January Term or J-Term (between the fall and spring semesters), offers a range of intensive one-week courses on cutting-edge legal topics. J-Term, is a time for students to explore areas of the law that may not be part of their regular course of study.

 

Learn more about the J-term from Prof. Waxman

2026 January Term

Monday, January 12 - Friday, January 16

How to Pre-register:

Pre-registration for a January class follows the same process as semester-long courses:

  • Once you select “Pre-Registration” under the ‘Registration Services’ menu in LawNet, you will be prompted to select the correct term: January 2026.
  • Once selected, you will follow the same process outlined in “How to Pre-register.” 

Important Notes:

  • J-term classes are one credit courses graded on a CR/F basis.
  • You can rank any or all of the January electives, but you will only be allowed to take one course.
  • J.D.s: J-term credit counts towards the spring semester.
  • LL.M.s: J-term credit does NOT count toward the 11 credit minimum for the spring semester, but it does count toward the 24 credits required for the LL.M. degree.
  • Attendance Requirement: Students are required by both Law School and bar admissions rules to attend classes regularly and punctually. Regular attendance is generally defined as 80% of class sessions, although professors may establish stricter attendance requirements. Students who fail to meet this requirement may be held accountable through a lowered grade or, in extreme cases, through exclusion from the course. With respect to J-term classes, attendance may be strictly required as missing any single lecture may result in a student automatically falling below the generally acceptable attendance rate in semester-long courses. Accordingly, a faculty member may require attendance for the entirety of the week. Absences for any portion of a J-term course requires prior written permission from the faculty member. For this reason, typically only emergency-based absences (e.g., medical) are excused.  Absences for career-related purposes generally are not.