.png)
Admission to an ABA-approved JD with no LSAT and no GRE is possible only through narrow exceptions, not a broad list of schools. These include GPA-based waivers, a school's accelerated pathways for its own undergraduates, and JD-Next at schools that accept it alone. a test under ABA Standard 503, though a November 2024 variance now lets schools admit applicants without one. Below is how each exception works.
By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Figures on this page were verified in August 2026 or point readers to the current source.
Only in limited cases. Skipping the LSAT is common through the GRE, but skipping the GRE as well removes almost every mainstream route and leaves a short list of exceptions. Those exceptions lean on a high undergraduate GPA, a school's own pipeline for its students, or the JD-Next course where a school admits on that alone. For most applicants, at least one standardized measure remains part of the file. see the linked source (see the linked source).
The routes that avoid both the LSAT and the GRE are specific and conditional. The list below sets out each one and its typical eligibility.
A GPA-based waiver is not a free pass. Under ABA rules, schools that waive the LSAT typically expect a high GPA and often a strong score on another standardized test such as the SAT, ACT, or GRE, and they may cap how much of a class enters this way. The exact GPA line, substitute-score requirement, and any cap vary by school and can change. a test under ABA Standard 503, though a November 2024 variance now lets schools admit applicants without one.
A no-test path makes sense only if you clearly fit a specific waiver, such as your own university's accelerated program. Otherwise, chasing the rare school that requires nothing usually costs you options, since the GRE alone unlocks many more programs and stronger scholarship consideration. Match your strategy to where you can actually be admitted, not to avoiding a test on principle. see the linked source (see the linked source).
Many ABA-approved law schools accept the GRE, from elite programs to regional schools, which makes it the practical no-LSAT route for applicants who cannot meet a rare no-test waiver. The current roster is maintained by ETS and confirmed on each school's page, and it grows most cycles. about 128 U.S. law schools, including every T14 school.
Yes. The reliable way is a GRE score, and some schools also accept JD-Next. Enrolling with no standardized test whatsoever is uncommon and usually restricted to high-GPA or in-house waivers with their own conditions. Plan around the GRE unless you clearly qualify for one of those narrow paths. a test under ABA Standard 503, though a November 2024 variance now lets schools admit applicants without one.
Neither is easier for everyone. The value of the GRE here is reach: it opens many more schools than hunting for one that requires no test at all. The GRE adds math and vocabulary while the LSAT tests timed logic, so compare your percentile on each before choosing. two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored variable section.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026