There are a variety of courses that most law schools require students to take in their first year. Generally, law students must take courses in Torts, Property, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Civil Procedure. These courses are important because they lay the foundation for more specific courses, such as wills and trusts, environmental law, and tax law. The first year courses on Torts, Property, Contracts, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Law are also important because these areas of law are tested on every jurisdiction's bar exam.
A course on legal research and legal writing is, in many cases, a requirement for a law student during her first year of law school. Since lawyers spend considerable amounts of time writing letters, memoranda, briefs and motions, a course in legal research and writing is incredibly important. This course will teach law students about the necessary components of these documents and how to write them as an attorney should. The course will also help law students hone their logical reasoning and presentation skills and teach the students how to conduct legal research using legal encyclopedias, treatises, case law reports, statutes and legal research websites.
Many law schools require students to take a course on professional responsibility or legal ethics. Every jurisdiction has a code of conduct for attorneys, commonly called a code of professional responsibility. The courses on professional responsibility or ethics will cover the important ethical rules that govern the legal profession. The topics include confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, conflicts of interest and duties of candor. This course is also important for law students because nearly every jurisdiction requires law students to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) as a precursor to receiving a law license.