Option 2 of the J.D. Written Work Requirement

Format and Scope

Students may satisfy Option 2 using two of the following types of writing, one of which must be faculty supervised:

1. Lawyers work product: this category would include substantial writing in a clinic, upper-level moot court briefs, or the equivalent, as certified by the supervisor of the relevant program, but not written work from a summer job or paid work
2. Law school course and seminar papers: substantial writing as part of a course or seminar, including the standard series of reaction papers, amounting to no fewer than 15 pages (course and seminar papers are faculty supervised)
3. Law journal writing: including notes, book reviews, descriptions of developments in the law, and the like (totaling no fewer than 10 publishable pages)
4. Nontraditional writing produced under faculty supervision: this might include interactive web-based material, surveys of students or practitioners with analysis, case study materials appropriate for classroom use, or other law- related writing outside of the forms mentioned above

See the J.D. Written Work Requirement FAQ for more details. 

Faculty Supervisors

HLS faculty actively support student writing, and are available to supervise papers. Click for a list of faculty supervisors by name or subject matter. 

Option 2 Registration

Deadline

February 1 of the 3L year

For 1Ls and 2Ls, registration is not required until February 1 of your 3L year.  If you have questions about Option 2, including whether a certain piece of writing qualifies under the Option 2 rules, please contact Julie Barton, Director of Special Academic Programs, at jbarton@law.harvard.edu .

Form

To register for Option 2 of the Written Work Requirement, students should complete and submit the Option 2 registration form.  Please note that the form requires verification signatures for clinical writing; upper-level moot court briefs; law journal writing and nontraditional writing produced under faculty supervision. Verification signatures are not needed for seminar and course papers.

Contact the Registrar's Office, registrar@law.harvard.edu, 617-495-4612, with questions.