We compiled early decision information for every ABA-accredited law school, below, including deadlines, notification timelines, and any guaranteed scholarships that may be attached. Unless otherwise noted, the ED programs listed below are binding. Unless otherwise noted, the deadlines are the dates on which your application must be fully complete, including all test scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation in addition to submitting the application itself.
This list is for general reference—if you decide to apply ED, be sure to verify any information directly with the law school.
* Note for those who may be unfamiliar with law school early decision. Early decision programs function differently for law schools than they do for the undergraduate admissions process; it is far less common for applicants to apply ED for law school, and there are a number of reasons that that is the case. We have several podcasts and blog posts that you can view here if you’d like more information and advice regarding law school early decision, but in general, we typically only advise applicants to apply ED if they are absolutely certain that the school is their top choice and they don’t need financial aid of any kind to attend. (It’s a somewhat different calculation if the law school offers a guaranteed scholarship with their ED program, of course — and any relevant scholarships are noted below.)
(Updated August 12, 2022)
- Yale University: N/A
- Stanford University: N/A
- University of Chicago: December 1 deadline; notification by December 31
- Harvard University: N/A
- Columbia University: November 15 deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Pennsylvania: Round 1—November 15 application submission deadline; December 1 completion deadline; notification by December 31. Round 2—January 7 application submission deadline; January 15 completion deadline; notification by January 31
- New York University: November 15 deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Virginia: March 1 deadline; notification within 21 business days of application completion
- University of California–Berkeley: November 15 deadline; notification by December 6
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor: November 15 deadline; no known notification date
- Duke University: Round 1—November 4 deadline; notification by December 31. Round 2—January 6 deadline; notification by January 31
- Cornell University: Round 1—November 1 deadline; notification by December 31. Round 2—January 8 deadline; notification by February 28
- Northwestern University: November 15 deadline; notification by December 31; guaranteed $40k/year scholarship
- Georgetown University: no hard deadline; notification within four weeks of application completion if completed before March 1
- University of California–Los Angeles: November 15 priority deadline; if applying after priority deadline, must take LSAT or GRE before January 31; notification by December 31 if application is complete by priority deadline
- Washington University in St. Louis: no hard deadline; notification typically within 3 weeks
- Boston University: Distinguished Scholar ED Program—November 10 deadline; notification by December 21; guaranteed full-tuition scholarship. BU-Bound ED Program—January 5 deadline; notification by February 1; scholarships not available.
- University of Texas–Austin: November 1 application submission deadline; December 1 completion deadline; notification by January 31
- Vanderbilt University: November 1 application submission deadline; November 8 video statement submission deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Southern California: November 20 application submission deadline; December 6 completion deadline; notification by December 23
- University of Florida: February 15 deadline; no known notification date
- University of Minnesota: December 31 deadline; notification by January 15
- Brigham Young University: N/A
- University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill: N/A
- George Washington University: February 1 deadline; no known notification date. Presidential Merit Scholarship ED comes with full-tuition scholarship; Regular ED program has no guaranteed scholarship.
- University of Alabama: N/A
- University of Notre Dame: N/A
- University of Iowa: N/A
- University of Georgia: December 1 application submission deadline; December 15 completion deadline; no known notification date
- Arizona State University: March 1 deadline; no known notification date. Binding O’Connor Honors Program comes with full tuition and fees scholarship (minimum 168 LSAT and 3.87 LSAC GPA). Binding O’Connor Merit Scholars Program has no guaranteed scholarship. Binding Indiana Law Leadership Program comes with some scholarship (amount not guaranteed)
- Emory University: March 15 deadline; notification within 14 days of application completion; guaranteed minimum $15k/year scholarship
- George Mason University: No hard deadline; notification by mid-February if application is complete by January 15. Scalia Law Scholars Program comes with guaranteed full-tuition scholarship; Regular ED Program does not include a guaranteed scholarship.
