Early Decision Information & Deadlines for Every ABA-Accredited Law School (2020-2021 Cycle)

Please note: While undergraduate admissions programs typically use the term "early decision" to denote binding admission and "early action" to denote non-binding admission, law schools do not use this terminology uniformly, and we have used the terminology each individual school uses below.

Programs marked "(Scholarship)" offer guaranteed scholarships with admission through the early decision program in question. Those not marked "Scholarship" do not offer guaranteed scholarships, but applicants may still be evaluated through the normal scholarship assessment process.

This information is up-to-date per law schools' current websites as of 10/20/2020.

• Albany Law School: None
• American University:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline December 14)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline February 8)
• Appalachian School of Law (VA): None
• Arizona State University:
  • Binding O’Connor Merit Scholars Program (no set deadline, March 1 priority deadline after which applications are "considered late")
  • (Scholarship) Binding O’Connor Honors Program (scholarship: full tuition and fees; no set deadline, March 1 priority deadline after which applications are "considered late")
  • (Scholarship) Binding Indian Law Leadership Program (requires “demonstrated leadership potential and ties within Indian Country”; partial scholarship guaranteed; no set deadline, March 1 priority deadline after which applications are "considered late")
• Atlanta's John Marshall Law School: None
• Ave Maria School of Law: None
• Barry University: None
• Baylor University:
  • Non-Binding Early Decision (deadline November 13)
• Belmont University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Boston College: None
• Boston University:
  • “BU-Bound” Binding Decision Program (deadline January 6)
  • (Scholarship) Distinguished Scholar Binding Early Decision Program (full tuition scholarship guaranteed, deadline November 11)
• Brigham Young University: None
• Brooklyn Law School:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Academic Excellence Early Decision Program (minimum 80% tuition scholarship guarantee, deadline December 1)
• California Western School of Law: None
• Campbell University (NC):
  • Non-Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• Capital University (OH): None
• Case Western Reserve University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 30)
• Catholic University of America:
  • Non-Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Chapman University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 30)
• Charleston School of Law (SC): None
• CSU Cleveland-Marshall:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline November 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline January 1)
• Columbia University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• Cornell University:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline November 1)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline January 8)
• Creighton University:
  • Non-Binding Early Admission Program (deadline November 30)
• CUNY:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• DePaul University: None
• Drake University: None
• Drexel University: None
• Duke University:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline November 6)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline January 8)
• Duquesne University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 31)
• Elon University (NC):
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline January 15)
• Emory University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program (guaranteed $15,000/year scholarship minimum; deadline January 5)
• Faulkner University (Jones) (AL): None
• Florida A&M University: None
• Florida Coastal School of Law: None
• Florida International University: None
• Florida State University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 15)
• Fordham University:
  • Non-Binding Early Action (deadline October 15)
• George Mason University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Scalia Law Scholars Program (full tuition scholarship guaranteed; deadline January 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline January 15)
• George Washington University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline February 1)
  • (Scholarship) Binding Presidential Merit Scholarship Program (full tuition scholarship guaranteed, deadline February 1)
• Georgetown University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (no deadline, but decision will be mailed within four weeks of receipt of all application materials if application is in by February 1)
• Georgia State University: None
• Golden Gate University (CA): None
• Gonzaga University: None
• Harvard University: None
• Hofstra University:
  • Non-Binding Early Action Program (deadline November 15)
• Howard University: None
• Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent):
  • Non-Binding Early Action Program (deadline December 15)
• Indiana University—Bloomington:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline October 15)
• Indiana University—Indianapolis (McKinney):
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• Lewis & Clark College: None
• Liberty University (VA): None
• Louisiana State University: None
• Loyola Marymount University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Loyola University Chicago: None
• Loyola University New Orleans (LA): None
• Marquette University: None
• Mercer University: None
• Michigan State University: None
• Mississippi College: None
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law (MN): None
• New England Law Boston (MA): None
• New York Law School: None
• New York University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• North Carolina Central University: None
• Northeastern University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program ($10,000/year minimum scholarship guaranteed, deadline December 1)
  • Non-Binding Early Action Program (deadline December 1)
• Northern Illinois University: None
• Northern Kentucky University (Chase): None
• Northwestern University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program ($40,000/year scholarship guaranteed, deadline November 16, suggest submitting by November 2)
• Nova Southeastern University (Broad) (FL): None
• Ohio Northern University (Pettit): None
• Ohio State University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (November 20 deadline)
• Oklahoma City University: None
• Pace University: None
• Pennsylvania State University—Carlisle (Dickinson):
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Pennsylvania State University—University Park:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Pepperdine University: None
• Quinnipiac University: None
• Regent University (VA): None
• Roger Williams University (RI): None
• Rutgers The State University of New Jersey: None
• Samford University (Cumberland) (AL): None
• Santa Clara University: None
• Seattle University: None
• Seton Hall University: None
• South Texas College of Law Houston: None
