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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 03/03/23
Are you thinking about submitting an early decision law school application? If you are, you don’t want to miss this guide!
Deciding when and where to apply to law school is one of the most consequential choices in a prospective lawyer's career path. For many applicants, Early Decision programs offer a strategic path to strengthen their chances at dream schools—but these programs come with significant commitments and considerations.
This comprehensive guide examines the landscape of Early Decision options at top law schools, helping you navigate the advantages, drawbacks, and tactical considerations of binding early applications. Whether you're seeking a competitive edge at a reach school or trying to secure scholarship opportunities early in the cycle, understanding how these programs function is vital to making an informed decision about your legal education journey.
Before delving into the T14 law schools with Early Decision and their deadlines, it’s important you have a thorough understanding of what Early Decision is. Early Decision allows students to receive an admission decision before the typical notification period.
These applicants will be required to submit their application a few months or weeks earlier than regular applicants and can expect a response within a month or two. The catch is, early decisions are binding!
You can only apply to one ED program, so it’s best suited for students who have a clear top choice. While you can still apply to other law schools as a backup, you must withdraw your applications if you’re accepted into your top choice.
Now that you know what Early Decision is, here are the top law schools that offer this application process:
You’ll notice some schools offer two Early Decision rounds. This is to ensure students committed to joining these law schools have enough time to submit all the necessary application materials.
So, if you need more time to collect your letters of recommendation or aren’t quite satisfied with your personal statement, you can take this extra time to perfect your application!
In case you’re still hesitant about submitting an ED application, consider these pros and cons to help you make the most informed decision:
There are several advantages to applying to law school using an ED application:
When you apply early to your desired law schools, it tells the admissions committee you’re committed to their school. Admissions officers appreciate this dedication and are therefore more lenient in their review of Early Decision applicants.
So, if you have an LSAT score that is lower than anticipated, or less extensive extracurricular experience than you hoped for, an Early Decision application can work in your favor.
Considering Early Decision applications are binding, fewer students submit them. Many students have several top choices and do not want to be obligated to accept one. As such, you’ll be competing with a much smaller applicant pool than you would for Regular Admission.
This means your LSAT score may be considered higher than the median of other applicants, and your application is more likely to stand out.
As an incentive for students to submit Early Decision applications, some schools, like UC Berkeley, will give successful ED applicants additional funding or scholarships.
Law school is expensive! Having this additional financial assistance can help you afford a legal education while limiting your student loans.
While maintaining high grades, acing the LSAT, and submitting a stellar application is the hardest part of the law school admissions process, waiting for a response is arguably the most frustrating part. Students that submit Regular Decision applications wait months to hear back from law schools.
You can avoid this long waiting game by submitting an Early Decision application. Students typically hear back from their school within a few weeks and can feel some peace of mind knowing they’ll receive a decision from their top choice first.
On the other hand, there are also some cons to keep in mind as you determine which application is best for you:
Most Early Decision programs are binding, meaning you must know your top law school choice early into the application process. This is a big decision, so you must conduct thorough research on your options.
Early Decision applicants are required to submit all of their admission materials a few months before Regular Decision applicants. This time crunch can increase your stress, and you risk submitting a weaker application if you rush.
Students accepted to law school using an ED application are typically not allowed to defer their enrollment.
After going over the pros and cons of Early Decision, you should know if this application is right for you. To help you make the right choice, ask yourself these questions:
Students should only apply to Early Decision if they’re certain of their top choice and are within the competitive range to get accepted into it. If you’re far from the median LSAT and GPA of the school, you should not submit an ED application.
ED applications are generally submitted to schools that are within students’ reach since you can only submit one binding application per admission cycle.
Using this guide, you should have enough information to submit an ED application to law school. If you’re still unsure, you can find the answers to common inquiries about law schools with early decisions below.
The T14 law schools with early decisions are:
The majority of T14 law schools offer Early Decision applications. The few that don’t include Yale, Stanford, and Harvard.
Yes, Early Decision can increase your chances of getting into law school, which can be reassuring considering the T14 law schools are the most selective! Admissions committees tend to be more lenient with Early Decision applicants and there is less competition for seats!
No, Harvard is one of the few T14 law schools that does not offer an Early Decision application.
You can only submit one ED application because they are binding. Considering this, you must choose a reasonable law school to submit an ED application. While the committee will be more lenient when reviewing your application, you must still be a competitive applicant to gain admission to their school.
Yes, you can and should plan to apply to other law schools despite your Early Decision application. You aren’t guaranteed admission to your top choice, so you should leave as many doors open as possible.
When you’ve done everything else to get into your dream law school, including spending hours preparing for the LSAT, reviewing your personal statement dozens of times, and crafting the perfect resume, a final step to maximize your chances of admission is to submit an Early Decision application.
Ensure you weigh the pros and cons of this option and are confident in your decision if you choose to submit an ED application!
