News 2022: UMass Law now accepts GRE test results for law school admission

While most applicants continue to apply with the LSAT, the GRE option is expected to draw more diverse applicants, make law school admission more accessible, and reduce barriers to the legal profession.

Applicants to UMass Law can now choose to submit either the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the results of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) with their law school application.

In a November 2021 decision, the Council for the Section of Legal Education of the American Bar Association voted to permit law schools to accept GRE test scores from applicants in lieu of an LSAT score. The decision follows a successful six-year review by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) on the use of the GRE for law school admission.

“Expanding access to justice is at the core of our identity as a public law school,” said UMass Law Dean Eric Mitnick. “Part of expanding access to justice is increasing access to legal education, so it is heartening to know that students will have multiple pathways to law school admission.”

The GRE is generally considered a more convenient and more widely available testing option, offering the ability to take the exam at any time of the year, either on a computer at home or in more than 1,000 test centers across more than 160 countries.

Since the GRE is the primary graduate school admissions test across the largest variety of academic disciplines, it is also viewed as a more flexible alternative with the potential to enable law school applicants from a wider diversity of programs and with a broader range of career opportunities, including applicants from STEM fields or those with an interest in dual degree graduate programs. UMass Law offers three such joint graduate degree programs, including JD/MBA, JD/MPP, and JD/MSW degrees.

For applicants who take both the LSAT and GRE, the LSAT will remain the primary admissions test and the principal score used in the admission decision.

Applicants can obtain more information about applying to UMass Law using the GRE here.

“Part of expanding access to justice is increasing access to legal education, so it is heartening to know that students will have multiple pathways to law school admission.”