Northwestern University

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Application requirements

Deadline

Feb 15, 2026

Application fee

$75.00

Recommendations

1 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

Northwestern Law JD Application Instructions

To be eligible for admission to the Juris Doctor program at Northwestern Law, you must have a bachelor?s degree from an accredited college or university, or have completed the equivalent of six semesters and expect to graduate during the current academic year.

In recent years, the Admissions Committee has selected the members of the first-year class from approximately 8,000 applicants. Decisions are based on a number of factors, including academic records, personal essays, recommendation letters, standardized test results, interviews, work experience, extracurricular activities, leadership, and personal circumstances.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Application Materials

A completed application to Northwestern Law consists of:

The following Application for Admission form
A personal statement (electronically attached to your Application for Admission)
One letter of recommendation
LSAT and/or GRE results
The Credential Assembly Service Law School Report, which includes your LSAT results and previous transcripts (sent to us electronically, if you have registered with LSAC)
A current résumé (electronically attached to your Application for Admission)
A nonrefundable $75 application fee (payable by credit card electronically)

Additionally, the following items are optional:

An evaluative interview. Please note that the Admissions Committee occasionally invites candidates to interview who previously had not requested one in order to obtain additional information prior to rendering a decision.
Optional essay(s) (electronically attached to your Application for Admission)

The various parts of the completed application may be sent to the Law School before the Application for Admission itself. Any supplementary materials submitted with the Application for Admission must clearly list your name and LSAC account number on each page. Although your Social Security number is requested to assist in the accurate assembly of your file, you are not required to supply that number.

Application Updates

Although the Office of Admissions seeks to keep you informed of the status of your application, it is your responsibility to ensure that all parts of your application are received before the deadline. You can check the status of your application via a website that will be emailed to you after receipt of your application. To receive this email, you must apply with a valid email address.

Applicants will be notified of their decisions electronically. Decisions will not be sent via U.S. mail, nor will decisions be provided over the phone.

How to Apply for Admission

We require that all applicants complete their application to Northwestern Law via the LSAC Credential Assembly Service electronic application.

If you have difficulty with the electronic application or lack access to a computer, we will email you a PDF copy of the application or fax you a paper version. Please contact the Office of Admissions at (312) 503-8465 or admissions@law.northwestern.edu.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and distinguish yourself from other applicants. You may discuss, among other topics, your personal or professional goals, or personal, academic, or career history. Please do not send revisions to your personal statement after you have submitted your application.

Letter of Recommendation

One letter of recommendation is required. The letter should be completed by someone who may evaluate your professional performance (e.g., current or former supervisor, client, or co-worker) or your academic performance (e.g., college professor).

Please note that because only one recommendation is required, your file will become complete once we have received the first letter. The Office of Admissions will not hold your file for pending recommendations. You Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Law School Report will not be transmitted to Northwestern Law until at least one letter of recommendation has been received and processed by LSAC.

Credential Assembly Service Law School Report

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Law School Report contains a summary of each applicant?s academic work and LSAT results. It also includes copies of college transcripts.

You are encouraged to register for CAS in early fall. Please ask your college registrars to mail transcripts to LSAC as soon as they become available. Although LSAC attempts to inform each applicant about the receipt of transcripts, you are responsible for following up with LSAC.

If you received your undergraduate degree from an educational institution outside the United States, its territories, and Canada, you are required to register with CAS and have your transcripts and any other required documentation sent to LSAC for processing. LSAC will then forward your complete CAS report to the Law School.

Standardized Test Scores

Applicants must take either the LSAT or the GRE and submit valid test result(s) as part of their application for admission. The Law School will accept LSAT or GRE scores up to five years after the test date. If you take either test more than once, we will use your highest score(s) when evaluating your file.

LSAT test results are sent directly to the Law School from LSAC as part of your CAS report. Therefore, if you have taken the LSAT and have a valid reported score on file, it cannot be waived from your application. Applicants may register for the LSAT through the LSAC website.

Applicants applying with a GRE may submit their GRE test result(s) in lieu of or in conjunction with LSAT test result(s) for the Admissions Committee to consider. If you elect to submit your GRE scores for consideration and have taken the GRE more than once in the last five years then you must submit all valid GRE test results. GRE test results are sent directly to the Law School from ETS. Northwestern Law's GRE school code is 2579.

To be sure that your application is completed on time, you should take either test no later than November 2025 if you are applying early decision or no later than February 2026 if you are applying regular decision. Although later test results are accepted, waiting for these results may delay review of your application.

Additional information can be found on our website, http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/faq/faqjd.html#TEST.

Optional Essay

Responding to these questions is entirely optional and should not be viewed as required. You may include responses to as many of the four optional essays as you wish or none at all. These are intended to give you an opportunity to provide additional information that you were unable to include in other portions of the application. Please limit your response to each essay that you complete to 1-2 pages, double-spaced, and at least an 11-point font.

Online Video Interviews

All applicants have the option of including an evaluative interview with their application. All interviews are conducted online. Interviews provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about your interpersonal skills, maturity, and motivation. Interviews also provide you with the opportunity to learn more about the Law School.

