While the electives for the first year of law school may vary somewhat from school to school, at almost all law schools, students are required to take the same core first-year classes -- Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, and Legal Research & Writing.

Civil Procedure

This course introduces law students to the language, structure, and complex rules governing the American civil justice system, including the individual components of trials and appeals. (View a sample lecture)

Constitutional Law

This course examines the large body of Supreme Court decisions that have interpreted the important, but often ambiguous, phrases and concepts embodied in the U.S. Constitution.

Contracts

This course examines the legal principles concerning enforceable bargains. Agreements among and between people and entities all involve promises -- the Law of Contracts governs which promises are enforceable in a court of law.
(View a sample lecture)

Criminal Law

This course examines criminal offenses like murder, rape and robbery, the minimum conduct and intent people must have in order to commit them, and the various justifications and excuses that can absolve people of criminal liability. (View a sample lecture)

Property

This course examines the distribution of resources, wealth, and power, including both personal property (tangible property) and real property (land).

Torts

This course examines violations of non-negotiated, societal rules that govern how people treat one another. (View a sample lecture)

Legal Research & Writing

This course examines basic lawyering skills, including how to perform legal research and writing legal memoranda or court briefs.