FLEX JD Advising

The FLEX track encompasses specifically designated courses on Tuesday evening (6:30-9:30pm), Thursday evening (6:30-9:30pm), and Saturday morning (9:30am-12:30pm). Each 4-credit class within the FLEX block also includes an additional 1 hour per week of asynchronous online instruction; these distance education hours are separate from the time needed to complete reading assignments and prepare for class meetings.

The FLEX track is highly structured by design: We primarily offer (1) required courses, (2) courses that fulfill upper-level requirements, (3) subjects that are tested on the Bar Exam, and (4) classes that we have found to be of general interest. Each semester, we offer a specific track of classes to your cohort within the scheduling block specified above. Everything you need to fulfill your requirements and graduate will be offered within the FLEX block. Provided you register on the first day of your priority registration period, space is reserved for you in the courses specifically designated for your cohort. (Space is only reserved for you in those specific classes.)

Please note that the FLEX Scheduling Option is a more limited menu than our full course catalog. If you are interested in fully pursuing a Path to Practice or Certificate, you would need some degree of scheduling flexibility to take classes that are offered only during the day. At the same time, you are allowed to take courses and pursue experiential learning opportunities outside the FLEX block if your schedule permits. There are also numerous other courses on evenings and weekends—beyond the designated FLEX classes—that might suit your schedule and interests, and your advisor will highlight these alternative options each registration period. Should you choose to deviate from the recommended track/offerings, please make sure you are fulfilling your upper-level requirements, and be sure to speak with your advisor as needed.

88 credits are required to graduate. Within the specifically designated FLEX block, we typically offer 11 credits per semester.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, Part-Time students are technically permitted to take 9-12 credits, 8 with an approved underload, or 13 with an approved overload. To request an underload or overload, please complete the required form and submit it to the Registrar for the Academic Dean's review. Overloads are granted only if the student has a strong academic record. The system will not allow you to register for more than 12 credits unless and until you have secured an overload. (1L students, please note that you cannot take any additional credits during your first year.)

During the Summer semester, PT students may take a maximum of 6 credits. Summer classes are not required. Please note that scholarships do not apply to summer tuition unless you are a full-tuition scholar.

A maximum of 15 may be distance credits, and students may not take any distance courses until first completing 28 credits. Distance classes are noted in the Schedule Express and are typically highlighted in yellow on the course grids.

Please see the Academic Rules for the full Limitations on Allocation of Credits.

It is possible to request a change in division (from Part-Time to Full-Time or vice versa) by completing the required form and submitting it to the Registrar for the Academic Dean's review. If you are considering a switch to the FT division, please note:

• FT students cannot work more than 20 hours/week.
• Scholarship amounts are not adjusted when a student switches from PT to FT.
• As a FT student, you are permitted to take 13-16 credits/semester (or 17 with an approved overload).
• As a FT student, you would still be permitted to take designated FLEX classes, but you would no longer have a guaranteed seat; non-FLEX students are typically allowed to register for those courses after the initial priority registration period.

Please reach out to your advisor if you are considering a switch to the FT division.

A FLEX student following the standard path completes the program in 4 years, or 8 semesters. It is possible to accelerate graduation via one of the methods described below. Please note that Haub Law confers degrees in May (most common), September (after the Summer semester), and January (after the Fall semester). Generally speaking, graduating a semester early requires making up 11 credits (the standard FLEX semester load), while finishing a year early requires making up 22 credits.

Accelerated Path #1: Finishing a semester early—in the January following your Fall 4L semester—may be achieved through (a) Summer credits OR (b) a combination of Summer credits and regular semester overloads. It is not mathematically possible to finish a semester early through overloads only. (Again, please keep in mind that you cannot take any additional credits during your 1L year.)

Accelerated Path #2: Finishing two semesters early—in the September following your Summer 3L semester—may be achieved through a combination of substantial Summer credits and regular semester overloads.

Accelerated Path #3: Finishing an entire year early—in the May of your 3L year—requires a switch to the Full-Time division at some point, which is only an option if you will not be working more than 20 hours/week in the semester(s) in which you are FT.