To request an online interview, you must first submit your application for admission and indicate your desire to complete an online interview. Within 5-7 business days of submitting your application, you will receive an acknowledgement of your interview request and a link to the online video portal where you will register and complete your online interview. Online interviews can be conducted at any time of the day and can be completed in approximately thirty minutes.

Application Filing Period

Applications for Admission are accepted from September 1 to February 15, and are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in November. Applicants should complete the application process as early as possible, as an early application often yields an early decision. If your materials are received by the February 15 deadline, you will be notified of your decision by the end of May.

The Law School may exclude from consideration any application submitted after February 15 or any application that is incomplete on that date. Applications are considered only for the current year and for full-time registration. There is no evening program or mid-year entry.

Early Decision Program

Applicants who have thoroughly researched their law school options and have identified Northwestern Pritzker School of Law as their first choice law school may wish to apply through the Early Decision program. Applicants admitted through the Early Decision program receive a $45,000 annual scholarship.

Northwestern Law?s Early Decision program is binding. If admitted through the Early Decision program, you must commit to matriculating at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and submit a nonrefundable $750 seat deposit by the date indicated in your admission letter. You must also withdraw all of your applications to other schools and refrain from initiating any new applications. You may not be an Early Decision candidate at more than one law school.

To be considered for the Early Decision program, your application must be complete by November 1, including your Credential Assembly Service Law School Report. Accordingly, it is in your best interest to submit your application prior to November 1 to ensure all materials are received in time and to allow time for you to complete the required online video interview. The last acceptable LSAT score is from the November 2025 LSAT administration.

Early Decision applicants must have at least one valid LSAT or GRE test result(s).

An online video interview is required for all Early Decision candidates. Your online video interview must be completed by November 1.

Finally, you must sign and return the Early Decision Certification (Supplemental Application) directly to the Office of Admissions with your Application for Admission. Your Early Decision Certification will not be transmitted by the Credential Assembly Service.

The Early Decision deadline is November 1, 2025 for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. Early Decision candidates will be notified of their decisions by the end of December.

Application Fees and Deposits

The Law School charges the following nonrefundable fees:

Table 2

Reapplicants

Although the Office of Admissions maintains applications for two years, the Admissions Committee requires reapplicants to submit a full application, including an updated personal statement. The updated application will enable the re-applicant to adequately present information that has changed since the original application.

Foreign-Educated Applicants

A separate test of English proficiency is not required for admission into the JD program.

JD-MBA Program

The Law School and Northwestern?s Kellogg School of Management offer a combined JD-MBA program. The joint program enables you to complete both degrees in three years instead of five.

All applicants must submit a single online application, which is available here. Please refer to the application for deadlines.

An evaluative interview must be arranged with a member of Kellogg?s admissions staff or a Kellogg alumni representative. The admissions officers at Kellogg and the Law School jointly evaluate all applications.

Both degrees are conferred upon completion of 16 managerial courses, including all core courses, and a minimum of 73 semester hours of Law School coursework.

JD-PhD Program

The Law School and Northwestern?s Graduate School offer a combined JD-PhD program. The JD-PhD program allows students to earn a law degree and a doctorate in approximately six years. Applicants may select a doctoral program in any discipline, provided they can incorporate their interest in legal studies with their graduate research. Furthermore, JD-PhD candidates must complete a dissertation that integrates both disciplines.

In addition to any tests required by The Graduate School, JD-PhD applicants can satisfy the Law Schools's admission test requirement by submitting either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or both. Additional information about the JD-PhD application is available here.

The primary objective of the JD-PhD program is to produce scholars who have the skills necessary to conduct basic and applied research in legal systems. Graduates qualify for admission to the bar.

Financial Aid Checklist

To be considered for scholarships and federal and/or private educational loans, you must submit:

A Free Application for Federal Student Aid
A university required application, available January 1

Northwestern offers a comprehensive financial aid program designed to enable any admitted student to attend the Law School, regardless of financial need. To that end, all scholarships are awarded on a combined basis of need and merit.

Applying for financial aid is separate from the admissions process, and financial aid information has no bearing on admissions decisions.

Financial Aid for International Students

International students do not need to file a FAFSA, as they are not eligible to receive federal loans. However, they may be eligible for scholarships and private educational loans.

To be considered for scholarships, you must submit:

A university required application, available January 1

To be considered for private educational loans, you must submit:

A university required application, available January 1

Please include the conversion rate of foreign currency into U.S. dollars. Tax returns in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Northwestern University Nondiscrimination Statement

Northwestern prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, military status, veteran status, genetic information, reproductive health decision making, height, weight, or any other classification protected by law (referred to as ?protected classes?) in the educational programs or activities Northwestern operates, including but not limited to matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services. Prohibited discrimination based on sex includes sexual misconduct, including but not limited to, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, and dating or domestic violence. Such conduct violates Northwestern?s values and disrupts the living, learning, and working environment for students, faculty, staff, and other community members.

Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct