What Classes Should You Take 2L Year?
BigLaw Bear · 2 min read
After 1L, you finally get to choose your classes. That freedom is great, but it also means your choices signal something to employers. Here's how to think about it.
Take the Bar Courses
Regardless of your BigLaw goals, take Evidence, Business Associations (Corporations), and Federal Income Tax. These are tested on most bar exams, and you'll want the law school foundation rather than trying to learn them from bar prep alone.
Evidence is also practically useful in every area of law. Business Associations is essential if you have any interest in corporate work.
Match Your Likely Practice Area
If you're leaning toward a practice area, take relevant classes:
- Corporate/M&A: Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities Regulation, Accounting for Lawyers
- Litigation: Evidence, Federal Courts, Trial Advocacy, Complex Litigation
- Real Estate: Real Estate Transactions, Land Use
- IP: Patent Law, Copyright, Trademark
- Tax: Corporate Tax, Partnership Tax, International Tax
You don't need to specialize aggressively. But taking at least 2-3 classes in your area of interest shows firms you're serious.
Don't Overdo the Seminars
Paper-based seminars can be great for your writing skills, and they often have gentler grading. But loading up on seminars means you miss the doctrinal courses that build your practical knowledge base. Mix it in, don't rely on it.
Clinics and Externships
These give you hands-on experience and can be genuinely useful for developing skills. But they're usually pass/fail, which means they won't help your GPA. Take one if it interests you, but don't fill your schedule with them if you need grade improvement.
The Classes That Impress No One
Firms don't care if you took "The Law of Space Tourism" or "Animals and the Law." These are fine as one elective, but they shouldn't dominate your transcript. Hiring partners want to see that you took serious, substantive courses.
The Honest Advice
Your 2L schedule should balance three things: bar prep courses, practice area exploration, and GPA management. Don't take five brutal courses in one semester. Don't take five easy seminars either.
Research the firms you're targeting in our firm directory to see what practice areas they focus on, then build your schedule accordingly.