- Ohio State University: November 19 submission deadline; November 30 application completion deadline; notification by December 17
- William & Mary Law School: N/A
- University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign: N/A
- Washington and Lee University: December 1 deadline; notification by December 15
- Boston College: N/A
- Fordham University: N/A
- University of California–Davis: November 1 deadline; notification by November 30
- University of California–Irvine: November 15 deadline; no known notification date, but ED deposit deadline is January 13
- University of Utah: October 29 deadline; notification by November 19; ~$27k/year scholarship guaranteed for non-Utah residents; ~$18k/year scholarship guaranteed for Utah residents
- Wake Forest University: November 1 submission deadline; November 15 application completion deadline; notification by November 30. Non-traditionally non-binding—if accepted through ED, you have 48 hours to accept the offer and scholarship (and withdraw from all other law schools) or place yourself in the regular decision pool, which forfeits any scholarship offer
- Indiana University–Bloomington (Maurer): October 15 submission deadline; November 1 application completion deadline; notification in early November
- University of Wisconsin–Madison: November 29 deadline; notification by December 20
- University of Arizona: N/A
- Texas A&M University: Non-binding; deadline December 6
- Florida State University: December 15 deadline; notification by January 15
- University of Maryland: Carey Law Scholars Binding Program—February 1 deadline; notification the month after applying; full-tuition scholarship guaranteed. Regular Binding Early Decision Program—January 1 deadline; notification by January 20
- University of Colorado–Boulder: N/A
- University of Washington: November 15 deadline; no known notification date
- University of California–Hastings: N/A
- Pepperdine University: N/A
- University of Richmond: December 15 deadline; no known notification date
- Yeshiva University (Cardozo): N/A
- Tulane University: N/A
- University of Tennessee–Knoxville: December 15 deadline; notification by January 1
- Villanova University: Round 1—December 15 deadline; notification by December 23. Round 2—March 15 deadline; notification by April 1
- Baylor University: Non-binding; November 10 submission deadline; November 14 application completion deadline; notification by December 15
- Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law: December 1 deadline; notification by December 31
- Southern Methodist University: N/A
- University of Houston Law Center: Non-binding; November 15 submission deadline; December 15 application completion deadline; notification by end of February
- Wayne State University: N/A
- Temple University: N/A
- Pennsylvania State University University Park: December 1 deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Connecticut: Round 1—November 15 submission deadline; December 1 application completion deadline; notification by December 31. Round 2—January 7 submission deadline; January 15 application completion deadline; notification by January 31
- University of San Diego: December 15 deadline; notification by December 22
- Loyola Marymount University: December 1 deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Kansas: N/A
- University of Kentucky: N/A
- University of Missouri: November 15 deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Nevada–Las Vegas: N/A
- University of Oregon: N/A
- American University: Round 1—December 12 deadline; notification by December 20. Round 2—February 10 deadline; notification by February 17
- Loyola University Chicago: N/A
- Northeastern University: December 1 deadline; notification by December 31
- Seton Hall University: N/A
- University of Miami: N/A
- Case Western Reserve University: November 30 deadline; notification by December 20
- Drexel University: N/A
- Georgia State University: N/A
- University of Denver: N/A
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln: N/A
- University of Pittsburgh: N/A
- St. John's University: Honors Early Decision Program—October 1, November 1, December 1, or January 1 deadline; notification by October 31, November 31, December 31, or January 31; full-tuition scholarship guaranteed. Regular Early Decision Program—January 7 deadline; notification by February 7; no scholarship
- University of South Carolina: N/A
- Rutgers University: N/A
- University of Arkansas–Fayetteville: N/A
- Lewis & Clark College: N/A
- University of Cincinnati: N/A
- University of Oklahoma: N/A
- Michigan State University: N/A
- University of Hawaii–Manoa: N/A
- University of New Mexico: N/A
- Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent): Non-binding; December 15 deadline; notification by January 14
- The Catholic University of America: Non-binding; December 1 deadline; notification by September 22
- University at Buffalo–SUNY: November 15 deadline; notification by December 15
- University of Louisville: N/A
- Brooklyn Law School: December 1 deadline; no known notification date; 75% tuition scholarship
- Florida International University: N/A
- Howard University: N/A
- Indiana University–Indianapolis (McKinney): November 15 deadline; no known notification date
- Saint Louis University: N/A
- Syracuse University: January 15 deadline; notification by February 1
- University of Montana: N/A
- DePaul University: N/A
- Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge: N/A
- Marquette University: N/A
- Texas Tech University: N/A
- University of New Hampshire: N/A
- Washburn University: N/A
- Drake University: N/A
- Stetson University: N/A
- University of Mississippi: N/A
- University of Maine: Non-binding; November 15 submission deadline; December 1 application completion deadline; notification by December 31
- University of Missouri–Kansas City: N/A
- Gonzaga University: N/A
- Seattle University: N/A
- Chapman University: N/A
- Hofstra University: Non-binding; November 15 deadline; notification by December 15
- University of Tulsa: N/A
- West Virginia University: N/A
- Albany Law School: N/A
- Mercer University: N/A
- Suffolk University: December 1 deadline; no known notification date, but ED deposit deadline is January 15; full-tuition scholarship guaranteed
- University of Baltimore: N/A
- University of Dayton: N/A
- Cleveland State University (Cleveland-Marshall): Round 1—November 15 deadline; notification by December 15. Round 2—January 1 deadline; notification by January 31
- University of St. Thomas: N/A
- Duquesne University: December 31 deadline; notification by January 31
- New York Law School: N/A
- University of Wyoming: non-binding; December 15 deadline; notification by January 30
- Willamette University College of Law: December 15 deadline; notification by January 10; guaranteed scholarship of at least $10k/year
- Belmont University: December 1 deadline; notification within 2 weeks of application completion
- City University of New York: January 1 deadline; notification by January 15
- Loyola University New Orleans: N/A
- Santa Clara University: non-binding; November 1 submission deadline; November 30 application completion deadline; no known notification date
- University of South Dakota: N/A
- University of the Pacific (McGeorge): N/A
- Creighton University: November 1 deadline; no known notification date
- Samford University: N/A
- University of Detroit Mercy: N/A
- Pace University: N/A
- Regent University: N/A
- University of Idaho: N/A
- University of Memphis: N/A
- Vermont Law School: November 15 deadline; no known notification date
- Appalachian School of Law: N/A
- Atlanta's John Marshall Law School: N/A
- Ave Maria School of Law: N/A
- Barry University: N/A
- California Western School of Law: N/A
- Campbell University: Non-binding; November 15 deadline; notification by December 15
- Capital University: N/A
- Charleston School of Law: N/A
- Elon University: January 5 submission deadline; January 15 application completion deadline
- Faulkner University: N/A
- Florida A&M University: N/A
- Golden Gate University: N/A
- Liberty University: December 20 deadline; no known notification date
- Lincoln Memorial University: N/A
- Mississippi College: N/A
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law: N/A
- New England Law Boston: N/A
- North Carolina Central University: N/A
- Northern Illinois University: N/A
- Northern Kentucky University: N/A
- Nova Southeastern University: N/A
- Ohio Northern University: N/A
- Oklahoma City University: N/A
- Quinnipiac University: N/A
- Roger Williams University: N/A
- South Texas College of Law Houston: N/A
- Southern Illinois University–Carbondale: N/A
- Southern University Law Center: N/A
- Southwestern Law School: N/A
- St. Mary's University: N/A
- St. Thomas University: N/A
- Texas Southern University: N/A
- Touro College: N/A
- University of Akron: N/A
- University of Arkansas–Little Rock: N/A
- University of Illinois–Chicago: N/A
- University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth: N/A
- University of North Dakota: N/A
- University of San Francisco: N/A
- University of the District of Columbia: N/A
- University of Toledo: N/A
- Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School: N/A
- Western New England University: N/A
- Western State College of Law at Westcliff University: N/A
- Widener University–Delaware: N/A
- Widener University–Commonwealth: January 1 deadline; notification by February 15