• Southern Illinois University—Carbondale: None
• Southern Methodist University: None
• Southern University Law Center (LA): None
• Southwestern Law School (CA): None
• St. John's University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding St. Thomas More Honors Early Decision Program (full tuition scholarship guaranteed, multiple rounds of deadlines: October 1, November 1, December 1, January 1, February 1)
  • Binding Early Decision R.E.D. Program (deadline January 6)
• St. Louis University: None
• St. Mary's University (TX): None
• St. Thomas University (FL): None
• Stanford University: None
• Stetson University: None
• Suffolk University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Syracuse University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline January 15)
• Temple University: None
• Texas A&M University: None
• Texas Southern University (Marshall): None
• Texas Tech University: None
• The John Marshall Law School (IL): None
• Touro College (Fuchsberg) (NY): None
• Tulane University: None
• University at Buffalo—SUNY:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Akron: None
• University of Alabama: None
• University of Arizona: None
• University of Arkansas: None
• University of Arkansas—Little Rock:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline January 1)
• University of Baltimore: None
• University of California—Berkeley:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program ($25,000/year scholarship guaranteed, deadline November 15)
• University of California—Davis:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 1)
• University of California—Hastings: None
• University of California—Irvine:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program ($30,000/year scholarship, deadline November 15)
• University of California—Los Angeles:
  • Binding Priority Early Decision Program (deadline November 16)
  • Binding Regular Early Decision Program (after November 16)
  • (Scholarship) UCLA Law Distinguished Scholars Program (binding, full tuition and fees scholarship, deadline November 16)
• University of Chicago:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• University of Cincinnati: None
• University of Colorado—Boulder: None
• University of Connecticut:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Action Program (partial scholarship guaranteed; deadline January 1)
• University of Dayton: None
• University of Denver (Sturm): None
• University of Detroit Mercy (MI): None
• University of Florida:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline March 15)
• University of Georgia:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• University of Hawaii: None
• University of Houston:
  • Non-Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Idaho: None
• University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign: None
• University of Iowa: None
• University of Kansas: None
• University of Kentucky: None
• University of La Verne: None
• University of Louisville: None
• University of Maine:
  • Non-Binding Early Action Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Maryland:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• University of Massachusetts—Dartmouth: None
• University of Memphis: None
• University of Miami:
  • Binding Early Decision Program for FL residents and/or those who attend/have attended college in the state of FL ONLY (deadline November 1)
• University of Michigan—Ann Arbor:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Minnesota:
  • Binding Early Decision Program Round 1 (deadline November 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Program Round 2 (deadline December 31)
• University of Mississippi: None
• University of Missouri:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Missouri—Kansas City: None
• University of Montana: None
• University of Nebraska—Lincoln: None
• University of Nevada—Las Vegas: None
• University of New Hampshire: None
• University of New Mexico: None
• University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill: None
• University of North Dakota: None
• University of Notre Dame:
  • Binding Early Decision Program Round 1 (deadline November 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Program Round 2 (deadline February 15)
• University of Oklahoma: None
• University of Oregon: None
• University of Pennsylvania:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline November 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline January 7)
• University of Pittsburgh: None
• University of Richmond:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• University of San Diego:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 15)
• University of San Francisco (CA): None
• University of South Carolina: None
• University of South Dakota: None
• University of Southern California:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program (at least half-tuition scholarship guaranteed; deadline November 22)
• University of St. Thomas: None
• University of Tennessee—Knoxville:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 15)
• University of Texas—Austin:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision Program (Texas residents will receive a total of $30,000 award over the course of their three years; nonresident students will automatically receive resident tuition plus an additional competitive scholarship award over the course of their three years; deadline November 1)
• University of the District of Columbia (Clarke): None
• University of the Pacific (McGeorge) (CA): None
• University of Toledo: None
• University of Tulsa: None
• University of Utah:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline October 20)
• University of Virginia:
  • Binding Expedited Decision Program (deadline March 3)
• University of Washington:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• University of Wisconsin—Madison:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 24)
• University of Wyoming:
  • Non-Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 15)
• Vanderbilt University:
  • (Scholarship) Binding Early Decision (guaranteed $35,000/year scholarship minimum, deadline November 1)
• Vermont Law School:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline November 15)
• Villanova University:
  • Binding Early Decision Round 1 (deadline December 15)
  • Binding Early Decision Round 2 (deadline March 15)
• Wake Forest University:
  • Early Decision Program (if admitted, you may accept binding admissions offer immediately OR be transferred to regular application pool; deadline November 1)
• Washburn University: None
• Washington and Lee University:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 1)
• Washington University in St. Louis:
  • Binding Early Decision Program (no set deadline)
• Wayne State University: None
• West Virginia University: None
• Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School: None
• Western New England University (MA): None
• Widener University: None
• Willamette University (Collins) (OR):
  • Binding Early Decision Program (deadline December 13)
• William & Mary Law School: None
• Yale University: None
• Yeshiva University (Cardozo): None