2026 Fall JD Course Schedule

Notes

This semester we are offering some classes in remote, hybrid, and flex format, which is reflected on the PDF version of the fall schedule.

// Enrollment with permission of instructor only.

+ This course has prerequisites. Please check course descriptions in the University’s catalog and syllabi for course prerequisite information.

(W) This course has been designated as a writing course.

(E) This course has been designated as an experiential course. Please note – for courses designated both (W) and (E), students may apply the course to either requirement, but not both. See Academic Regulations §3-3.2 for more information.

(DE) This course has been designated as a distance education course. No more than 1/3 of a student’s required 89 credits to graduate may be distance education credits. See Academic Regulations §3-3.1 for more information.

Notes to Day Schedule:

(N.1) Information about clinics and field programs and their respective application requirements was sent via LawNews email on March 17, 2026 and April 1, 2026.

(N.2) The Federal Circuit Practice Seminar is a prerequisite for the Giles Rich Moot Court Competition (Law 125) offered in Spring 2027.

(N.3) Contact Professor Courtney Dinsmore (cdinsmor@gmu.edu) to obtain permission to register.

(N.4) The M-VETS Clinic, the Immigration Litigation Field Program, and the Poverty Law Field Program meet for two hours a week, but students will receive four credits total for the semester because of meetings and work outside of the regularly scheduled classroom time. The meeting time of the classroom component for the Poverty Law and Immigration Litigation may be adjusted based on the instructor’s consultation with students selected to participate.

(N.5) JD students who have taken the Law & Economics Colloquium may enroll a second time because course content changes from semester to semester. This course awards one in-class credit and one out-of-class credit for substantial out-of-class writing assignments and/or group meetings.

(N.6) Legal Fundamentals will open at the start of general registration. Students ranked in the bottom quartile (25%) of the class at the end of their penultimate year are required to take the course prior to graduation. Those students will have the option to take the Day or Evening section in the Fall or Spring semesters, and will be notified directly and registered by the Records Office. Remaining seats will be available at a later date. The course will then open as an elective option for students in their final year.

(N.7) Legal Writing for Law Clerks is a seven-week course ending mid-semester. Information regarding the application process will be sent via LawNews email.

(N.8) The Negotiations course (3 cr.) will be offered over two weekends: October 16–18 and November 13–15. For both weekends, students will meet on Friday (1:00 – 6:00 p.m.), Saturday (8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.), and Sunday (8:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.). Due to the compressed nature of the course, students must attend all sessions to receive credit. Note that the add/drop period will be over before the first meeting of this course.

(N.9) This course will not meet weekly but will meet on assigned dates over the course of the semester as listed in the course syllabus.

(N.10) Students must be in the top 50% of their class at the end of their first academic year to register for Scholarly Writing. This course may not meet weekly but will meet on assigned dates over the course of the semester as listed in the course syllabus. This course awards one in-class credit and one out-of-class credit.

(N.11) Startup Law is a prerequisite for the Startup Law Practicum running in Spring 2027. See the LawNews email sent on March 17, 2026 and April 1, 2026, for more information on how to apply for enrollment.

(N.12) Students must receive approval to register for the Supervised Externship programs and should submit the Externship Information form found in the Externship Module on Symplicity to begin the process. (Virginia Practice Externship applicants will submit the form after meeting with the program directors.) To access the form, log in to Symplicity and select the Externship Module from the “Shortcuts” on the right side of the screen or the “Experiential Module” (it shows both ways) and select “add”. Once approved, students will be registered by the Records Office for the appropriate externship course. Students not being compensated for the work performed will be registered for Law 320, 321, or 179. Students being compensated for the work being performed will be registered for Law 520, 521, or 579. Students are limited to a maximum of 6 credit hours of compensated externship and such credit may be earned only in a student’s final two full semesters (fall or spring). Remote externships sections will have remote and asynchronous-only tutorials and are available only to students who will be working and studying outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and so cannot attend the tutorials in person. Students must have completed their Constructive Dialogue training (online and the winter classroom session) in order to enroll in a clinic or externship.

