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J.D. Course Selection FAQ

URL: https://libguides.law.ucla.edu/JDCourseSelection

a. How does course registration and the pass system work?

Students cannot directly enroll in application and experiential courses. Enrollment in those courses is done through a separate ranking process.

With the exception of application and experiential courses, the enrollment process for 2L and 3L students is conducted in two phases: first pass and second pass. The enrollment times have been divided into four groups, A through D, Group A being the earliest enrollment time period and Group D being the latest enrollment time period, at least during first pass. Students are randomly assigned to each one of the four groups during the four semesters that comprise their second and third years of law school.

If you are a rising 2L, later this summer you will receive an email from Records informing you what letter pass you have for every semester until you graduate. It’s important to check which letter group you are in before selecting your courses. You should also check what letter group you are in for your remaining semesters so that you can plan ahead and have an idea of what courses you might take in future semesters.  If you are a rising 3L, you should have previously received this email from Records. 

Students may enroll in a maximum of eight units during the first pass and a total maximum of 16 units during the second pass (this does not apply to joint degree students).

If you are specializing and receive pre-enrollment in certain courses, your courses may count towards first pass, but it depends on the specialization. For example, Business specialization classes such as Business Associations, Accounting for Lawyers and Financial Analysis take up all of the eight first-pass units. You can’t register for anything else during first pass.