What to Expect in Your First-Year Law School Curriculum

Torts 

A tort is a harmful act that may result in civil legal liability. You’ll study the rationale behind judgments in civil cases, with a focus on the problem of accidental injury to persons and property.  

Common torts include: 

• False Imprisonment 
• Trespass (to land and chattel) 
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress 
• Conversion 
• Assault 
• Battery 

Contracts 

Contract law governs the promises that keep our society functioning. Expect to spend two full semesters on the topic. Youʼll dissect legal relationships, obligations, conditions, breach, fraud, and unforeseen circumstances. Through the lens of famous court decisions, youʼll see how even a single ambiguous word can make or break a deal.

Civil Procedure 

If Torts and Contracts teach you what lawyers do in civil court, then Civil Procedure (〝Civ Pro〞) teaches you how they do it. It is the blueprint for how cases move through the courts. Youʼll master procedural rules for filing lawsuits, conducting discovery, approaching trial, handling pleadings, and pretrial motions.

Property 

Property law traces its roots back to English common law. Youʼll explore buying, owning, transferring, and protecting property. Expect to tackle economic policy issues, trespass, nuisance, landlord-tenant law, and more. Grasping these foundational concepts helps you understand society՚s structure and your future clients՚ rights.

Criminal Law 

Criminal Law asks difficult questions and tests your reasoning. Can intentions alone amount to a crime? What about duress or mistakes? Scenarios are often pulled from real cases that seem stranger than fiction. This class typically uses Socratic dialogue to sharpen your analytical and advocacy skills.

Constitutional Law 

〝Con Law” will be about as close to a history class as you will get in your first year. During the course, you will get a taste of government structure, techniques of constitutional interpretation, and individual rights issues.  Through landmark cases, you’ll learn to read statutes and constitutions, and to debate equality, separation of powers, and justice.

Want to learn more about the 1L curriculum? Check out BARBRI’s vast, searchable library of resources for first-year students. 

Discover Your Niche  

While you may not know exactly where you'll specialize, your first-year courses set the stage. The cases, debates, and legal questions you encounter will help you discover your strengths and interests.  

Treat 1L as a year of exploration, skill-building, and professional growth. Although it will be demanding, you don’t have to go it alone. Many students use BARBRI 1L Success to elevate their studies from good to great.   

Here’s to a stellar first year!