Highly Recommended Courses During Law School Forum

[r973]

I know some people will take issue with this topic and state that NO courses are necessary to take before the BAR EXAM or to be a more attractive candidate for certain employers, but I would like to hear from those of you who HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking certain courses before graduation. Specifically:

(1) Any courses that are highly recommended to prep for the BAR EXAM? I know that I will not remember most of course from school for the bar, but I know that I learn better when I get a preview with a course (during law school) and do the hardcore studying during BARBRI. It helps to get into my long-term memory and sounds familiar during the second review. Specifically, how about courses on the UCC Article 2, 3, and 9 since they are on the NY bar. Worth it during law school or not?

(2) Any courses that are highly recommended to work/get hired at a BIG LAW FIRM in NY area?

(3) Any courses that are highly recommended for district attorney's office? (I assume a lot of criminal law courses)

(4) Any courses that are highly recommended for STATE clerkships?

(5) Any courses that are highly recommended for FEDERAL clerkships?


Thanks!

[animalcrkrs]

Are you a 0L? Assuming you are, this is really something you don't have to think about ANYTIME soon. Here's why.

1. Your first year of law school, you'll most likely only have 1 or 2 electives. Period. Some of the classes you'll take will quasi-help prepare you for the bar that mandatory anyway.

2. There are certain courses that are arguably better or worse for certain positions you desire. But no matter what you want to do, you'll have the best set of options available to you by doing one thing. GETTING GOOD GRADES IN YOUR FIRST YEAR. You can forget what courses you should take for a prestigious biglaw firm or clerkship if you're sitting after 1L with a 2.7 So focus on that.

3. Since I'm sure all that I just wrote is not what you want to hear since you maybe want to have some idea of what path to take assuming you get fab grades 1L year, I'll tell you what my sense is after my 1L year of what, generally, to take"

- If you want to do transactional biglaw work, focus on transactional based classes (Corporations, Securities Regulation, finance courses, maybe tax, possibly some contract drafting and the like)
- If you want to do litigation biglaw work, trial advocacy, negotiation, appellate advocacy maybe, clinic work where you can get a sense for what the courtroom is like (though you won't be there for a long time as an associate most likely), moot court/trial team can't hurt.
- For clerkships, I've heard that Civ Pro 2, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Federal Jurisprudence, Choice of Law, etc. are useful, but most people don't start taking these until 2nd semester 2L or during 3L when they know they are going for clerkships, since these are not cake classes for the most part.

Like I said, though, if you want to keep the most options open...make these your goals: get fantastic grades, get on law review or a reputable journal and/or participate in moot court/trial team (but law review is preferred)

All of the advice I have heard from law professors to practicing lawyers and other recent grads of my school is, DO NOT TAKE CLASSES JUST for the Bar. That's what you are paying the big bucks to BarBri to teach you. Think instead about the fact that after you get your required 1L courses out of the way, you'll only have about 20 selections to make total. Do you really want to spend them taking Trusts and Estates if you have no interest in that JUST for the Bar?

[r973]

nope, not an 0L...im trying to plan out my 3L year actually

[animalcrkrs]

Sorry about that, I made the assumption since your options seemed really wide open path wise-- did you do any externships or take anything your second year that piled up courses in one way or another or would make you lean towards one area?

There is some about this here too: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=112957

At NU, the course catalog online lists the concentrations certain courses cover which might help especially for the biglaw specialities if your school has something similar (so concentration in "business law" or "advocacy" etc.)