Study

When is Wintersession?

This year's program will take place from Saturday, January 6, to Wednesday, January 10, 2024.* All classes will take place in person at the Law School, barring unforeseen circumstances. Shopping carts open Friday, September 29, 2023, and registration will take place starting Tuesday, October 3, 2023. The drop-add period will end Friday, December 1, 2023. Regular classes for spring semester begin on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

*Please note: Law 825, Practice and Strategic Development of International Transactions, will be taught on Saturday, January 6, 12-3pm; Sunday, January 7, 12-3pm; Saturday, January 13, 2-5pm; and Sunday, January 14, 2-5pm. The times for the second weekend are different in DukeHub. Use this information and plan accordingly

Who can take Wintersession courses?

Three courses – Law 844, The Counselor & The Client, Law 861, Foundations and Perspectives of Justice, and Law 887, Cross-Cultural Lawyering – are open only to first-year students and will be designated as such in the course descriptions in DukeHub and on the Wintersession website. Upper-level students may take any of the other courses offered. Please note that you will be automatically dropped from a course if you are not eligible to take it.

All students may take a full credit (either two courses, or Law 825, Practice and Strategic Development of International Transactions, which is a full credit). 

Do I get credit for Wintersession courses?

Yes. With one exception (Law 825), each course will be worth a half-credit.

To receive credit, students must attend all six hours of class (three hours on each of two days), and complete any in-class or out-of-class assignments given. Law 825 is worth a full credit and will require enrolled students to attend class for a total of 12 hours over the week of the program, including the weekend after spring semester classes have started.

Are Wintersession courses graded?

No. All Wintersession courses are offered on a credit/no credit (C/NC) basis. Students who prepare for and attend class, complete readings and assignments, and show a basic level of proficiency will receive credit. The classes will have no impact on GPAs.

Can I take more than one class?

Yes. All students may enroll in courses totaling up to one full credit; first-year JD students may only register from the list of approved courses. 

How do I register for Wintersession?

Shopping carts will Friday, September 29, 2023, and registration will take place starting Tuesday, October 3, 2023. The drop-add period will end Friday, December 1, 2023. All decisions about taking Wintersession classes must be finalized by the end of the drop/add period. Please note that dropping a class after this date may result in a mark of “WF” for that class on your transcript, and make your travel plans accordingly. Unless a course is designated as being taught on Zoom, you must attend both sessions in person.

Do all Wintersession courses count towards the experiential learning degree requirement?

Nearly all Wintersession courses are sufficiently simulation-based to count for experiential learning credit – but you should double-check to be sure before counting them towards your degree requirement. The Wintersession schedule will indicate which courses count for experiential credit.

Is there any cost associated with taking a Wintersession course?

No. Wintersession courses will be considered part of the Spring Term for tuition purposes.

Who will be teaching Wintersession classes?

Some Wintersession classes will be taught by current faculty, but the majority of the classes feature alumni practitioners coming back to Duke for the program. This makes Wintersession a great opportunity for you to network and to meet successful practitioners in your field of interest.

How will this impact spring semester course-loads?

Wintersession classes will count toward the Spring semester course load only if that is beneficial to you. Thus, if you need one credit from Wintersession to count so your Spring course load qualifies as full-time, it will count toward the Spring. If you are planning to take the maximum credits in the Spring, and the Wintersession credit would put you over the limit, then the Wintersession credit will not count toward the Spring.