Are law schools eliminating the LSAT requirement?

Asked by: Samara Mohr  |  Last update: May 2, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (33 votes)

ABA Drops LSAT Requirement Beginning in 2025. Update: As of spring 2023, the ABA has paused this change to their LSAT requirement. Beginning in the fall of 2025, law school applicants may be able to skip the formidable task of studying for and taking the LSAT.

Are law schools getting rid of LSAT?

In November 2022, the American Bar Association voted to eliminate the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirement for law schools, effective 2025.

Are they canceling the LSAT?

ABA votes to end law schools' LSAT requirement, but not until 2025.

Is the LSAT changing in 2024?

Test Structure Change: Starting in August 2024, the LSAT will transition to two Logical Reasoning (LR) sections and one Reading Comprehension (RC) section, plus one unscored section of either LR or RC that enables us to test questions for future tests.

Did Harvard get rid of LSAT?

Harvard Law School accepts either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). We do not have a preference for either exam. Similarly, a candidate is not considered more committed by taking both exams or disadvantaged by taking the same exam multiple times.

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17 related questions found

Is LSAT gone in 2025?

The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.

Is 172 LSAT good for Harvard?

As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.

Will the GRE replace the LSAT?

* In addition to accepting the GRE, as of November 18, 2022, the ABA voted to remove the requirement for law schools that applicants take the LSAT or another standardized admissions test.

What was the average LSAT score in August 2024?

The average LSAT score is around 152, though many top-100 schools will require more than the average for admissions. Schools will compare you to other applicants from the same cycle.

Are LSAT scores still required?

No, not all law schools require the LSAT. An increasing number of prestigious law schools are accepting alternative standardized test scores or waiving test requirements altogether.

Can you get into law school without LSAT?

Yes, you can. Many law schools in the U.S. (including prestigious ones) don't have an LSAT requirement. However, they require the GRE, an exam taken to apply to grad school. If you're not keen on writing the dreaded LSAT, consider adding these schools to your list of top choices!

What LSAT score did Elle Woods get?

When she applied to this school, she had a 4.0 GPA with a 179 on the LSAT, the two most important things when applying to law school. The average LSAT score for students applying to Harvard is 174, meaning she got above the average.

Is 160 a good LSAT score?

According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired.

Is Yale getting rid of the LSAT?

‍The LSAT isn't going away.

But it won't take effect until 2025. And remember: all we're doing here is removing a requirement to use an admissions test.

What is the average LSAT score for lawyers?

Your LSAT score is the most important factor for admission to law school. The highest LSAT score is 180. The average LSAT score is about 152. A "good" LSAT score depends on the law schools you are considering.

Is law school declining?

When first-year enrollment rises or falls in sequential years, those effects multiply. Today, overall JD enrollment has roughly stabilized at a level not seen in over 40 years. Compared to the peak in JD enrollment in 2010 (147,525 students), overall JD enrollment was down 20.8% in 2023.

How rare is 172 LSAT?

So, a great score on the LSAT is a 172, but more than 100,000 people take the LSAT every year and only 1% score 172 or higher. For the top 50 law schools, the median LSAT score is between 164 and 174. A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174.

Is the LSAT no longer required in 2025?

The committee as of 2023 was still in favor of removing the test requirement, so assuming they still are then they will resubmit the proposal to the wider ABA in 2025 to vote on. Some notes: 1. It's not just for LSAT, it's for any standardized test a law school may accept (like GRE).

Was August 2024 LSAT harder?

Because this was the first test without an Analytical Reasoning section, we know people will be wondering whether there was any impact on scores. The short answer is no — scores for the August 2024 LSAT are very much in line with August scores in recent years.

What's harder, LSAT or GRE?

For most test-takers, an elite LSAT® score is much harder to achieve than an elite GRE score. However, certain characteristics – stronger verbal skills and weaker quant skills, for example – might make the GRE a tougher test for you personally.

Is the LSAT outdated?

The final date you can sit for the old LSAT is June 8, 2024. The new LSAT is replacing the old one. So, schools that require or accept LSAT scores will accept scores from the new test. The new LSAT replaces the Analytical Reasoning section (Logic Games) with a second scored Logical Reasoning section.

Why is the GRE being phased out?

“The decision to eliminate the GRE was based on evidence of bias and structural barriers that we as a school aim to eliminate to ensure that all students have access to high-quality educational programs,” says Sullivan.

Has anyone gotten a 180 on the LSAT?

The LSAT is scored on a bell curve, ranging from 120 to 180. On recent tests, the hump of the curve has centered around 153. Percentiles vary slightly between tests, but generally around 25% of test-takers score 160 or higher, 5% score 170 or higher, and 1% score 175 or higher. Only one in 1,000 test-takers scores 180.

What are the T6 law schools?

These schools, in order of ranking, are Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and New York University School of Law.

Is a 135 on the LSAT bad?

Average LSAT Score

LSAT passing score of at least 165 on the LSAT. In recent years, the average LSAT score has stayed at around 151-152. Correspondingly, applicants should aim to score 151 at a minimum to get into an accredited law school because of how competitive and challenging admissions are.