What You Need to Know about Courses and Academic Resources

Your 1L Year

List of 1L Courses

There are six required courses that you will take during your 1L year. Five are semester-long courses, and one (Lawyering) spans both semesters. In the spring, you will also choose a 1L elective. Registration for 1L electives is in mid-October. You will be assigned to a section, which is the group of your peers with whom you will take doctrinal courses. Sections are further split into several smaller Lawyering sections, ensuring more one-on-one attention from Lawyering professors. 

• Civil Procedure (Fall)

  • Sometimes referred to as “CivPro” or “Procedure," Civil Procedure refers to the rules and practices that govern courts, lawyers, and litigants in the resolution of disputes. The major topics addressed include the general reach of the Due Process clause as a bedrock guarantee of fairness; the jurisdiction of courts over persons and subject matter; requirements of notice, pleading; the managerial powers of judges; the available (and required) joinder of persons; motion practice; discovery; short-cuts to judgment; the right to a jury trial; the power of courts to regulate jury verdicts; and the finality of judgments. 

• Contracts (Fall)
  • This course examines the body of law concerned with private agreements, including capacity to contract, contract formation, interpretation, conditions, excuse of performance, and remedies for breach. Attention is given to the Uniform Commercial Code and other relevant statutes, as well as to principles of common law and equity.
     
• Criminal Law (Fall or Spring)
  • Sometimes referred to as “Crim,” Criminal Law is an introductory course on the jurisprudence of substantive criminal law. It deals with the necessary conditions of blameworthiness as a precondition for criminal liability, including such topics as strict liability, negligence, causation, accomplice liability and attempts. It examines justifications and excuses, including necessity, self-defense, duress, intoxication, and insanity. Because criminal law is codified, the course provides a solid introduction into reading and interpreting statutes.
     
• Torts (Fall or Spring)
  • “Torts” refers to civil liability for breach of duty causing harm to persons or property. Topics covered include intentional and unintentional injury; fault and no-fault theories of liability; strict products liability; theories and analysis of causation.
     
• Legislation and the Regulatory State (Spring)
  •  Often referred to as “LRS,” Legislation and the Regulatory State describes the process by which legislation is created, interpreted, and implemented. The course provides an overview of the legislative process; the doctrines governing the interpretation of the terms that this legislative process produces; the constitutional rules governing the relations between the actors responsible for enacting and implementing statutes—courts, elected chief executives like the president or governors, legislative bodies like Congress or state legislatures, and the executive bodies set up by statutes for their implementation—and the various doctrines of administrative law that empower and control agencies in interpreting and implementing statutes.
     
• Lawyering (Fall and Spring)
  • The Lawyering Program is designed to introduce first-year students to real-world skills that every lawyer needs to be an effective practitioner. In the first semester, students develop essential legal research and writing skills, exploring how law and fact unite in legal analysis. The second semester allows ample opportunity to engage in simulated interviewing, counseling, case analysis, negotiation, and both informal and trial advocacy. Simulation through role-play, followed by critical review of each experience, bolsters students’ real-world understanding of Lawyering’s four conceptual dimensions of a legal problem: goals, facts, rules, and context. Lawyering is graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Direct questions about the 1L curriculum and lawyering to: Academic Services at law.acadservices@nyu.edu 

Further reading: 

• 1L Road Map
• Lawyering Program

Course Registration/Choosing 1L Elective

In late October, you will register for a 1L elective for the 2023 spring semester. This is done via COURSES, the Law School’s course bidding and registration website. You will not need to bid on your required 1L courses, as you will be pre-registered. Each student receives 1,000 “points” with which to bid on desired courses. 

You should review the list of available 1L electives, including the professors teaching them, and come up with a list of your top few choices. You can speak to upper-level students about the courses, review course evaluations from past years, and/or meet with an administrator to talk through your options if you are having trouble deciding. 

You will then decide how many of your 1,000 points to bid on each course. To make these choices, you can review the historical clearing prices of courses—simply put, the lowest bid value that received a seat in the class. For sections that are in high demand, you will see that the clearing price is 1,000. That means that every student who received a seat in the class bid 1,000 points on it during registration. 

Bidding 1,000 points on a course does not guarantee you a seat, if the course is highly in demand. There is no benefit to bidding early in the cycle; once bids are in, it is a lottery system. If you do not receive your top choice in the first bidding cycle, there is a second cycle in November and a third in January after the semester break. 

For precise dates of registration cycles, please visit the Records and Registration page on NYU Law’s website. They also have a guide on registering for 1L electives.

You will also receive communication about the Financial Concepts module, an online course designed to introduce law students to the basics of finance and economics. If successfully completed (course is credit/fail), there will be a note on your transcript indicating that you have taken the module. 

