Important Dates
Additional important dates for the academic year can be found on the Academic Calendar.
2026-2027 Upcoming Course and Clinic Selection Dates
| Phase | Open | Close | Results Available |
| JD Upper Level Winter Elective Selection | Fri, Oct 16th at 9am | Mon, Oct 19th at 5pm | Wed, Oct 21st by 5pm |
| JD Upper Level Spring Elective Selection | Thurs, Oct 22nd at 9am | Mon, Oct 26th at 5pm | Thurs, Oct 29th by 5pm |
| 1L Experiential Term Selection | Mon, Nov 2nd at 9am | Wed, Nov 4th at 5pm | Fri, Nov 6th by 5pm |
| 1L Spring Elective Selection | Mon, Nov 9th at 9am | Thurs, Nov 12th at 5pm | Tues, Nov 17th by 5pm |
Waitlist Processing, Add/Drop Deadlines & Firesale Dates
| Event | Date | Notes |
| Winter Clinic Add/Drop | Fri, October 23rd * | Some clinics have earlier deadlines. Refer to course catalog. |
| 1L JET Add/Drop Deadline | Wed, December 2nd * | |
| Winter Add/Drop Deadline | Mon, January 4th * | |
| Spring Externship Clinic Add/Drop | Fri, December 4th | Some clinics have earlier deadlines. Refer to course catalog. |
| Spring In-House Clinic Add/Drop | Fri, December 11th* | Some clinics have earlier deadlines. Refer to course catalog. |
| Spring Add Deadline for 1L courses (LLMs only) | Wed, January 27th* | Drop Deadline: January 29th |
| Spring Add/Drop Deadline | Fri, January 29th* | |
| Spring Firesale | Mon, February 1st * | Firesale information |
Resources for Choosing Courses and Clinics
The resources below will help you explore course and clinic offerings and build your schedule.
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. It is updated for each registration round to reflect course capacities for the participating student population. 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.
Academic Advising Resources
Use the links below to review degree requirements, and to connect with Advisors who can help you plan your time at HLS and select courses and clinics that meet your academic goals.
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.