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JD Program

JD Program

NYU Law prepares you to take on a rapidly changing world.

Overview

Learn to think both critically and creatively. Our renowned faculty blend theory and practice to teach students how to tackle the complex issues that have shaped—and will shape—the legal landscape.

Gain an interdisciplinary and global perspective. NYU is at the forefront of interdisciplinary research and teaching, and offers an unsurpassed array of courses in international, comparative, and foreign law.

Experience firsthand what it means to be a lawyer. In our 40+ clinics, students learn to think critically about approaches to legal practice, work with clients to address urgent problems, and influence public policy.

Join a community that supports your goals, whatever they are.With 80+ student groups, dedicated career guidance, and a 40,000-strong alumni network, you’ll make connections that last a lifetime.

My NYU Law

Austin Upshaw ’25

“The faculty at NYU Law is outstanding. I have grown accustomed, when scrolling through the course listings here, to finding that the instructor for a class that sounds interesting to me also just so happens to be one of the leading voices in the field they teach. And then once I take the class, I have consistently found the instructors here to care deeply about their teaching.”

Curriculum

Your First Year

During your first year, you’ll get a grounding in theory and practice. Courses are led by world-class professors who introduce you to the tools you’ll need as a lawyer in a changing world.

The Lawyering Program

The Lawyering Program teaches the real-world skills (such as financial literacy) that practicing lawyers need. Each Lawyering class size is small, averaging about 26 students.

Introductory 1L Courses

Legislation & the Regulatory State
Specially designed by the NYU Law faculty, Legislation & the Regulatory State introduces the materials, concepts, and tools that lawyers must have in a world of statutes and regulations.
Torts
You will analyze civil liability for breach of duty causing harm to persons or property.
Criminal Law
You will study elements of criminal liability and defenses.
Procedure
You will examine the rules governing civil litigation, with an emphasis on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and consider constitutional issues relating to jurisdiction and procedural protections.
Contracts
You'll focus on the body of law concerned with private agreements.
Property and Constitutional Law
Both are required courses, but you don’t have to take them in your first year.

1L Spring Electives

Get a leg up on developing a specialty early in your legal career, particularly when applying for 1L summer positions. You can take any one of seven electives:

Constitutional Law
Corporations
Criminal Procedure: Police Practices
Income Taxation
Intellectual Property
International Law
Property

2L and 3L

As a 2L and 3L, you will:

Choose a subject and an advisor for your note. For guidance, see Why Write a Student Note.
Figure out how you will choose to meet the mandatory Substantial Writing requirement.
Understand how to meet the mandatory pro bono requirement.
Think about taking a clinic or going on NYU Law Abroad next year to spend a semester immersed in the law and legal culture of Buenos Aires or Paris through a program designed by the Law School.

Furman scholars sitting and speaking to one another in classroom

Academic Roadmap

Whether you are a 1L wondering when to start looking for a summer job, a 2L concerned about the substantial writing requirement, a 3L worried you'll sign up too late for the bar, or an LLM trying to make the most of your year here, these roadmaps to success can help you get where you're going.

How to Navigate Law School

Areas of Study

Get a sense of our academic specialties and the faculty that teach them—as well as the centers, colloquia, lectures, and student organizations that underscore them.

Areas of Study