Direct questions about course registration to: Records and Registration at law.registration@nyu.edu 

Further reading: 

• Description of 1L electives
• Dates of 1L registration 
• Course evaluations

1L Reading Groups

1Ls have the option of joining informal reading groups during their first year at the Law School. These are often a way to get to know professors in small-group settings and discuss areas of interest in the law. Joining a reading group is entirely optional, but it can be a good way to meet like-minded colleagues and take a break from traditional studies. Reading groups are hosted on a semester basis, and there are groups available for the Fall and Spring. 

Direct questions about reading groups to: Academic Services at law.acadservices@nyu.edu 

Further reading:

• Article about Reading Groups
• Registering for Reading Groups

Academic Support

Academic Advising

You are not assigned a formal academic advisor at the Law School. To ask questions about academic progress and suggested courses, you have several options. 

• Set up a meeting with a member of the Office of Academic Services. This is the best approach if you have questions about degree progress or how course registration works. 
• Meet with a career counselor through the Office of Career Services, the Public Interest Law Center, or the Academic Careers Program. This is great if you are wondering what courses would be helpful for your desired career path.
• Meet with your professors. This is a good option if you are curious about a specific academic field or want to hear about what path legal academics took during law school. 

Direct questions about academic advising to: 

• Academic Services at law.acadservices@nyu.edu
• The Office of Career Services at law.careers@nyu.edu 
• Public Interest Law Center at pilc.appointments@nyu.edu 
• Academic Careers Program at law.academiccareers@nyu.edu 
• Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu 

Classroom & Exam Accommodations

NYU Law is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for all students, including those with physical, psychological, learning, and emotional disabilities. The Moses Center for Student Accessibility is the main hub through which students can coordinate reasonable and appropriate accommodations for classes and examinations while in law school. Accommodations information is kept confidential, and unless you self-disclose, professors will not be aware of which students receive accommodations. 

A “disability” is not limited to a long-term, permanent condition. Short-term injuries (such as a broken arm or injured eye) can make someone eligible for accommodations for the duration of recovery. Accommodations can also be sought for mental health conditions. 

Students register with the Moses Center and are paired with a counselor, who helps identify accommodation needs and coordinate services and resources. If documentation or testing is needed, the Moses Center can assist in that process. 

If you anticipate that you will need accommodations when you ultimately sit for the bar exam, it is highly encouraged that you register to receive accommodations while in law school. When applying for bar exam accommodations, a history of accommodations is an important component. 

Direct questions about accommodations to: 

Rochelle Mills, Law School Liaison with the Moses Center, at rochelle.mills@nyu.edu 

Academic Services at law.acadservices@nyu.edu 

Resources for Religious Accommodations

NYU Law is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for community members of all faiths. In alignment with the University Calendar Policy on Religious Holidays, the Office of Student Affairs works with students to identify reasonable accommodations that may be needed in observance of religious holidays and practices. Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis and may include exam modifications, deferments, assistance with course scheduling, and recording of classes for absences related to religious observance. 

Please contact the Office of Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu to discuss accommodations. When possible, please reach out at the beginning of the semester so that there is ample time for us to work with you and coordinate the appropriate accommodations.    

At NYU, there are a number of other resources that support religious and spiritual life: 

• The Office of Global Spiritual Life offers resources, spiritual life advising, interfaith programming, and trainings to encourage dialogue about religion on campus and beyond.
• There are multiple religious centers and prayer and meditation spaces on campus that serve all members of the NYU community.
• NYU Law’s Christian Legal Fellowship, Jewish Law Students Association, and Muslim Law Students Association help build community around shared religious identities.

Tutoring

The Office of Student Affairs can help pair tutors and tutees, particularly for 1L courses. If you are interested in being a tutor, an email recruiting form will go out sometime early each semester, particularly to those who received high grades in one or more 1L courses. Tutoring pays $15/hr, and tutors can choose how many tutees they take on and which classes they will tutor for. 

If you are interested in being tutored, you should keep an eye on the Docket for the sign-up form. A tutor is not guaranteed, as pairings are made based on availability. It is encouraged that you meet with your course’s teaching assistant before signing up to request a tutor. You may request tutoring for a maximum of two courses, though you may only receive one tutor. 

If you are looking for feedback on writing, you can utilize your Lawyering professor and TAs, or the NYU Writing Center.

Direct questions about tutoring to: Student Affairs at law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu 

Further reading: Info page about tutoring

Outlining & Study Tips

One of the most common study practices in law school is outlining. “Outlining” refers to a condensation and synthesis of course materials (including syllabus, class notes, case briefs, statues, hypos, and other helpful notes) into one organized document. Creating the outline is a method of studying in itself, and then you are able to review the outline as a way of studying in the weeks leading up to the examination. While creating the outline, you are able to identify gaps in your own understanding and places where you may need to ask questions of your professor or revisit a particular reading. A good outline allows you to understand the relevant legal issues covered in the course and how they interact. It is a living document which you may edit and refine many times throughout the semester. 

