GW Law Orientation site logo

Orientation

 

Incoming 1L Student Check-List

Previous Communications

Email 1 (7/8/2025)

Email 2 (7/15/2025)

Your GW Identity and Account Activation: (DUE: ASAP)

Your GW identity is a collection of elements that uniquely identifies you as a member of the GW community. If you have not done so already, please activate/claim your GW identity as soon as possible. Please refer to the GW Account Activation for New Users for step by step guidance on how to claim your account. As part of the Identity claiming process, you will receive both GW and GW Law email accounts.  These accounts use the same username and password. To access your GW Law email account, login at https://mail.google.com/a/law.gwu.edu.

Undergraduate Transcript Requirement (PAST DUE: Complete ASAP)

If you have not already done so, you must have an official copy of your final undergraduate transcript sent directly to LSAC.  Please ensure that your transcript shows the conferral of your undergraduate degree. Your final official undergraduate transcript must accompany your law school application before it is archived by the Admissions Office.  A complete, final official transcript must be received in order to finalize your Admissions file. This is a requirement of the American Bar Association (ABA).  If you are still enrolled in courses, please have your transcript sent to LSAC as soon as it is final. If your final official transcript is not received, a registration hold will be placed on your account.

Immunization Requirement (PAST DUE: Complete ASAP)

All matriculating students who will be under the age 26 as of July 1, 2025 must submit their immunization records directly to Student Health Services. Once you receive access to your GW email address, you will be able to access the portal (please see above on activating your GW Identity). Please note that the Student Health Center website shows the deadline as June 15; as an incoming law student, you may still do so but your records need to be submitted as soon as possible.

Resume Submission (PAST DUE: Complete ASAP)

Please complete and submit the Incoming Student Resume Form if you have not done so already. Responses are still being collected. These will be used to compile the entire class profile for faculty so they have a better sense of the 1L class.

Gateway to GW: Housing Ask Me Anything Virtual Session (EVENT: July 15)

Register to join this conversation on July 15 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. EST to get advice on apartment hunting in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, and get all of your housing-related questions answered.

Sign up for Information from the Law School Affinity Groups (Due: ASAP)

The law school has over 80 student-led organizations that serve as the backbone of the law school community. Chief among them are the many student affinity groups which include:

  • Armenian Law Student Association (ALSA)
  • Asian/Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)
  • Black Law Student Association (BLSA)
  • Christian Legal Society (CLS)
  • Disability Law Society 
  • First-Gen Professionals
  • J. Reuben Clark Law Society - international law society composed of LDS attorneys, law students, and others
  • Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA)
  • Lambda Law - an organization of students interested in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) legal issues, employment concerns
  • Latin American Law Student Association
  • Law Association for Women (LAW)
  • Middle Eastern and North African Law Student Association (MENALSA)
  • Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA)
  • Native American Law Student Association (NALSA)
  • Parents in Law
  • South Asian Law Student Association (SALSA)
  • The Womxn of Color Collective (WoCC)
  • Veteran Law Student Association (VLSA)

Each of these groups would like to welcome you personally. If you are interested in outreach, please complete this Affinity Group Interest Form.

Update Your Chosen Name, Gender Identity, and Pronouns (Due: ASAP)

If you indicated a preferred name in your application to GW Law, that name will be entered into the various digital records across campus. If you need to update this information or want to change it, you can find more information on the process on the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement website.

Last Day to Withdraw from GW Law without Financial Penalty (Due: July 24)

We hope you all still plan to join us in August but if your plans change, please note the last day to withdraw from GW Law without financial penalty is Thursday, July 24, 2025, per the University's tuition fee policy which can be found via The George Washington University Law School Bulletin.

Apply for GW Law Footnote Program (Due: July 29)

Does the phrase “hiding the ball” sound like something a person does with their dog? Does a tort sound like a dessert? If so, keep reading. The Dean of Students Office, in partnership with the Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is offering the Footnote program, two additional days of orientation programming on Monday and Tuesday, August 11th & 12th. We created a schedule designed to provide participants with a preview of the law school classroom, insight into legal careers, and strategies for maintaining balance. If you are the first lawyer in your family, or you think that you could really benefit from a little insight into what to expect in your 1L year, please fill out our Footnote application. 

GW Law 1L Careers Summer Jumpstart Session (EVENT: July 31)

Register now for GW Law Careers Summer Jumpstart Session on 7/31 from 12-1:00 pm (EST)! Attend the 1L Careers Jumpstart virtual session to get your questions answered by members of the Career Development Office and learn strategy tips so you can start law school feeling empowered and prepared to pursue your career goals. You will learn about the Career Development Office resources and team, strategy tips on getting legal work experience, the 5 components of a legal job application, and how to begin building your own professional network. This program will be recorded, but we encourage your synchronous attendance.

