GRE for Law School

Once upon a time, aspirants to J.D. programs at law schools in the US had no choice but to take the LSAT. However, as a sign of change, that is not the case anymore.

Why are Some Law Schools Accepting GRE in Place of LSAT?

Here are a few reasons why GRE scores are being recognized by more and more law schools for admission to their J.D. programs:

• GRE scores are comparable with LSAT scores when it comes to evaluating students on the basis of their grades. No test is a more valid or more reliable predictor of law school performance than the other. (study by University of Arizona in 2016)
• ABA (American Bar Association) merely mentions requirement of taking a “valid and reliable admission test” and does not explicitly state LSAT.
• GRE is more accessible for would-be test takers than is LSAT. It is offered almost every day at more than 1000 test centers across more than 160 countries. Also, it is taken online. In contrast, LSAT is a paper-based test that takes place only 4 to 5 times a year on specific dates only.
• GRE scores can be used towards a number of career options. LSAT can only be used for a law career.

Which Law Schools are Accepting the GRE for J.D.?

The following law schools are now accepting the GRE in place of LSAT for admission to their J.D. program (Source: ETS):

• American University Washington College of Law
• Boston University School of Law
• Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
• Brooklyn Law School
• Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Columbia Law School
• Cornell Law School*
• Florida State University College of Law
• George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
• Harvard Law School
• John Marshall Law School
• New York University School of Law
• Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
• Penn State Law
• Pepperdine School of Law
• St. John's University School of Law
• Suffolk University Law School
• Texas A&M University School of Law
• University at Buffalo School of Law
• University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
• University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
• University of Chicago Law School*
• University of Dayton School of Law
• University of Georgia
• University of Hawai’i at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law
• University of Pennsylvania Law School*
• University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
• University of Texas at Austin School of Law
• University of Virginia School of Law*
• Wake Forest University School of Law
• Washington University School of Law
• Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

* These schools also accept the GMAT

View of the American Bar Association (ABA)

The ABA has not officially recognized GRE as relevant or irrelevant to the law school admissions process. For more official information, visit this link: https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/05/council_adopts_propo/