All 1L students are required to enroll in a 1L January Experiential Term (JET) course of 2 or 3 credits and one HLS upper-level spring elective course or seminar of 2 to 4 credits; 1-credit offerings are ineligible.
Registration Process and FAQs
Registration for 1L January Experiential Term (JET) and upper-level spring elective will take place in two separate registration rounds; all course preferences will be entered via Helios. Questions about registration? Review answers to frequently asked questions on various topics including requirements, preferencing, and where to find course related resources.
1L Registration, Step By Step Guide | Winter & Spring 2025
1L January Experiential Term
- Begin entering course preferences: Monday, November 4th, 9am ET
- Course preferencing deadline: Wednesday, November 6th, 5pm ET
- Students must rank all 1L January Experiential Term courses in order of preference.
- Once registration results are released, students may make changes to their JET enrollment up until December 4. More information about the add/drop and waitlist process can be found on the Course and Clinic Selection Information page.
List of 1L January Experiential Term Courses:
- Advocacy: The Courtroom and Beyond
- Lawyering for Justice in the United States
- Leadership Fundamentals
- Negotiation Workshop (1L)
- Technology and the Public Interest
Spring Upper-level Elective Registration
- Begin entering course preferences: Monday, November 11th, 9am ET
- Course preferencing deadline: Thursday, November 14th, 5pm ET
- Participating students must rank a minimum of 6 and can choose to rank up to a maximum of 12 courses
- Once registration results are released, students may make changes to their spring elective enrollment up until January 31. More information about the add/drop and waitlist process can be found on the Course and Clinic Selection Information page.
Below you will find links to lists of elective courses relevant to each 1L section. Please note:
- You will see other Spring Upper-level Elective courses on the Helios registration page, however, you should choose your preferences from the courses listed for your section in the links below. Any course not on your list is not available to your section because the course conflicts with your required 1L courses. Preferencing a course not included in your section list below will be a lost opportunity to preference a course you are eligible for.
- By Permission (or “by application”) courses are not included in course preferencing. To be considered for a seat in a by permission course, please follow the application instructions in the course descriptions. We recommend participating in the Spring Elective registration round even if you are considering applying to a by-permission course. It is your responsibility to make sure your 1L classes do not conflict with the course you are applying to; HLS policy does not allow students to enroll in course with any time overlap. Please notify the Office of the Registrar if you are approved for a by permission course. Please note: not all by-permission courses are available to first year J.D. students.
Spring Upper-level Elective Lists By Section
We encourage you to have your section list with you when submitting your spring elective preferences to ensure you are selecting classes available to your section.
Lists last updated: November 1st
For questions regarding any aspect of Registration, please consider dropping by a “Ask the Registrar” table. Dates, along with a full registration calendar and additional registration resources, can be found on the Course and Clinic Selection page. Questions may also be directed to registrar@law.harvard.edu.