Oh, you didn't know? Yes, the GRE is accepted by approximately 80 accredited law schools as of January 2022. Despite the University of Arizona becoming the first law school to announce that it would accept the GRE in lieu of an LSAT score all the way back in 2016, the GRE has yet to gain much traction as a legitimate alternative to the LSAT in the eyes of many law school applicants. However, a decision made last December by the American Bar Association (ABA) to officially permit law schools to require the GRE rather than the LSAT could change how students should decide between the two exams for their law school application packet.

How Did the GRE Gain Law School Acceptance?
The primary reason that the LSAT was challenged by the GRE in the first place is because, unlike the GRE, the LSAT is offered only on a limited schedule dictated by its administrative body the LSAC. Before the incursion by the GRE, only four LSATs were offered annually! As a direct response to the GRE's wider availability, that number of annual LSATs has doubled to eight, or about once every six weeks. The exact schedule of upcoming LSAT test dates can be found on the LSAC's website.

Is the GRE Really Equal to the LSAT?
Historically, no. That said, the ABA's recent public blessing of the GRE could make the test seem more viable in the eyes of their member institutions. Most law school admissions offices will still state a preference for the LSAT over the GRE, if you ask them off the record. However, with each year that passes the GRE loses a little bit of that stigma and more students are accepted to law school based on their GRE score. Always be sure to check the official ETS website to ensure that your target law school accepts the GRE before choosing to eschew the more traditional LSAT path. Much as it does for the GMAT, the ETS website even provides a handy GRE to LSAT conversion tool to let you (and admissions officers) estimate what a GRE score may convert to on the LSAT.

From a content perspective, I would say that the LSAT is a decisively harder exam than the GRE and this is even illustrated in that comparison tool. For reference, a score of 165 on both sections of the GRE is purported to convert to a 171, or 98th percentile score, on the LSAT. According to the officially reported ETS scoring percentiles a 165 on the GRE Verbal section is approximately the 96th percentile and a 165 on the GRE Quantitative section is approximately the 84th percentile. That's quite a boost going from a combined 96 and 84 to an overall 98! The LSAT is also a much more unique exam than the GRE is with an entire section that is completely novel (Logic Games) as opposed to GRE content that should seem rather familiar to anyone who has taken an ACT, SAT, or GMAT.

When Should Someone Consider the GRE Over the LSAT?
There are two instances when the GRE should be considered as a viable alternative. The first is if you have a deadline that is in between LSAT administrations. Generally, the GRE is easier to prepare for in a short period of time, so if you want to apply for law school when an LSAT administration is not immediately available, certainly consider a quick GRE prep boot camp and official GRE as an alternative in the interim.

The second instance is if your target school accepts the GRE and you simply have not been able to reach the school's target score on the LSAT. Law schools are required to disclose their 25th and 75th percentile LSAT scores to potential applicants and these are easily discovered online. However, that same requirement is not in place for the GRE. So, an otherwise qualified applicant might be able to get around a subpar LSAT score by instead opting for the GRE. Of course, remember this is only a viable option if the school discloses that they accept the GRE.

Don't Underestimate the ETS!
Many in the GMAT world balked at the GRE entering the business school admissions game more than a decade ago, but now nearly all business programs accept both exams. Certainly, there is still a (largely unofficial) preference for the GMAT at many institutions, but the GRE has arrived and isn't going anywhere. Now, the GRE has announced itself in the law school arena and it would be foolish to think that it will be leaving any time soon.