(N.13) This course is a prerequisite to the NSI CTC Cybersecurity and AI Clinic (Law 757). Students enrolling in Law 516 course must commit to take Law 757: NSI CTC Cybersecurity and AI Clinic in the Spring. Fall’s Law 516 has weekly in-person classes, while Spring’s Law 757 will include a mix of virtual and in-person sessions.

(N.14) This course offers 2 in-class credits and 1 out-of-class credit for substantial out-of-class writing assignments and/or group meetings.

(N.15) Information on applying to the Bankruptcy Court Externship was sent via LawNews email on March 17, 2026. Enrollment is done only with written permission of instructor. This program will meet at the United States Bankruptcy Courthouse (200 South Washington Street) in Alexandria, VA from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 2^nd and 4^th Fridays of each month.

(N.16) This is an asynchronous course with weekly assignments, and it will follow the format and the registration requirements of the other Law 178: Legal Fundamentals courses (e.g., 13 classes, 1 mid-term and 1 final exam). This course is open ONLY to students who plan to sit for a NextGen UBE exam in one of the following jurisdictions:

• February 2027: Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, Virgin Islands, Washington
• July 2027: Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming (in addition to the February 2027 jurisdictions)
• February 2028: Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois (in addition to the February 2027 and July 2027 jurisdictions) Enrollment is limited to students intending to take the NextGen UBE in one of these jurisdictions.

(N.17) This course has additional meetings scheduled. Please check course syllabus for more information.

(N.18) This course cannot be taken alone. Students must apply to take Law 224 with Law 283. Information about this program was sent via Law News on March 17, 2026 and April 1, 2026.

(N.19) This course is still a 3-credit course but will have 23 meetings as opposed to 26 meetings. Please check course syllabus for more information.

(N.20) This is a 7-week course that ends mid-semester.

(N.21) Only students who were accepted by the Director of First-Year LRWA as Writing Fellows are eligible to enroll.

Notes to Evening Schedule:

(N.1) Information about clinics and field programs and their respective application requirements was sent via LawNews email on March 17, 2026 and April 1, 2026.

(N.2) Legal Fundamentals will open at the start of general registration. Students ranked in the bottom quartile (25%) of the class at the end of their penultimate year are required to take the course prior to graduation. Those students will have the option to take the Day or Evening section in the Fall or Spring semesters, and will be notified directly and registered by the Records Office. Remaining seats will be available at a later date. The course will then open as an elective option for students in their final year.

(N.3) Students must be in the top 50% of their class at the end of their first academic year to register for Scholarly Writing. This course may not meet weekly but will meet on assigned dates over the course of the semester as listed in the course syllabus. This course awards one in-class credit and one out-of-class credit.

(N.4) This is an asynchronous course with weekly assignments, and it will follow the format and the registration requirements of the other Law 178: Legal Fundamentals courses (e.g., 13 classes, 1 mid-term and 1 final exam). This course is open ONLY to students who plan to sit for a NextGen UBE exam in one of the following jurisdictions:

• February 2027: Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, Virgin Islands, Washington
• July 2027: Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming (in addition to the February 2027 jurisdictions)
• February 2028: Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois (in addition to the February 2027 and July 2027 jurisdictions) Enrollment is limited to students intending to take the NextGen UBE in one of these jurisdictions.

(N.5) This course is a prerequisite for the Spring 2027 Vis International Commercial Arbitration Competition (Law 127) (held in Vienna, Austria).

(N.6) This course is offered as a seminar for the upper-level writing requirement, even though it does not carry the typical seminar numbering (4xx or 6xx).

(N.7) This course has recommended prerequisites or co-requisites: Law 116 or Law 266.

(N.8) This course has additional meetings scheduled. Please check course syllabus for more information.

(N.9) This course will not meet weekly but will meet on assigned dates over the course of the semester as listed in the course syllabus.

MAKE-UP EXAMS FOR ANY REASON OCCUR ON ONE OF THE EXAM MAKE-UP DAYS — DECEMBER 15 & 16, 2026. STUDENTS MUST SUBMIT A PETITION TO THE RECORDS OFFICE SEEKING PERMISSION TO DELAY AN EXAM.