Zero-L®

A brief introduction to Zero-L’s structure and goals.

This module includes:

• Overview of Zero-L content
• Introduction to the learning experience
• Introduction to the faculty leaders

Students are introduced to the set-up of the U.S. legal system and the lawyer’s role in it. They’ll learn about the structures of the federal and state court systems, the order of authorities in each system, and key distinctions in types and sources of law in the U.S.

Lessons include:

• Kinds of law
• The federal court system
• The state court systems

Students prepare to read a case (an essential tool in law school from day one) and understand the precedential effect of prior cases. This module also includes an introduction to typical kinds of common law arguments.

Lessons include:

• How to read a case
• Common kinds of law arguments
• Precedent: what does the decision mean for future cases?

Students are introduced to the statutes, learn the many steps for a bill to become a law, and receive an introduction to how judges interpret statutes.

Lessons include:

• How a bill becomes law
• How to read a statute: introduction
• How to read a statute: tools of interpretation

Students get a preview of the most commonly taught first-year courses so they are ready to excel in class starting from day one.

Lessons include:

• The stages of civil litigation
• Introduction to criminal law
• Introduction to tort law

Students are introduced to their career options, the impact they can make as a lawyer, and how the profession continues to change and evolve.

Lessons include:

• Lawyers: who are they and what do they do?
• The skills involved in giving legal advice
• Kinds of lawyering

Students are introduced to some of the larger theoretical questions raised by law, such as rules versus standards, ex ante versus post perspectives, and how legal scholarship connects the study of law to the methods of other disciplines.

Lessons include:

• Rules vs. Standards
• Ex ante vs. Ex post
• Using economics to analyze legal questions

Students apply their learning by analyzing a brand new case and trying their hand at “briefing” it. They practice writing out the four things that students most commonly cover in a case brief: the facts, procedural history, holding, and rationale. They then get to compare their work to a sample brief for the case and go deeper into the case.

This exercise includes:

• A practice case
• A briefing exercise and sample case brief
• A case deep dive

Zero-L was created for students who are about to start law school but who haven’t yet crossed the threshold to their first or “1-L” year—hence the name “Zero-L”. Zero-L was designed to ensure that all these incoming law students, whatever their backgrounds and previous areas of study, start with the foundational knowledge to enable them to thrive in law school.

Zero-L was built for incoming law students and, over the last several years, tens of thousands of incoming law students nationwide have taken Zero-L. Because Zero-L was built for students who haven’t yet started law school, Zero-L is also beneficial for everyone in the process of applying to law school, thinking about applying to law school, or learning more about the law for their own curiosity.

In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Law School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

If you are an individual learner looking to enroll in Zero-L, please complete this short application. There is no application fee. To join the next cohort of individual learners in Zero-L, please submit your application by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 6th 2025. We look forward to responding to your submitted application within 4 business days.

The fee for the Zero-L course for individual learners is $200. At this time, discounts aren’t available.

Individual learners accepted into the Zero-L course will receive an email from the Harvard Law School Online team with payment instructions. Payment is due in full by 5 p.m. Eastern Time the day before the course opens for orientation. If you wish to cancel your enrollment, you may request a full refund by emailing [email protected] no later than one business day before the course opens for orientation. (Please note the business day concludes at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.) Requests must be received by this time to receive a full refund. After this asynchronous course opens, no refunds will be given. (If you have questions about enrolling a group of individual learners, please drop us a note at [email protected].)

Please note that Harvard is not responsible for fluctuations in international exchange rates between payment and refund, nor is it responsible for interest charges or other fees due to the timing of credit card refunds.

Harvard is authorized to offer distance education under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), an agreement that allows institutions of higher education in Massachusetts to offer distance education to students residing in other states that participate in SARA. For information about SARA-related student complaint processes for distance education students, please see https://vpal.harvard.edu/nc-sara.