There seems to be a greater than usual number of classes this semester that require an application to get in.

Law 364 - Motion Picture Distribution - Prof. Ken Ziffren
Law 402 - Deposition Skills (Clinical) - Prof. Stefano Moscato
Law 407 - Mediation - Prof. Forrest Mosten
Law 426 - Appellate Advocacy - Prof. Patrick Goodman
Law 428 - Indian Law Legislation - Prof. Pat Sekaquaptewa (rolling admission)
Law 438 - Public Policy Clinic - Dean Mike Schill and Prof. Jonathan Zasloff
Law 548 - Legal Education - Prof. Gerald Lopez
Law 553. Seminar—Intersectionality - Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw
Law 569 - Academic Writing Seminar - Prof. Eugene Volokh

I've never figured out why this is necessary. If you're paying full fare, shouldn't you be able to take the classes you're interested in? You already survived the filtering process of the admissions office, isn't that proof you're a reasonably competent indvidual?

The only remaining purpose is to indulge a professor's wish to hand-pick students. I guess the argument is that most of these are small classes and the quality of the class depends on the willingness of students to participate. But if that's what the prof wants, then the prof should just announce that class participation will be a large part of the grade. That should filter out all the wallflowers.

So beyond that, I can only surmise that it's a quest for "qualified" students, ie. people whom the prof thinks will not be especially disruptive, difficult or contrary. If true, that's a bad reason.

26 Jul 06