-2274, or by sending email to admissions@law.berkeley.edu.
Application Fee
A non-refundable $75 application fee must be paid by a check or money order drawn from a U.S. bank, or by an international money order in U.S. currency. Checks should be made payable to "UC Regents." Do not send cash. You may use a credit card if you apply electronically.
The fee must be submitted upon application. We will not process your application without it. The fee cannot be used for processing applications to other law schools in the University of California system.
Fee WaiversA limited number of application fee waivers are available to the most needy applicants.
The deadline for fee waiver requests is February 1. For advanced standing applicants, the deadline is June 15. Applicants who do not receive a waiver or who do not meet the deadline must pay the application fee.