First-Year Information

Georgetown's first-year program is 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.

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 Curriculum

Part-time students take Civil Procedure, Consititutional Law I: The Federal System, Contracts, Legal Research and Writing, and Torts during their first year. During their upperclass years (most typically in their second year), part-time students take Criminal Justice and Property, along with other elective courses.

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.