Law School Course Selection Advice - Unofficial

Students often ask me what courses I recommend they take. Here's a list, in no particular order, subject to two caveats.

First Caveat: Who teaches it is usually more important that what it is. Make sure to take courses from a variety of people and teaching styles. Keep an eye out for courses taught by visiting big name faculty (and repeat big name visitors such as William Twining...). Also, make sure to have variety in each semester. I advise you to include at least one "fun" course in each semester to keep your sanity.

Second Caveat: The list that follows is only intended as a set of basic default choices, not as a list of the most interesting courses in law school. There are lots of fun and interesting seminars and advanced courses, and you should take some. I'd say that everyone who graduates from law school should take the courses on the basic list unless they have a good reason not to (such as a schedule conflict) as they provide a good foundation for advanced courses, for practice, and introduce you to a wide variety of legal styles and materials.

Froomkin's basic courses (in no particular order)

Administrative Law
Business Associations
Criminal Law
Evidence
Federal Income Tax
One public international law (e.g. International law or International human rights or European Union Law)
One private international law (e.g. 'IBT' or International Finance)
Two (but not three) of these three classes

Civ Pro II
Federal Jurisdiction/Federal Courts
Conflicts of Law

Professional Responsibility or Ethics
One course that teaches the UCC (e.g. Commercial Law I or Secured Transactions)

Four more bar review or practice oriented courses that students often say are useful

Adv. Legal Research
Family Law
Intro. to Financial Accounting
Trust & Estates

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Last modified: March 31, 2004