First-Year Information

There are two first-year curricula available to Georgetown Law students, curriculum "A" and curriculum "B". Both are designed to provide students with the foundation for upperclass studies by introducing the major areas of substantive law while developing the analytical, research and writing skills required of all lawyers.

Curriculum "A" is the traditional first-year curriculum which parallels those at all major law schools. Curriculum "B" was developed in 1991 by a faculty committee charged by the Dean to comprehensively rethink the first year of law school and offers an innovative and integrated approach to the study of law. A more detailed description of the two first-year curriculums is available below. Four full-time sections and the part-time section are instructed under curriculum "A." One full time section is instructed under curriculum "B."

Students in both curricula in the full-time division take 31 credit hours during the first year. First-year students typically have two to three classes Monday through Thursday and at least one class on Fridays.

The first-year classroom instruction is complemented by "1L 101", a series of presentations by faculty and administrators that address such topics as note-taking, participating in the law school classroom, outlining, and taking law school exams. Each session is offered in an afternoon and evening version to accommodate students in the full-time and part-time divisions.

First-Year Small Section Program

The first-year class is divided into sections and students take most of their classes with their respective section. Sections in the full-time program are approximately 100 students. In the fall semester, each student is assigned to a smaller group of approximately 30 students for one required course. This smaller class is intended to encourage class participation and allow faculty to use teaching techniques that are easier to implement in a smaller class setting. The legal research and writing course is also taught in a smaller class.

This small section structure provides each student with a smaller cohort of peers to share a common first-year experience. Study groups, as well as close friendships, often form within these small sections and the faculty members who teach them often become informal advisors to students. Each small section professor is encouraged to host brunch or dinner for their students to provide an opportunity for interaction outside of the classroom.

First-Year Courses

Students in the curriculum "A" begin their legal studies with eight foundational courses, including a 3-credit elective in the spring semester drawn from two categories: legislative/regulatory law and international/comparative/transnational law. The Spring electives for the current year are listed on the right-hand side of the screen.

Students pursuing curriculum "B" differ from those pursuing curriculum "A" as their studies reflect the increasingly public nature of contemporary law. They focus their studies on courses which emphasize the sources of law in history, philosophy, political theory, and economics.

All first-year students take a ninth 1-credit intensive course "Week One: Law in a Global Context" during the first week of the spring semester. Attendance is mandatory at all class sessions throughout the week. Through lectures, discussion sections and simulation exercises, Week One allows students to address complex problems of international and transnational law while working on their oral advocacy, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.