Your faculty advisor is here to assist with planning if early graduation is a goal. As a starting point, please consider the 88 credits needed to graduate, the 13-credit (with an overload) maximum during Fall/Spring, and the 6-credit Summer maximum. Again, overloads are granted only if the student has a strong academic record. You will need to decide whether your goal is to maximize or minimize Summer credits, and then plan accordingly from there.

The following roadmap is intended to help with your long-term planning, but please be advised that it is subject to change.

An asterisk (*) denotes that the timing of the course varies and is not always offered for each cohort during that exact semester; its placement on the chart is meant to provide an example.

Also, please keep in mind that this reflects the classes offered in the specifically designated FLEX block (Tuesday 6:30-9:30pm, Thursday 6:30-9:30pm, and Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm). Again, we routinely offer alternate options during these same times as well as earlier in the evening throughout the week. If you adhere to the specific FLEX block, the following represents the general path to the 88 credits required for graduation.

NOTES:

PT students must take Con Law and Property by the end of 2L year. If you are a mixed schedule student with daytime availability, you may take one or both of these courses in Spring 2L during the day.

PT students must take Professional Responsibility by the end of 3L year.

Legal Methods is a required program as part of Legal Skills I & II for all first-year students. This program gives students the tools needed to succeed in law school and practice, including briefing cases, notetaking, outlining, and exam writing. The program consists of class meetings with associated assignments during the Fall and Spring semesters. For FLEX students, these hourlong classes are presented as asynchronous recordings, each of which must be watched within a designated week (as noted in the syllabus). Students will need to register for this program as if it were a separate class, along with their first-year courses for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Attendance at Legal Methods classes and completion of assignments during the Fall semester are factored into the participation points of the Legal Skills I final grade. Attendance at Legal Methods classes during both the Fall and Spring semesters and completion of assignments during both the Fall and Spring semesters count towards 1 credit of the Legal Skills II final grade.

All students must successfully complete a course (minimum 3 credits) offering in-depth exposure to administrative law, legislation, and/or the regulatory process, either by way of general principles or as applied in a specific context. Approved courses fulfilling this requirement (to be revised from time to time by the Curriculum Committee) are listed below. Within the FLEX scheduling block, we will offer one of these courses to your cohort during your upper-level years. Timing and course selection vary, though Administrative Law is the most common offering.

• Administrative Law
• Environmental Skills and Practice
• Environmental Law Survey
• Federal Income Taxation I
• Health Law in America
• Immigration Justice Clinic
• Labor Law (3 credit version)
• Law and Education (adjunct-taught version)
• Legislative and Regulatory Processes
• Natural Resources Law
• Securities Regulation

All students must satisfy the 6-credit Upper-Level Skills Requirement prior to graduation. Please see the Academic Rules for a full description of this requirement and all of the options to satisfy it.

For FLEX students specifically, we offer the Lawyering course during the Fall of your 4L year. This satisfies 4/6 Skills credits, including the NYS Competency portion of the requirement. Lawyering is offered at other times, including the Summer, so it possible to take it early if you are able to secure a seat (and only after you have taken Professional Responsibility, which is a prerequisite). However, during Fall 4L, space will be guaranteed for your cohort in that course.

As an alternative to Lawyering, we also regularly offer the Disability Rights Clinic within the FLEX block (the clinical hours are designed to accommodate FLEX students' schedules, and the seminar meets at night); participation is by application through John Jay Legal Services. As a reminder, no student may participate in clinics or externships before first completing 30 credits.

To fulfill the remaining 2 Skills credits and complete the ULSR, you will encounter numerous offerings within the FLEX block, including Skills Workshops, Drafting Legal Documents, Trial Advocacy, Law Practice Management, and more.

Beginning in Fall 2024, we will be offering Advanced Legal Research, another Skills course, to each 2L FLEX cohort.

Of course, as noted above on this page, you are more than welcome to apply for our other experiential learning opportunities—which require a daytime commitment—provided you have the flexibility in your schedule to do so.

