Clinical Registration and Add/Drop

Clinical registration is a process in which students select preferences for clinical courses. This process occurs online through the HLS student registration system in the spring semester for the following academic year. Clinicals are optional, though if a student decides to enroll in a clinic they must also take one of the clinic's pre/co-requisites.  Clinics that require the permission of the instructor are not in clinical registration.  Continuing clinicals and Independent clinicals are also not in clinical registration, since they require an application.

Another way to register for clinicals is through Add/Drop.  Once initial clinical registration has occurred, online adding and dropping begins.  Students are able to add open clinicals, join the waitlist for closed clinicals, or drop clinicals for which they are currently enrolled.  

Clinical Registration Dates for 2012/2013

• Fall, WInter, and Spring clinics will be in Phase 1 Registration, along with Multi-Section and Legal Profession/Professional Responsibility courses
  • By Permission Clinics are not in Phase 1 Registration: Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Making Rights Real: The Ghana Project, Semester in Washington, Shareholder Rights Clinic, Sports Law Clinic, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Independent Clinical,
  • To do a second semester at your clinic, apply through the Continuing Clinical Program.  Once you have taken a clinic, you cannot sign up for it again through Helios.
• Opens: Wednesday, March 28 at 9:00 AM (EDT)
• Closes: Monday, April 2 at 11:59 PM (EDT)
• Results available on Thursday, April 5 at 5:00 PM (EDT)
• Add/drop for Clinics and Multi-section courses opens once the Phase 1 registration results are posted
• Review the Registrar's Office webpage about Registration Information for a full list of registration dates and events

Clinical Add/Drop Deadlines

Fall 2012

• Tuesday, September 4, 2012
• Final day to add or drop Fall clinics
• Some clinics have earlier add/drop deadlines (for security clearance or pre-requisite reasons); check clinic descriptions for each clinic's deadline

Winter 2013

• Friday, December 7, 2012
• Final day to add or drop Winter clinics
• Some clinics have earlier add/drop deadlines (for security clearance or pre-requisite reasons); check clinic descriptions for each clinic's deadline

Spring 2013

• Friday, January 18, 2013
• Final day to add or drop Spring clinics
• Some clinics have earlier add/drop deadlines (for security clearance or pre-requisite reasons); check clinic descriptions for each clinic's deadline

Dropping after the applicable deadline will result in an "Withdrawal" (WD) on your academic transcript. You cannot drop a multi-semester (e.g. Fall-Winter) clinical course after the first semester's (Fall) drop deadline.

Changing Clinical Credits

Students can change their clinical credits on Helios until the clinic's add/drop deadline.  After the add/drop deadline, students can still make changes through the second week of their clinic semester by emailing the Registrar's office at registrar@law.harvard.edu with the following information: your name, HUID, name of the clinic, and the new number of credits you wish to take.  In the fall and spring, each clinical credit is equivalent to 5 work hours per week for the entire 12-week semester, or 60 hours per semester. Winter credits are set at 2 for a work schedule of 40 hours/week.

Please contact the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs with any questions regarding clinical registration.