Setup your GWorld Mobile Card (Due: August 4)

The GWorld Mobile Card is the official ID card at GW and is required to access academic buildings, campus libraries, the health and wellness center, and other facilities and services. More information on how to setup the card on your mobile device can be found here.

Complete Orientation Reading (Due: August 11)

This year we are asking incoming students to read Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, by Jennifer L. Eberhardt before the start of orientation. In addition to discussing the book during orientation, you will also use the text for your Fundamentals of Lawyering class.

Purchase the Tuition Insurance (Optional) (Due: August 17)

While we hope every student enjoys a smooth and successful semester, we recognize that unexpected challenges—such as medical or mental health issues—can sometimes arise. To help protect your educational investment, the university has partnered with GradGuard to offer tuition insurance. This optional coverage can reimburse up to 100% of your tuition, room, and board, depending on your selected coverage level, in the event of a covered withdrawal. 

Please note that any financial aid you receive may impact the amount of reimbursement. 

Tuition insurance must be purchased before the start of each fall or spring semester and is available through Student eBill or directly from GradGuard at www.gradguard.com or by calling 877-794-6603.

Character and Fitness Disclosures (Due: August 17)

Please ensure your application to GW Law provides disclosure of any legal volitions, college disciplinary matters, or similar issues, including any that may have occurred after you submitted your application. State boards of bar examiners will note any issue disclosed in your bar application that occurred before you enrolled in law school and specifically ask the Law School whether GW Law was aware of that issue when you enrolled. If an inconsistency exists between information obtained by the bar examiners and your law school admission application, that inconsistency could impact your admission to the bar.

Please send any necessary disclosures to the Admissions Office on or before Sunday, August 17 – using inatgwatlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu (inatgw[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu). Please err on the side of disclosure. If you have questions regarding whether something needs to be disclosed, please contact the Dean of Students Office. It is in your best interest to review your law school application to GW and email any updates to Admissions now before you formally "matriculate" as a law student.

Mandatory GW SHIP Enrollment (Waiver Due: September 12)

All law students will be automatically enrolled in GW Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for 2025-2026. If you have other acceptable coverage you must waive by September 12, 2025 at University Health Plans. Please note the waiver form will be available on August 1st.  

Registration for Accommodations (Complete as soon as possible, but no later than November 15 for Final Exams)

Students requesting an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability must contact the University’s Disability Support Services Office to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information on this process for law students, please refer to the Disability Support Services webpage on the GW Law website.

Laptop Computer Requirements

All students are expected to have a laptop computer that meets the specifications for Exam4, the exam software used to administer exams. For questions about this, please contact LawITatlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu.

Housing Resources

We wanted to share some last minute housing resources in case you are still apartment hunting, or have yet to sign a lease.

  • Check out the GW Law Housing Guide, a custom made resource from our trusted housing partner VeryApt, which contains valuable resources that can help guide your housing search.
  • Login to our new Roommate Portal, where prospective and current students have been connecting with each other.
  • UniversityHaus is a local property management company that has shared current availability at their Dupont property. You can complete their interest form, and additional information below:
    • Expedited Approval for International Students: UniversityHaus offers expedited housing approval for international students with the necessary documentation.
    • Financial Aid Utilization: UniversityHaus has programs that allow students to use their financial aid to cover housing costs.
    • Rent Deferment Options: UniversityHaus provides a two-week rent deferment for students waiting on scholarships or financial aid disbursements.
    • All-Inclusive Rent: Rent includes furnishings, WiFi, and utilities.
    • Convenient Location: The housing is within walking distance of the campus and located in the highly desirable Dupont Circle neighborhood.
    • Student-Only Units: UniversityHaus offers units and roommates exclusively for students.

If you have questions, or concerns, please reach out to nathanael [dot] whiteatlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu (nathanael[dot]white[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu).

Career Center Checklist

  • Learn about CORE, the Career Center's online platform for job postings and applications, event registration, career development resources, and formal recruiting/interviewing programs. Use this guide to login and complete your profile. 
  • Spend a little time creating your first legal resume. Take the one you used to apply to law school and edit it using our sample resumes as a guide.
    • Here are additional resources from the CORE Resource Library: 
      Resume Basics
      Resume Checklist
    • When your new resume is done, upload it to the Application Materials tab of your CORE profile.