The Spring 1L Schedule Assignment & Elective Selection Process is as follows: 

  1. Review the FAQs and course information for the various Spring 2023 1L electives (below).
  2. Complete One of the following forms below as appropriate by Friday, November 18, 2022:
    1. Only if you are a part-time student or have special scheduling needs based on extraordinary or compelling circumstances, fill out the First-Year Part-Time & Special Scheduling Request Form for Spring 2023
      1. Special scheduling requests are rare. This form should not be used simply to indicate various class scheduling preferences (e.g., preferring not to have morning classes). Rather, this form is for students who truly have special scheduling needs based on compelling or extraordinary circumstances such as: work schedule requirements, child/family care availability & obligations, etc.
      2. Any student who believes they will be unable to take 14 credits in the Spring Term should fill out this form. Requests to take fewer than 14 credits will only be granted on the basis of an extraordinary or compelling need, or part-time status. 
    2. All other first-year students, fill out the First-Year Elective Selection Form for Spring 2023.
    3. Important Notes: You should only fill out one (not both) of the above forms. If you click these Google form links and see, “You need permission...” you must log out of your personal Google account. Then, when you click the link again, you will be prompted to log in and you should use your UW credentials instead.
  3.  In December, Jane Heymann will email you your assigned schedule and notify you when you can enroll.
    1. Important Note:  The week of November 7, you will get an email from the Registrar's Office notifying you of your enrollment time, which will be in mid-November. However, you will not be able to enroll at your enrollment time, because 1L schedules are assigned by the Law School. 
  4.  Enroll in your spring courses! 

1L Elective FAQs

Is there basic advice about choosing a 1L elective?

No matter which course you choose from among the seven options, you really can't go wrong. All seven are "core courses" in fundamental areas, and many of them satisfy Wisconsin Diploma Privilege and graduation requirements (see the J.D. Degree Course & Credit Worksheet and Diploma Privilege Course & Credit Worksheet (PDF) for a full list of requirements)

  • Civil Procedure II, Constitutional Law I, and Introduction to Criminal Procedure are all specifically required for Wisconsin Diploma Privilege.
  • Both International Law and Administrative Law satisfy the Legal Process requirement for graduation.
  • Business Organizations I is the fundamental business associations course.
  • Contracts II is extremely useful if you are interested in doing transactional work.

Because of the useful nature of each of these courses, it is often said that the 1L elective provides a good opportunity simply to pursue an interest in whichever subject appeals to you most strongly.

Will 2Ls/3Ls be in the course?  If so, is taking a course with 2Ls/3Ls unfair to 1Ls?

All seven electives will have 2Ls/3Ls enrolled in addition to 1Ls, but experience has shown that the 1Ls in these courses invariably perform at a level at least equivalent to (and most typically exceed) that of the 2Ls/3Ls. In short, you should have no fear taking a course that also has 2Ls/3Ls enrolled

If I don't choose to take a particular elective in the spring, when can I next take that course? 

You'll have the opportunity to take Administrative Law, Business Organizations I, Civil Procedure II, Constitutional Law I, Introduction to Criminal Procedure as early as the fall semester of your second year, as these courses are typically offered every fall & spring semester.

You'll have the opportunity to take Contracts II and International Law as early as the spring semester of your second year, as these courses are typically offered every spring semester. 

Some of the courses are shown on the course schedule as being variable credit (3-4 credits): e.g. Con Law I and  Contracts II.  May 1Ls take one of these courses for 4 credits?

No, by Law School Rule, the elective courses available to 1Ls may be taken for 3 credits only. The courses mentioned above are "variable-credit" for 2Ls and 3Ls only.

One of the courses listed (Criminal Procedure) has different instructors.  Can I choose which instructor I get?

Unfortunately, no. The overwhelming consideration of the Law School is to give each 1L student their first choice of an elective, if at all possible. Because of this, attempting to meet student requests about particular instructors is simply not possible.

If your interest in a particular elective hinges solely on whether you get a particular instructor of the two possible, you might want to consider another elective choice.

The Elective Selection Form asks students to indicate both a first and second choice of elective.  Is there a chance I will not get my first choice?

In recent years, the Law School has been able to give all 1L students their first choice of an elective. But because the range of 1L student elective preferences can fluctuate from year to year and are thus somewhat unpredictable, the Law School still needs to know each student's "second choice" in the unlikely event there is simply no room available in the first choice.

If I turn in my "Elective Selection Form" early, am I more likely to get my first choice?

No, all forms that are submitted by the deadline will be treated equally.

Who do I contact if I have more questions about my elective choice?

Jane Heymann, the Law School's Academic Advisor, will be happy to answer any questions you have about choosing an elective.  Please email your questions, or your request for a meeting, to Jane at jane.heymann@wisc.edu.

1L Elective Course Information

All of the following electives are three credits. All three credits will count towards the 90- & 64-credit rules for graduation and the 60-credit rule for Wisconsin Diploma Privilege, and some courses also meet other graduation and Wisconsin Diploma Privilege requirements, as indicated below.

