JD Admissions

As a top-tier law school, BU Law is highly selective and considers many criteria in the admissions process. Test scores and undergraduate GPAs are important components of an application, but numbers alone never determine an admissions decision. We weigh a variety of factors that may be evident not only in your previous academic record but also in your letters of recommendation, personal statement, resume, and other supporting materials. Every application is read holistically in an effort to admit a class of great accomplishment, diversity, and professional potential.

We consider your demonstrated leadership ability; clearly articulated motivations for the study of law; economic and social obstacles overcome; and outstanding non-academic accomplishments, interests, and passions. If you have been out of school for some time, notable achievement in another field can have a positive impact on your chances for admission.

Ultimately, there is no archetypical BU Law student. This law school has been open to all applicants on the basis of ability since the day it opened its doors. Students are encouraged to be themselves at BU Law, and the result is an intelligent, dynamic, and diverse community.

Have questions and want to learn more about the JD program at BU Law? We encourage you to visit us on our campus in the heart of Boston, where you will have the opportunity to tour the law tower, attend a class, and meet with a member of the JD Admissions team. You can also meet the admissions team at one of our upcoming recruitment events across the US. And to hear more about BU Law from the firsthand experience of our students, connect with one of our student ambassadors.

Exterior entrance to law complex with small group talking

Connect with a Current Student

Reach out directly to one of our JD students. Our ambassadors have a wide variety of interests and are willing to answer questions and talk about their experience at BU Law.

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Selected Stories

The Record, the magazine of Boston University School of Law, tackles timely topics about law and policy and features stories about our alumni, faculty, and students.

Clerkship

Hooked on the Law

A fascination with the U.S. Supreme Court leads to a clerkship—and a future in data privacy and cybersecurity litigation.

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The Record
Tax Law

A Transnational Education in Tax Law

Amardianto “Amar” Arham (MSLT’26) reflects on his experience at BU Law and the lessons he will bring back to his career as a tax officer in Indonesia.

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The Record
Rephael Stern
Faculty

Delving Beneath Doctrine

Drawing on a life lived across cultures, Professor Rephael Stern teaches students to question assumptions and see the law through a comparative lens.

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The Record
Elizabeth King
Nonprofit Finance and Governance

Navigating Nonprofit Missions and Finances

Associate Professor Elizabeth King brings together her experience in nonprofits, corporate law, and healthcare to study nonprofit finance and governance.

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The Record
Aziza Ahmed
Gender and Law

Being Counted: Women & the AIDS Epidemic

Professor Aziza Ahmed's book documents the critical role that women played as activists for treatment and policy.

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The Record
A background collage of CDs with a headshot of ProfessorJef Pearlman
Information Law

What Was IP Law Like in the 90s?

SILC Executive Director Jef Pearlman, reflects on the similarities between IP law and emerging technologies, then and now.

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The Record
Ayodeji Perrin
Social Change

Law, Movements, and the Fragility of Hope

A conversation with Boston University School of Law associate professor, Dr. Ayodeji Kamau, Perrin.

Shared from
The Record
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