All students must satisfy the Upper-Level Writing Requirement, including the Research & Citation Requirement, prior to graduation. Please see the Academic Rules for a full description of this requirement. For FLEX students specifically, we offer a choice between Advanced Appellate Advocacy (AAA) and the new Advanced Legal Writing course during Fall 3L—both of which fulfill the ULWR. (Students who advance during the 1L Moot Court Competition are automatically invited to take AAA; if you do not advance but still wish to take the course, please contact Prof. Lou Fasulo or Prof. Anthony Desiato to request permission.)

If you opt not to pursue either of those classes for any reason, please note the following alternative options to fulfill the ULWR:

• If your schedule permits, you may pursue a qualifying daytime seminar instead. Each semester, the Registration Guide will specify which courses qualify. 
• Pretrial Civil Litigation Simulation is regularly offered on evenings and weekends, though not as a specifically designated FLEX class (i.e., space is not guaranteed). Seats are limited, but you may use this course for the ULWR if you secure a spot.
• Students may also satisfy the ULWR via a Guided Research or Directed Research project under faculty supervision, subject to the requirements and conditions set forth in the linked documents.
• Students on Law Review may use their Note to satisfy this requirement.
• For students with the daytime availability to pursue this program, the Fall semester of the Federal Judicial Honors Program fulfills this requirement.

Students must also fulfill the Upper-Level Research and Citation Requirement via a Library Workshop (unless a seminar you take includes a Library Workshop). For FLEX students entering in Fall 2023 and later, Advanced Legal Research satisfies this requirement.

You must submit this form to the Registrar upon completion of this requirement.

Please consult the Academic Rules for the full description of the Academic Success Achievement Program and requirements. Generally, any student who achieves a cumulative GPA below 2.8 after the first year or after any subsequent semester must participate in ASAP. (This also applies to any student returning from a leave of absence unless excused by the Academic Dean.) ASAP students must:

• Take Principles of Legal Analysis (PLA) during the Fall of 2L year. That 2-credit course is typically offered on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30; alternatively, daytime sections are also available. You may either (1) request a credit overload and take PLA in addition to Con Law, Property, and Professional Responsibility OR (2) take Professional Responsibility in a subsequent semester (but no later than your 3L year).
• Take MBE Strategies (3 CR) and Advanced Analytical Skills (2 CR) in your final semester of law school. Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, we will be offering two new Bar prep courses (course titles, exact timing, and teaching modalities TBA) in place of MBE Strategies and AAS. These two courses are strongly recommended for all students but are required for those in ASAP. They are two of the courses we specifically offer within the FLEX block to the 4L cohort.
• Participate in the Supplemental Bar Skills Program during Bar prep.

NOTE: For students entering January 2024 or later, all students who achieve less than a 2.30 GPA after the first semester of law school must also complete with a passing grade during the second semester of law school a non-credit bearing class designated by the Academic Dean as appropriate for students in need of academic assistance.

All students are required to fulfill a Professional Development Requirement in order to graduate. FLEX Students will satisfy the requirement by:

1. Attending at least one individual meeting (in person or on Zoom) with a counselor from the Center for Career and Professional Development (“CCPD”) during their first year at the law school, and
2. Attending at least one meeting (in person or on Zoom) with a CCPD counselor during their final year in law school, and
3. Earning six (6) professional development (“PD”) credits, in addition to their academic credits, before graduating from law school. For students entering in Fall 2022 and thereafter, at least one of the 6 PD credits must be diversity-based (as designated by the CCPD), and
4. Completing the post-graduation employment form before graduation, as requested by the CCPD.

FLEX students can earn PD credits in the following ways:

1. Attending a PD Accredited program in person. While programs may also be offered by Zoom, Zoom attendance will not be sufficient to earn PD credit.
2. Virtually attending a law school-sponsored Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program that is offered virtually (attendance at CLE programs offered by entities other than the law school does not qualify).
   1. In order to receive PD credit for attending a law school-sponsored CLE program virtually, a student must submit a Law Student Affirmation Form for Online Format CLE Programs that certifies that the student attended the full program and provides the program code(s) displayed or read during the program.
3. Watching the complete recording of a CCPD, PILC, or law school-sponsored PD Accredited program (not including student group-sponsored events), when available, before the end of classes in the semester in which they are offered.
   1. In order to receive PD credit for watching a recording of a CCPD, PILC, or law school- sponsored PD Accredited program, a student must submit a Law Student Affirmation Form for Recorded PD Accredited Programs that certifies that the student watched the full recording.