Course # of Sections Offered Instructors Requirements Met When Typically Offered 2Ls/3Ls Enrolled Description
Business Organizations I 1 Prof. Nate Atkinson n/a Every fall & spring semester Yes Biz Orgs I course description
Civil Procedure II 1

Prof. Nina Varsava

Jurisdiction of Courts requirement for WI Diploma Privilege Every fall & spring semester Yes Civ Pro II Course Description
Constitutional Law I 2

Prof. Asifa Quraishi-Landes (teaching both sections)

Constitutional Law I requirement for WI Diploma Privilege Every fall & spring semester Yes Con Law I Course Description
Contracts II 1 Prof. Steph Tai n/a Every spring semester Yes Contracts II Course Description
International Law 1 Prof. Alexandra Huneeus Legal Process requirement for graduation Every spring semester Yes Int'l Law Course Description
Introduction to Criminal Procedure 3

Prof. Cecelia Klingele

Prof.  Mike Tobin

Criminal Procedure requirement for WI Diploma Privilege Every fall & spring semester Yes Crim Pro Course Description
Administrative Law 1 Prof. Steph Tai Legal Process requirement for graduation Every fall & spring semester  Yes Administrative Law Course Description

1L Course Descriptions

Business Organizations I Course Description

This is an introductory course that begins with law of principal-agent relationships, the most basic business form, then surveys state laws governing the formation and operation of closely-held business associations such as general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, and closely-held corporations. The course deals with choice of business entity, forming and financing business enterprises, and management rights within such enterprises.  This course is strongly recommended for all students, not just those who plan to practice business law.

Civil Procedure II Course Description

Civil Procedure II covers personal jurisdiction, federal subject matter jurisdiction, venue and motions to transfer, the Erie Doctrine, the rules of joinder, and the preclusive effect of judgments. The course covers the interpretation of several key federal statutes (e.g., §§ 1331, 1332, 1367, 1404) and a number of important United States Supreme Court cases concerning matters of judicial federalism and due process. It is a fundamental course for all law students who intend to litigate or to participate in transactions that might lead to litigation. Civil Procedure I required.

Constitutional Law I Course Description

Covers the basic structure of government in the United States, with emphasis on the federal government. Includes the role of the federal courts and the doctrine of judicial review; the rise of federal power, as reflected particularly in shifting definitions of "interstate commerce," the doctrine of separation of powers, with emphasis on current issues of legislative and executive branch authority; and judicial and other limitations on the exercise of authority by the states. A foundational course.

Contracts II Course Description

Contracts II deals with current legal problems in commercial contracts. While some issues of formation are considered, emphasis is on questions of performance and excuse. We pay close attention to relevant sections of Article Two of the Uniform Commercial Code, and we attempt to expand the context of appellate opinions as broadly as possible to show the business background and likely impact of the decisions.  This course is designed to:

International Law Course Description

The course provides an introduction to public international law. We begin with an introduction to the international legal system, which differs from our national legal system in intriguing ways. As we learn the primary rules and institutions that govern this unique legal system, we ask the fundamental questions: Where does international law come from? Whom does it govern? How is it enforced? How is it different from domestic law? Once we master the basics, we turn, in Unit II, to the question of how this international system interacts with our more familiar national legal system. While our main focus will be on foreign affairs law of the United States, we will also look at other countries’ foreign affairs law. In Unit III, we turn to specific substantive areas of international law, focusing on current topics, such as the international response to the crisis in Syria (humanitarian law and international criminal law).

Introduction to Criminal Procedure Course Description

Introductory survey of the criminal justice process with emphasis on appropriate controls on the discretion of system actors (a) trial judge - sentencing, (b) police - arrest or cite, (c) prosecution - the charging decision, and (d) allocation of decision-making authority between defendant and defense counsel. Students examine how human discretion rather than statutes or rules dominate the various systems which comprise the criminal justice process. 

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Understand the purposes and functions of criminal law.
  2. Understand the basic procedural steps of a criminal case, from investigation through corrections, and the complexities of the decisions at each stage of the process.
  3. Describe the basic legal standards that govern decision-making by prosecutors, judges, and juries in criminal cases.;
  4. Be able to think critically about the systemic features of the criminal justice system, and the degree to which they achieve or fail to achieve the objectives identified above.
  5. Understand the basics of legal professionalism: ethics, competence, diligence, timeliness, and civility.

Administrative Law Course Description

This course focuses on the place of Federal administrative agencies and the administrative process in society; emphasizing agencies' powers and procedures, and the relationships among the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government in the development and implementation of public policy.

This course is designed to:

  1. Help you achieve a general understanding of how to actually apply administrative law, both from a private party standpoint and from a government standpoint (regardless of administration). Chevron? Arbitrary and capricious? Ripeness? These may seem like random words to you right now, and oh they so did for me as a law student (I had almost no legal background coming into law school), but I hope these will have practical meaning to you by the end of this course.

  2. Help you develop a broader understanding of how administrative law does and should apply to all administrations (regardless of whether you support those administrations or not) and build up your own normative perspective on what "should be" in administrative law in a manner takes into account the fact that an agency can be one that is acting under an administration you love versus one you hate. That is, while you may have your own perspectives on what substantive decisions agencies should and should not make, I hope that you also deepen your own views about how agencies should go about that, despite your agreement or disagreement with the substance of those decisions. Aka, civ pro for agencies.

  3. Help you cultivate ways to communicate these doctrines to non-lawyers. Because hey, these will often be your clients (whether you work in the private sector or even for the government.) Whether you can actually communicate with them or not can be a make-or-break thing in regards to whether they want to continue to work with you. No pressure!

  4. Give you an appreciation of how a topic that is often seen as abstract and wonky—administrative law—actually plays a large role in modern U.S. law. I hope this will help you in various cocktail party discussions, and even if it seems like it might not, I hope you work it in anyway, because administrative law is actually everywhere and kind of awesome.

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