Course and Clinic Selection Information

Overview of the Course and Clinic Selection Process

What is course and clinic selection? Why does it matter?

The 1L curriculum provides the foundational elements of a legal education, to support all students in their legal career. Going into 2L and 3L year, you have the opportunity to select the courses and clinics most aligned to your individual learning goals. What legal content most inspires you? What skills do you hope to build as a lawyer and advocate? What values do you hope to embody or explore?   

The course and clinic selection period is your chance to begin shaping your academic and professional pursuits. Explore the requirements and possibilities on this page.  

Important Dates

In the spring term, students select courses and clinics for the entire upcoming academic year, with the exception of winter and spring electives. Winter and spring elective registration occurs in the fall. Add/drop period opens once the selection process is complete and runs through the summer. Course and clinic waitlists move significantly, so there is time to shape your schedule after the selection process.

Course and Clinic Selection dates for the 2025-2026 academic year will be published on this page during the spring semester. See the Academic Calendar for more important dates.

*Course selection for winter 2026 and spring 2026 elective courses will take place mid to late fall 2025. 

Planning my Time at HLS

What do you want to study before you graduate?

Course and clinic selection is a perfect time to take a moment for self-reflection: what do you hope to learn about while at HLS? In what area of the law do you want to have an impact? What skills do you want to build to become a successful advocate? What professional values do you want to build and explore in your education?

Explore these resources to refresh yourself on the wide variety of topics you can study during your time here.

How do your goals align with the degree requirements?

Each of the degree requirements serves a purpose in preparing you for the legal profession. As you map out your plan for the next two years, use these resources to make sure you are meeting the degree requirements as you go. Don’t forget to check on your degree progress with the Degree Audit (available in the Academic Records tab) in HELIOS! 

What are the specific courses, clinics, and experiences to meet both my learning goals and my degree requirements?

The resources below will help you explore course and clinic offerings  and build your schedule. As you’re looking at the possibilities, think about: Which courses or clinics will equip you with the skills you want to build? What style of learning meets your needs? What experts do you want to study with? What substantive areas of law do I need to expose myself to in order to meet my academic goals?

Supplemental Course and Clinic Guides

Narrow your course catalog search using these guides. Find courses that are part of an upcoming registration round or courses that will satisfy a particular graduation requirement.

The Course Reference Guide is a list of all courses, including scheduling and program capacities, to assist in the course selection process. Note that by-permission courses are not included in course preferencing selection rounds; these courses typically involve an application process and admittance is processed outside of HELIOS. 

Resources for the 2025-2026 academic year will be posted here shortly after catalog release.  

Who can I talk to and when can I learn more?

Getting Enrolled

How do I get enrolled?

Find out more about the process of each selection round, add/drop and waitlist functionality in HELIOS, the Firesale, and how the enrollment algorithm works.

Cross-Registration

Most LL.M. and upper-level J.D. students may cross-register at other Harvard schools, the Fletcher School at Tufts, and at MIT, which may complement your studies at HLS. The cross-registration petition and enrollment periods typically happen right before the beginning of each term. J.D. students eligible to cross-register may apply up to 12 credits toward the J.D. degree, and LL.M. students may apply up to six credits toward the LL.M. degree.

Written Work Registration

All J.D. and LL.M. students have a written work requirement for graduation, and in addition, can enroll in optional written work beyond the graduation requirement. Registration for writing credit and for the graduation requirement are paper processes completed outside of HELIOS.