Last fall, Harvard Law School announced that it would begin to accept GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT for applicants to its JD program. Currently, 18 other American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools accept the GRE in place of the LSAT (click here for the most current list of schools).

This trend is welcomed by many as it allows those considering various postgraduate degree paths to potentially take one standardized test (the GRE) that would be also be accepted by certain law schools. The move ostensibly expands access to legal education by making it easier (and more affordable) to apply to law school. The GRE is administered more frequently (and in more locations) than the LSAT, and many potential law school applicants have already taken the GRE for previous degree programs (or in preparation to apply for them).

It’s important to note that the overwhelming majority of law schools (~90%) still require students to submit LSAT scores for admittance. Furthermore, current ABA standards do not allow law schools to admit more than 10% of their incoming classes without the traditional LSAT score.

While many in the legal education field foresee more law schools accepting the GRE in the coming years, these changes will take some time, especially given that law school admissions standards are overseen by the ABA.

In short, for those committed to pursing a law degree, we have some simple advice: take the LSAT. For those who are interested in applying to law school but don’t want to prepare for the dreaded LSAT, click here to explore your options.

If you are interested in applying to law school and would like a free consultation about the process and information about preparing for the LSAT, please feel free to contact Maki Gorchynsky (maki@mosereducational.com, 303-396-3676).