Everyone has a different method and timeline to approaching outlining; it depends on your learning and organization style, as well as the structure of the course. But keep time in mind—outlining can be an overwhelming task to accomplish during a time crunch.

Below, find a few students’ perspectives on outlining and studying for law school exams. 

Student, Class of '22

“Everyone in law school studies differently, even if it sounds like we’re all doing the same thing by 'outlining' and then taking practice tests. Whatever worked best in undergrad is probably highly applicable to law school. I start with reading notes that I type up, then take all of my class notes by hand, on an iPad, directly on top of those reading notes. Towards the last third of the semester, I start outlining. It’s just a review of all my notes, ordered and color-coded in a way that makes the information easy to retrieve. I try to complete my outline before the professor stops taking questions, mark anything I’m confused about, and then I get those questions sorted out directly with the professor. One thing I rarely do is start with someone else’s outline—the process of creating my own is the bulk of my studying. Plus, professors change up material from year to year (adding/removing cases, etc.). I only look at other outlines towards the very end, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything in my own notes.

After outlining, I like getting together with a small group of other students to review practice tests. Sometimes I only know one or two people in the class, and if that’s the case, then I’ll reach out to random people I remember from cold calls or just because their video was on and they had a cute pet cameo. If group studying isn’t your thing though, I wouldn’t force it. Most importantly, I build in self-care. My first semester I let myself get swept up in the frenzy of finals season and had stress nausea for three weeks. My stress levels still often shoot through the roof near finals, but I make sure to block out time to eat, watch TV, exercise, and hang with friends outside of law school. Scheduling that time means I can try to relax without feeling guilty that I’m supposed to be doing more studying. As someone who is chronically ill, I also try to avoid any major changes to my routine that might throw my body out of whack. So no sudden increase in caffeine consumption, all-pizza diets, or sleep deprivation. And finally, I pet my cat a lot!” 

Student, Class of '22

“I think honestly the main thing I would have to say, and that I've learned, is that there are a lot of messages, mostly indirect, about the 'right' way to do law school. I remember feeling, during 1L, like I was 'supposed' to start outlining at a particular time and I was supposed to then be spending most of my time outlining, and when I found that difficult to do (because it can be hard for me to start projects a month or two in advance) it made me feel pretty anxious. I also remember feeling like there was a 'right' way for outlines to look, with flowcharts and highlighted multi-factor tests and tables of contents. In my first semester I did the best, by far, on the exam for which I didn't start outlining until about a week before the exam, and for which my outline looked... nothing like any of the other outlines I've seen. I'm decidedly not trying to say that I have the "right" way to outline figured out, but that I have figured out how to outline and study in the way that's best for me. To be quite frank, that's borne out in my grades, too, which have improved pretty consistently each semester as I lean more into my own methods of studying.

Part of this for me though is that doing law school the right way for yourself may be...not focusing on grades. There are so many important things going on around campus, there are many jobs that care more about the experiences you've had than the grades you've gotten (neither of my internships have asked for transcripts, for example), and sometimes the thing that you really have to do is Sleep. I at least really want to believe that if you focus on the things that feel right to you, you'll end up in the place that feels right for you.” 

Law Library

The NYU School of Law has an extensive library space. The main entrance is on the first floor of Vanderbilt Hall. There is another entrance on the C level of Furman Hall. In order to obtain access to the library, you must present your NYU student ID card. The library and its website have a variety of resources for student scholarship, including research guides, information on access to Bloomberg Law/Lexis Advance/Westlaw, online library catalogue, and interlibrary loan services. 

There is seating at tables and individual carrels for students to study. Eating is prohibited in the law library, and beverages must be in spill-proof containers. You should plan to silence your cell phone and use headphones with your laptop in order to prevent disturbing your fellow students. 

Direct questions about library resources to: Library email at lawlibrary@nyu.edu 

Further reading: Library website

Clinics & Externships

Clinics and externships are a much-celebrated part of the upper-level law school experience. Many students will apply to and join clinics in order to deepen their understanding and begin working with clients under faculty supervision in a specific area of the law. NYU Law has 50 clinics and externships, though not all may be open to applicants every year. Some clinics are one-semester, some full-year. They combine seminar courses with relevant work in the field, and often require a substantial time commitment outside of your regular course load. 

You should begin thinking about clinics and externships, if you are interested in pursuing them during 2L, in mid-spring of your 1L year. There is a Clinic Fair around early March where you can explore different options. The application period is a two-week window in March, where students will submit general application forms, résumés, and unofficial transcripts via the Clinic Application and Matching System. You can apply to a maximum of six clinics and/or externships per year. Some applications require interviews. 

You must rank your preferences on the CAMS system. After the deadline for ranked preferences, students will be informed via email whether they have been accepted into a clinic. 

Questions about a specific clinic should be directed to its program administrator.

Direct general questions about clinics to: 

Clinic Administrator at (212) 998-6430. 

Further reading: Complete list of clinics and contact info