Pre-Law Advising
Deferring
Understanding Deferral
Deferring is the process by which you can delay matriculation into law school for a year or two after acceptance. You must specifically request a deferral and law schools are under no obligation to grant you one. Generally, deferrals are allowed for specific reasons such as fellowships, enriching work, academic opportunities, or compelling personal circumstances. Deferrals must be requested in writing shortly after you have been admitted and are decided on a case-by-case basis. Criteria and rules for deferral vary from school to school. Thus, before requesting a deferral from any law school, be sure you fully understand their deferral policy.
Two-Year Deferral Programs
Harvard and Columbia have a process for applying at the end of your junior year, with a two-year deferral. The Harvard Junior Deferral Program (JDP) and the Columbia Leadership Experience Admission Deferral (LEAD) are two-year deferral programs – that is, you are admitted with an automatic two-year deferral after you graduate from Brown. These applications are great for the schools, because they entice highly qualified applicants who are nearly certain to attend. They can be great for the right students as well, if you are certain that you want to attend one of these schools, and are certain that you want to take several years between Brown and law school to work, study, travel or otherwise enrich your experience. Harvard’s program has an application deadline in mid-June after your junior year. Columbia’s program is designed for students who plan to have a leadership experience or cultivate leadership skills for two years after college.