JD Application Process
How Files are Evaluated
The Admissions Committee understands the importance of getting to know you by reading each and every part of your application. Admissions at Georgetown is far more than a numbers game.
The Admissions Committee hopes to admit students who will succeed at Georgetown, would benefit from a legal education here, and will contribute to our community.
The Committee does not use numerical cutoffs, and focuses on the applicant’s personal statement, letter of recommendation, extracurricular and volunteer activities, graduate work, and professional experience in addition to test scores and academic record.
Our goal is to build a vibrant, engaged, and passionate community at Georgetown, and we want you to join us!
Students who will possess a U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or the equivalent from a foreign institution, prior to matriculation are eligible to apply for admission.
The application for Fall 2027 will open in September 2026.
Fee Waivers applications opened on August 1, 2026, for the Fall 2027 application.
Regular Decision Applications
Regular Decision applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are notified as soon as decisions are reached, usually 8-12 weeks after their file is marked complete, but the timeframe for each file may vary. Regular Decision applicants who are admitted to the program are required to submit seat deposits to secure their seat in the incoming class between May and June.
Binding Early Decision Applications
The Binding Early Decision process is designed for applicants who are certain that Georgetown Law is their first choice. Applicants who apply through the Binding Early Decision process commit to attend Georgetown Law if admitted. Early Decision applicants are given priority review in our rolling admissions process.
Early Decision applicants receive priority review and are notified as soon as decisions are reached, usually 4-6 weeks after their file is marked complete, but the timeframe for each file may vary. This expedited timeline only applies to applications completed by the recommended deadline. J.D. candidates may apply to be considered for the Full-Time Division, Evening Division, or Both. Please note that applying to “Both” divisions signifies to the Admissions Committee that you are equally willing to attend either the Full-Time or Evening program if offered admission to Georgetown Law. If the Admissions Committee approves your application, it will specify in your acceptance letter the division to which you have been admitted.
The Early Decision process is binding and candidates applying Early Decision to Georgetown may not submit a binding application to any other law school. Although candidates admitted under Early Decision are committed to attending Georgetown, and will not receive their financial aid information before their admissions decision, please be assured that you will be considered for merit scholarships and need-based financial aid in the same manner, and on the same timeline, as all other admitted students.
If your application is deferred or you are added to the waitlist, you are no longer bound by your Early Decision commitment and we encourage you to proceed with applications at other law schools.
J.D. candidates may apply to be considered for the Full-Time Division, Evening Division, or Both. Please note that applying to “Both” divisions signifies to the Admissions Committee that you are equally willing to attend either the Full-Time or Evening program if offered admission to Georgetown Law. If the Admissions Committee approves your application, it will specify in your acceptance letter the division to which you have been admitted.
Find more detailed information on the Application Requirements page.
- Application Form
- Application Fee or Fee Waiver
- Resume
- Transcript
- LSAT, GRE, or GMAT (or GMAT Focus) Score
- Letter of Recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Character and Fitness Statement
- Optional Statement
- Optional Response
Georgetown Law grants merit- and need-based fee waivers on a case-by-case basis. Please note that we cannot grant fee waivers for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Georgetown Law also grants fee waivers to active Teach for America corps members and alumni, Peace Corps volunteers, military veterans and service members, and Truman Scholars. We do not grant fee waivers for AmeriCorps service.
NOTE: You must secure a fee waiver before submitting your application, and applicants who used a fee waiver in the previous admissions cycle are not eligible to receive a waiver. Please allow approximately one week for a response to your fee waiver request.
The Office of Admissions awards merit scholarships to students who have been admitted to the JD program. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis, and priority is given to applicants who apply by the published deadlines.
Notification of awards are made separately from notification of admissions decisions and done so on a rolling basis, beginning in the early spring.
The Office of Financial Aid manages need-based aid applications and awards. We encourage all applicants to apply for need-based aid. More information about the need-based aid application is available on the Office of Financial Aid website.
Applicants can find a breakdown of the yearly cost of attendance on the Financial Aid website.
You may check the status of your application using LSAC’s status check website.
We do not use the status check to communicate final admissions decisions. You will receive your admissions decision via email. If you are expecting an email and you have not received it, Please check your spam folder and your email settings to ensure that you are able to receive emails from “@georgetown.edu” addresses.
If you would like to update your application materials after submission of your application, we strongly encourage you to use the self-upload feature through your Status Checker when possible.
Apply to the J.D. program using our online application through LSAC.