The law schools that accept JD-Next are ABA-approved programs authorized to admit or assess applicants using the JD-Next online course and its exam. As of the current cycle, 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023) participate. This guide explains what JD-Next is, which schools take it, and how to add it to your applications.
By Ali Unar, Founder, Lovare Institut; JD/MSFS Candidate, Georgetown University. Last updated August 2026. Figures on this page were verified in August 2026 or point readers to the current source.
JD-Next is accepted by a set of ABA-approved law schools that have been approved to use its score in admissions, a group that includes both national and regional programs and grows most cycles. The authoritative, current roster lives on the JD-Next program site, because schools opt in and update terms between application years. Some accept JD-Next as a full alternative to the LSAT and others as a supplement. 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023).
JD-Next is a multi-week online course that teaches reading and reasoning through contract law, paired with a standardized assessment at the end. It was developed with the AccessLex Institute and the University of Arizona to give schools another way to predict first-year performance. Schools accept it to broaden access and to reward applicants who demonstrate legal reasoning through coursework rather than a single exam. 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023).
A participating school reads your JD-Next result as evidence of readiness for first-year study, then combines it with your GPA, essays, and record. At schools that admit on JD-Next alone, a strong score can carry the application without an LSAT or GRE. At others, it strengthens a file that still expects a traditional test. The weight given varies by school. 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023).
A broad set of ABA-approved law schools accepts the GRE, and it is generally a larger group than the schools accepting JD-Next, though many appear on both lists. To cover your options, review ETS's GRE roster and the JD-Next school list separately, since a school's policy on one does not imply the other. about 128 U.S. law schools, including every T14 school.
Yes. JD-Next can lead to admission without an LSAT score at schools that accept it as a full alternative, and the GRE offers an even wider no-LSAT path. Fully test-free JD admission is rare, so confirm that your target treats JD-Next as a standalone credential. 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023).
Neither is uniformly easier, and JD-Next is a different animal entirely. The GRE emphasizes math and vocabulary, the LSAT emphasizes logic and reading, and JD-Next grades a course plus an exam. If a single timed test is your weak point, the course-based JD-Next path may play to your strengths. 67 ABA-accredited law schools (up from 46 in 2023).
Verified August 2026.
September 20, 2026
September 20, 2026