Main content

Registrar

Registration

Important Dates

Spring 2025 Registration Dates

  • Monday, October 28: Shopping cart feature opens in OPUS (Students can add courses to their cart and check for conflicts but cannot enroll until registration opens)
  • Thursday, October 31, 4:30 p.m.: Writing seminar pre-selection forms due
  • Monday, November 4: Priority Registration begins
  • Thursday, November 7 - Thursday, November 14: Registration for classes (Waitlists are not available during this period). Students can verify their specific enrollment dates and times in OPUS self-service
  • Monday, November 18 - Monday, November 25: 1st Open Enrollment
  • Friday, December 13 - Monday, December 23: 2nd Open Enrollment
  • Monday, January 6, 12:01 a.m. – Tuesday, January 14, 11:59 p.m.: Add/Drop/Swap period in OPUS
BACK TO TOP

Holds and Clearances

Be sure to check the Holds and Clearances callout section in OPUS to avoid any delays in your registration. For assistance you can contact:

The Registrar’s Office can neither clear nor override holds on your account. Any enrollment delays or complications due to account holds are the student’s responsibility.

BACK TO TOP

Registration

Course registration methods differ depending on student degree and year. First-year JD students are block registered for required courses in the fall and spring semester by the Law Register. First-year JD students self-register for one elective course in the spring semester during their assigned enrollment appointment. First semester LLM, MLS, and SJD students should consult their academic advisor for scheduling courses. Returning JD, LLM, MLS, and SJD students self-register during their assigned enrollment appointment. 

MCL students are block registered for the terms (spring and summer) they are in residency.

Returning students (other than first-year JD and MCL students) enroll via a series of enrollment appointments scheduled by the Registrar. Accommodated students with priority registration enroll first during their 24-hour appointment window. JD students register next and are broken into categories by class year and/or special circumstance - 3L and joint degree students first, followed by 2L students, and 1Ls (if enrolling for Spring semester). After the JD class year appointments have ended, all students (including LLM, MLS, and SJD) may add courses or modify their schedule during Open Enrollment 1 (OE1), which typically lasts 1-2 weeks. Waiting lists also become active during OE1. Once exams are finished each semester, Open Enrollment 2 (OE2) offers a final opportunity for students to modify their schedule before the add/drop period during the first week of classes. 

Students enroll in courses through OPUS. Course offerings listed by semester are available on the Course Atlas website.

Seminars are managed through a pre-selection process. Clinics, externships, and co-curricular activities are managed by the instructor. Students selected for enrollment into these special courses will be notified of how to self-enroll or that they have been block enrolled by the registrar's office.

BACK TO TOP

Course Offerings

Course descriptions are available on the Course Atlas website. The Course and Exam Schedule may also be found on the Course Atlas website. Course schedules are also available through the Course Planning and Enrollment tile in OPUS.

The Registrar reserves the right to cap the number of students by pedagogical requirements, class category (i.e., 2L, 3L, LLM, JM), and room capacity. Such decisions will be made in consultation with the faculty member and Associate Deans.

The schedule is subject to change, including the addition and cancellation of classes. Be sure to confirm days/times in OPUS (https://opus.emory.edu) and regularly check your student email for course communications.

All JD students who are expected to graduate after the Spring of 2019 are required to satisfactorily complete at least one or more experiential courses totaling at least six credit hours. For more information, see the FAQs.

BACK TO TOP

How to Register Using OPUS

For step by step instructions and user tips on how to register for classes in OPUS, please review or the Registration Guide PDF.

For step by step instructions and user tips on how to place yourself on a class waitlist in OPUS, please review the waitlist guide.

If you choose to use the Shopping Cart feature, you must be logged into OPUS. (The Shopping Cart feature is optional and not required for you to enroll.)

Once the system processes your request, you will be able to identify which classes you were actually enrolled in as they will be indicated by a green check. If there is a red X, you were not enrolled. You can double check this by going to your class schedule on the Student Center tab.

BACK TO TOP

Non-Standard Course Enrollment

Certain course offerings require a different enrollment process than the standard first come-first serve. Those courses are listed below, including approval and enrollment requirements.

Course Type

Approval Required

Process/Action Needed

Clinics

Reference bulletin/ask for more info

Approved students enroll themselves during their appointment window.

Doing Deals (LAW 659A and B)

Transactional Law Program students are given permission to enroll during their assigned enrollment window.

During Open Enrollment II, all students except second semester first year students may enroll in open courses.

Doing Deals Capstone Courses

Transactional Law Program students complete a pre-selection form indicating their preferences.

Chosen students receive notification and enroll themselves during their assigned enrollment window.  Open seats are available during Open Enrollment II.

Directed Research, Directed Study, Supervised Research

Students must complete the required form after speaking with their supervising professor.

Once form is complete with all permissions, the Registrar’s Office enrolls students in the appropriate course.

Externships

Work with the externship coordinator to accept externships through Symplicity and be assigned to a seminar course and fieldwork.

The Externship Coordinator will work with the Registrar for enrollment.

Journal (ECGAR, EILR, ELJ, EBDJ)

2L – Registrar enrolls students in the section with their advisor
3L – Students enroll themselves

Students are responsible for self-enrolling in additional course requirements dependent on type of journal

Writing Seminars

Complete pre-selection form by stated deadline. Participants chosen by professor and notified before enrollment appointment begins.

Once notified, students are responsible for enrolling themselves.  Any open seats will be made available during Open Enrollment !, if approved by the professor.

BACK TO TOP

Overload Requests

For JD students who anticipate needing permission to take an overload of credit hours (more than 16 hours) in any given semester, please fill out a Credit Overload Request form.

Note: The Law Registrar’s Office will not be able to process requests until approval has been received. It is recommended that you seek approval for a credit overload a minimum of 48 hrs. prior to the start of your enrollment window.

BACK TO TOP

Non-law Courses

JD Students: If you wish to take a course outside of the law school, you must be a JD student who started their program as a 1L at Emory Law, the course must be a graduate level course, and you must obtain the written permission of that professor.

Once you have satisfied the above conditions, complete the Request To Take A Non-Law Course form. The Registrar’s Office will notify you if your request was approved and will enroll you in the course. Different schools have different registration schedules, so we advise you select a backup law class you'd be willing to take/drop later if youare approved to take the non-law class. Please note the grade you earn will appear on your transcript (it will not be calculated into your law school GPA). For further information or questions, please contact our office directly.

Graduate Students: Contact your advisor for assistance.

BACK TO TOP