Admissions Class Observation Guidelines

Professor: Nina Chernoff
Class: Evidence – This course centers on three areas: evidence, advocacy skills, and a theoretical understanding of dispute resolution. In each area, students acquire practical skills necessary to the lawyering role and examine litigation in a broader context, encouraging in-depth understanding of the structure of evidentiary rules, as well as the possibility of alternatives. Doctrinal coverage includes the Federal Rules of Evidence, as well as the common law and New York statutes defining the scope of privileges. Students are challenged not only to master this thicket of rules and their many exceptions, but also to develop an understanding of how they affect the fact-finding process, the development of a theory of the case, the viability of litigation, and the unfolding of the story if the case finally reaches the courthouse.

Days & Times: Mon & Wed 6:15 PM – 8:15 PM

Room #: 1|203

Sign up to observe the class using this form

Frequently asked questions

Where should I sit: You may sit in any available seat; no special section is required.

Am I required to stay the entire class? You are not required to stay for the entire class, though we encourage you to attend as much as possible. You may quietly step out to use the restroom if needed.

Should I introduce myself to professor Chernoff before class begins or stay after to say hello? It’s not necessary to introduce yourself to professor Chernoff before or after class. If you’d like, you are welcome to say hello briefly before class begins. (Please note: professors are not available after class, as that time is reserved for office hours.)

May I participate in the class, raise my hand to ask or answer a question? Observers are not permitted to raise their hands, answer questions, or participate in class discussion.

Is there a cap on the number of guests who can observe per class?  There is no cap on the number of observers per class.

Are there test days that the class will not be open for observations? Observations are not available on exam or midterm days (October 8, October 13, and December 3).

Please note: We ask that all guests respect the classroom environment so that students and faculty can continue their work without disruption.

Professor: Marbré Stahly-Butts (she/her)
Class: – Liberty, Equality & Due Process (LEDP) – This course provides legal and historical perspectives on liberty and equality by examining the law’s impact on racial and gender equality and sexual orientation. The historical, social, political, and economic context – particularly the development of the Bill of Rights, slavery, the anti-slavery movement and Reconstruction, the rise and fall of white supremacy, the labor movement, and the emergence of gender equality – provides the backdrop against which students trace the development of the interpretation and application of the standards of equal protection and due process. Studying the moral and political theories that have been used to shape and justify these Constitutional doctrines provides both a framework for understanding and a springboard for critique. This course challenges students to analyze their own experiences through the lens of the law and to understand how the law may have shaped their values and perceptions -or how it might be used to shift society’s values and perceptions.

Days & Times: Mon | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM Wed | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Room #:1|202

Sign up to observe the class using this form

Frequently asked questions

Where should I sit: There is no assigned seating for visitors.

Am I required to stay the entire class? May I get up to go to the restroom during class? Small groups (3 or fewer) may leave before the end of class if needed. Larger groups are asked to remain for the full class session. Visitors may step out to use the bathroom during class.

Should I introduce myself to Professor Stahly-Butts before class begins or stay after to say hello? No need to introduce yourself before or after class.
May I raise my hand to ask or answer a question? The class primarily uses cold calling. On days when the professor opens a question to the class, visitors may respond only if they have completed the assigned reading. If reading is not part of the orientation or visit, visitors should not answer questions.
Is there a cap on the number of guests who can observe per class?

Are there test days that the class will not be open for observations? 

Professor: Sofia Yakren
Class: Lawyering Seminar
First-Year Lawyering Seminar teaches legal reasoning, professional responsibility, legal writing, and other lawyering skills by integrating clinical methodology with substantive, theoretical, and doctrinal material. Using simulation exercises and hypothetical cases, students role-play lawyers, clients, judges, or legislators confronted by legal issues arising from material in their other first-year courses. For example, in conjunction with their Criminal Law course, students may be assigned the roles of lawyers representing or prosecuting persons in a criminal case, or, in Law and Family Relations, they may role-play lawyers representing or prosecuting various parties in a child abuse case in Family Court.

Days & Times: Tuesdays / Thursdays 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Room #: 1|204

Sign up to observe the class using this form

Frequently asked questions

Where should I sit: Professor Yakren will help you find an appropriate seat.

Am I required to stay the entire class? May I get up to go to the restroom during class? are not required to stay for the entire class. You may step out to use the bathroom during class.

Should I introduce myself to professor Yakren before class begins or stay after to say hello? Please introduce yourself to the professor Yakren before class begins so they can introduce you to the students.

May I raise my hand to ask or answer a question? The class primarily uses cold calling. On days when the professor opens a question to the class, visitors may respond only if they have completed the assigned reading. If reading is not part of the orientation or visit, visitors should not answer questions.

Is there a cap on the number of guests who can observe per class?  TBA

Are there test days that the class will not be open for observations? TBA

Professor: Gregory Louis (he/him)
Class: Contracts: Law and a Market Economy I
Students will study the development of the law governing agreements between private parties. The backdrop for this study of legal intervention into “private” affairs is an understanding that both our economy as a whole and the economic positions of individuals and groups are shaped and reinforced by the imprimatur and interjection of the law in this area. Students study the historical development of each of the major doctrinal concepts – offer, acceptance, consideration, modification, breach, defenses, and remedies – as well as the related concepts of reliance, restitution, promissory estoppel, and unjust enrichment. Focus on both the common law and statutory law (UCC) governing contracts challenges students to develop strong legal analysis skills and provides a rich context for an introduction to theories of jurisprudence, including natural law, positivist theory, realist theory, laissez-faire economics theory, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, economics and the law, and relational and empirical contract theory.

Days & Times: Wed/Fri 11:00 AM-12:30 PM

Room #: 1|203

Sign up to observe the class using this form

Frequently asked questions

Where should I sit: Visitors may take any open seat.

Am I required to stay the entire class? May I get up to go to the restroom during class? Visitors are not required to remain for the entire class. You may leave or return as needed, so long as it does not disrupt the session. Please introduce yourself to the professor before class begins.

Should I introduce myself to professor Louis before class begins or stay after to say hello? Please introduce yourself to the professor before class begins.

May I raise my hand to ask or answer a question? Visitors should generally refrain from answering questions unless they have the assigned materials and feel prepared.

Is there a cap on the number of guests who can observe per class? 

Are there test days that the class will not be open for observations?