How to Choose Law School Electives After 1L

After the rigid 1L curriculum, 2L and 3L registration feels overwhelming. You might have 60+ courses to choose from and no required sequence. This is actually a huge opportunity — but only if you approach it strategically. Your elective choices should serve three goals: (1) preparing for the bar, (2) exploring potential career paths, and (3) building practical skills.

Even if you have bar prep courses later, learning these subjects in a law school classroom is more effective than learning them from a Barbri video. Prioritize:

Highly recommended: Evidence, Wills & Trusts, Business Organizations/Corporations, Family Law, Secured Transactions
Also useful: Federal Income Tax, Remedies, Conflict of Laws, Administrative Law

You don't need to take all of these, but covering 3-4 of the major bar subjects gives you a significant head start.

Use electives to test-drive career paths:

Interested in litigation? Trial Advocacy, Evidence, Federal Courts
Interested in corporate? Corporations, Securities Regulation, M&A
Interested in public interest? Immigration Law, Environmental Law, Criminal Defense Clinic
Interested in IP? Patent Law, Copyright, Trademark

Take at least one class in an area you think you might like. Many students discover their passion in an unexpected elective.

Clinics, externships, and skills courses (negotiation, trial advocacy, mediation, legal drafting) teach you what doctrinal courses don't: how to actually practice law. Employers consistently say they wish new associates had more practical training. Take at least one clinic and one skills course before graduation. These also tend to have smaller classes and more feedback on your work.

An average subject taught by an excellent professor is better than a great subject taught by a terrible one. Ask 2Ls and 3Ls for recommendations. Check professor ratings (but take extreme reviews with a grain of salt). A professor who challenges you, gives detailed feedback, and cares about teaching will do more for your legal education than any particular subject matter.