Admission to the Juris Doctor Program
Eligibility for Admission
To qualify for admission to the J.D. Program, the applicant must have obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Arts or Sciences, or a higher academic degree, from an authorized and recognized university or college. The applicant must have completed at least twelve (12) units of English and at least three (3) units of a Rizal course at the tertiary level.
Please note that pursuant to ALS policies, persons who have enrolled and have been graded in at least one (1) semester in any Philippine law school are not eligible for admission to the J.D. Program.
Decisions regarding admissions are made by the Dean, upon the recommendation of the Admissions Committee, and taking into consideration the applicant's scholastic records and abilities, entrance exam results, character references, and other relevant factors.
Ateneo Law’s J.D. Program has a full-time mode of study and is meant to be completed in four (4) years.
Admission Requirements for Academic Year 2023-2024
The ALS J.D. Program application period will start on 01 December 2022 and will end on 6 March 2023.
The applicant must accomplish the online application form. Upon the creation of an applicant account, the individual will then pay the application fee (Php 3,500.00).
Please take note that the online application system will require you to upload the following documents in PDF format only (except for the ID picture):
- Photocopy of collegiate transcript of records
- If graduation is not yet reflected in the transcript, a true copy of grades to date may be submitted.
- A certificate of good moral character (or a certification of no derogatory record for a disciplinary case) from the university last attended
- A 2"x 2" I.D. picture with red background (JPEG format only)
ALS is offering a limited number of Aid-Upon-Admission (AUA) grants (i.e., tuition and fees) for deserving students upon acceptance, based on financial need and academic merit. Should you intend to apply for this, please write a personal statement (500 words max) on why you should be considered for a grant. This personal statement has to be uploaded along with the documents mentioned above.
As part of the online application process, you will be asked to indicate your recommenders and provide their contact details. Please make sure to indicate their institutional email addresses, where available. The recommendations must come from (i) the dean of the applicant's school or a former professor, and (ii) someone, not a relative or friend, who knows the applicant well enough to provide a true character reference.
While you are allowed to continue filling up your application form without having indicated your recommenders, kindly note that your application will not be deemed complete until the Admissions Committee has received the accomplished recommendation forms directly from two recommenders. Further, the current application cycle utilizes the online recommendation form. Recommendation forms sent via email using the old application form will not be accepted.
All applications must be made online and submitted, along with required documents, by 6 March 2023.
After the successful completion, submission and review of the online application, the applicant will then be notified to take the ALS Entrance Exam. ALS will assign the date on which the applicant is to take the examination.
The ALS Entrance Exam will still be fully online. Interested applicants must make sure they have access to the internet as well as the necessary electronic device that meets the following system requirements of the testing solution on the day of their scheduled exam:
- Computer desktop or laptop (Windows OS, Linux OS or Mac OS)
- Recommended platform: Windows OS
- The online exam is not supported on mobile devices (e.g. cellphone/smartphones/tablets)
- Computer must have the following specifications:
- Working and properly configured webcam
- Working and properly configured earphones with microphone
- Recommended platform: Windows OS
- Internet capability and stable connection
- Preferably an internet connection speed of at least 512 kbps
- Conduct a connection and speed test to check (https://www.speedtest.net)
Material Dates
Online entrance exam dates will be set between 04 March and 22 April 2023.
Interviews will be conducted between 15 May to 30 June 2023 and assigned by ALS within the given period. Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that he/she is available when required.
Updated as of 23 February 2023.