The Center for Career and Professional Development lists upcoming PD programming here.

Haub Law offers classes over the Summer semester (May-August) and the January intersessionn (which is considered part of the Spring semester). Students are not required to take classes during these times, though FLEX students who are pursuing an accelerated graduation often choose to do so.

Summer: PT students may take a maximum of 6 credits over the Summer, paid on a per-credit basis. Scholarships do not apply (unless you are a full-tuition scholar), and you must register for 6 credits in order to receive federal loans. Summer offerings are released at the same time as Fall offerings, and you will register for Summer & Fall together. Summer courses typically meet on evenings and weekends. Offerings vary, though Lawyering, Advanced Legal Research, Negotiations, and at least one Skills Workshop are regularly offered.

January Intersession: We offer a selection of 1 or 2 credit Skills courses during the January intersession, a concentrated 1-2-week period before the start of the Spring semester. Intersession credits count toward your Spring credit total—in other words, if you are registered for 12 credits during the regular Spring semester, you would need to obtain an overload before being permitted to register for a 13th credit during the intersession. The Intersession is included with your Spring tuition, so there is no additional cost to take an intersession course. We typically offer 1 Skills Workshop (or a choice between 2) during regular FLEX times during the intersession. If you have daytime flexibility, you could also take a second Skills Workshop. No student may take more than 2 intersession courses per term.

Please note that there are no guaranteed seats in Summer or intersession courses.

FLEX students often ask about obtaining credit for work performed at their law-related job. Students cannot receive credit for any paid work. Regarding unpaid work performed at an independently secured job or internship, it is possible to apply for a Guided Externship.

However, please note that a Guided Externship is meant to fill in gaps not covered by our existing clinical and externship opportunities; field placement supervisors must adhere to the school’s terms and requirements; and, once again, no credit can be earned for work you are getting paid for. A Guided Externship, if approved, can be for 1 CR (4 hours/week for 13 weeks), 2 CR (8 hours/week for 13 weeks), or 3 CR (12/week for 13 weeks). Guided Externships do not count toward the fulfillment of the Upper-Level Skills Requirement.

Finally, a note on timing: Students may not pursue any experiential learning opportunities before completing 30 credits.

88 credits (minimum) are required for graduation. Within those 88 credits, you must complete the following. Each of these is described in greater detail in separate sections on this page. Please also see our updated Graduation Requirements sheet for students entering in January 2024 or later.

• All first-year required courses: Civil Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Skills I & II (with Legal Methods), Constitutional Law, and Property
• Professional Responsibility (by the end of your 3L year)
• Administrative Law/Regulatory Process Requirement
• Upper-Level Skills Requirement
• Upper-Level Writing Requirement (and Research & Citation Requirement) — submit form to Registrar upon completion
• FOR ASAP STUDENTS ONLY: Principles of Legal Analysis (Fall 2L), MBE Strategies (final semester), and Advanced Analytical Skills (final semester)
• Professional Development credits (6)

Please be sure to note the graduation application deadlines on the academic calendar. To apply for graduation, you must (1) complete the graduation application webform and (2)  submit the graduation worksheet to the Registrar.

All law students seeking admission to the New York State (NYS) Bar must perform 50 hours of qualifying pro bono work. Completion and certification of these pro bono hours is each student’s responsibility. For more details, see our informational webpage and listen to Prof. Elyse Diamond's episode of the FLEX podcast, which outlines a number of ways for FLEX students to fulfill this requirement while in law school. Please note that this is not a graduation requirement, but it is required to be admitted to the NYS Bar.

Academic Calendar (FLEX students are on the same calendar as non-FLEX students)
Course Catalog
Departmental Directory
NYS 50-Hour Pro Bono Requirement
Law Library Workshops
Student Organizations
Events Calendar