Planning your law school career
There is no one correct way to choose your law school courses. Academic advising can help you match programs and opportunities to your abilities, interests, and career goals, plus provide guidance on academic requirements and resources to support you to complete your program.
While every student will have different needs during their time at law school, we’ve compiled a list of things everyone should consider when planning their courses.
Discover your passion
If you aren’t sure what area of law you want to study, it’s wise to take foundational courses—also called “black letter law” courses—across a broad spectrum of areas.
Take classes from professors you would like to study with, even if you aren’t particularly interested in their subject matter. It’s possible that practice fields you haven’t considered may capture your interest.
Ask upper-year students to share their thoughts on professors and courses.
Your learning style
When choosing courses, it’s important to consider your learning style:
Do you enjoy writing papers? Can you organize your workload across the term? If so, you may decide to register for major paper classes (you can take up to three per academic year).
Do you prefer multiple modes of evaluation throughout the term or do you work best focusing on the final exam? Check last year’s syllabi online to get a sense of the course requirements and evaluation methods.
Be realistic about workload demands and pace your deadlines accordingly. Review the exam schedule carefully to avoid registering for courses that have back-to-back exams.
Get more advice, contact Academic Services
