If I apply to Howard for law school by March of 2026, when will my classes begin?

1. What Howard’s admissions page actually says about the 2026 application deadline

Howard University School of Law’s JD application instructions explicitly say “Applications must be started and saved by 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2026 if the applicant is applying for the 2026 entering class” and that an application must be completed by March 1st ^[1]. Separate FAQ material on the admissions site lists the J.D. program application deadline as March 15th in a different FAQ excerpt ^[2]. These two statements appear on Howard Law’s own web pages, so you should treat March 1, 2026 and March 15 (year not specified in that snippet) as published deadlines to reconcile with the Office of Admissions directly ^{[1] [2]}.

2. When classes would likely start if you apply by March 2026

Howard’s pages frame March 2026 as the deadline for the “2026 entering class” ^[1]. That phrasing indicates acceptance is for the cohort that matriculates later in 2026 — i.e., the fall semester that begins in the 2026-2027 academic year. Howard’s Law School posts academic calendars (including the 2025–2026 calendar) on its resources page, which is the appropriate place to find the official start-of-term dates for any incoming class once published ^{[3] [4]}. The academic calendar documents the semester start dates and registration timelines that determine when classes begin ^{[3] [4]}.

3. How to confirm exact start dates and orientation timing

Howard Law maintains an Academic Calendars page and a specific PDF calendar for the 2025–2026 HUSL Academic Calendar; those calendar documents set exact registration and class start/end dates and are the authoritative source once the 2026–2027 calendar is published ^{[3] [4]}. For orientation and move-in specifics, the School posts “Ways to Connect” and events schedules that historically include January–February and summer orientation timelines, but the precise incoming 1L orientation and first-day-of-class details for fall cohorts will appear on the upcoming 2026–2027 calendar and admissions communications ^{[5] [4]}.

4. Reconciling the two deadline notices and what to do next

Howard’s admissions pages contain at least two different deadline mentions — March 1, 2026 (for starting/saving/completing applications for the 2026 entering class) and a March 15th note in an FAQ ^{[1] [2]}. This could reflect different internal deadlines (e.g., for initial submission vs. completed file), updates that weren’t synchronized across pages, or distinct deadlines for different applicant types. The Office of Admissions provides contact details (husladmit@law.howard.edu, phone) and virtual office hours; contacting them is the definitive way to resolve which deadline applies to your situation and to confirm matriculation timing ^{[1] [5]}.

5. What the academic calendar and course schedules tell you about timing

Howard Law’s published academic calendars and course-schedule documents show the school organizes terms and registration windows well in advance ^{[3] [6]}. If you are admitted for the “2026 entering class,” expect to begin with the fall term that calendar covers for 2026–2027; the exact first day of classes, orientation dates, and registration windows will be on the HUSL academic calendar page once the 2026–2027 document is released ^{[4] [3]}.

6. Practical next steps and caveats

Start and complete your LSAC/Howard application by the March deadline shown on the JD admissions page and confirm whether March 1 or March 15 applies to you ^{[1] [2]}. After submission, monitor your applicant portal and HUSL’s Academic Calendars page for the official 2026–2027 calendar release to see exact class start dates ^{[4] [3]}. If you’re relying on financial-aid timing or housing, ask Admissions/Student Affairs directly, since the calendars note that some aid and registration rules depend on grade posting and semester status ^[3].

Limitations: available sources include Howard Law admission pages and academic-calendar listings but do not show the published 2026–2027 first-day-of-classes date; for that specific calendar date, consult HUSL’s Academic Calendars page or contact husladmit@law.howard.edu ^{[4] [5]}.