Good Monday Morning!
We hope this message finds you well. We are writing with some information about law student life in Foggy Bottom that we think might be helpful as the fall semester approaches. Please note the active links in this email are limited to GW Organization emails, i.e. if you are not using your @gwu.edu or @law.gwu.edu account you will not be able to access the information you seek.
For information about Orientation Week, see the Orientation 2021 Webpage for upcoming events. This page will be updated frequently. We will be providing food during Orientation. Please complete this Google Form by Monday, August 16th to ensure your dietary restriction can be accommodated if you have any dietary restrictions.
Professional Development
Inns of Court
Each GW Law student is assigned to one of six Inns of Court, named after former Supreme Court Justices, and first-year students take all 1L classes with their Inn. Your Inn is your community for the next few years. You should have received your Inn assignment through the Career Services Office. Upper-level students, including transfer students, may participate in the Foundations of Practice program and earn the Dean’s Commendation for Advanced Professional Development. See the attached document for an introduction to the Inns of Court and Foundations of Practice for transfer students. Should you have any questions feel free to contact foundations
law [dot] gwu [dot] edu (foundations[at]law[dot]gwu.
More Inns of Court Information for Transfer Students
Student Life
SBA Student Mentor Program
The Student Bar Association (SBA) has recruited second- and third-year law students eager to impart wisdom about navigating the law school. If you would like to be paired with an SBA mentor, please complete the Mentorship Program Questionnaire. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with seasoned members of the community.
Transfer Facebook Page
Establishing friendships will support your academic experience. The Dean of Students Office encourages you to connect early with your classmates. The Student Bar Association has set up a Transfer Student Facebook page where you can meet fellow transfer students and get information about upcoming events.
Tours
The SBA has organized law school tours for returning students. Tours are available at various times during the day, after business hours, and on the weekends leaving from the admissions office at 700 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20052. The link to sign up for a law school tour can be found here.
To take a tour of the law school, you must be vaccinated and have received a negative Covid test from the school. The only exceptions to the vaccination policy are those people who have received an exemption from the school. Anyone exempt from the vaccination requirements must wear a mask during the tour and must have tested negative for Covid to participate in a tour of the school. To get tested, make an appointment via the GW medical portal.
For those of you who are unable to take a tour during the times offered, we will also be running tours during the SBA’s 2L Orientation.
SBA’s Orientation
The SBA is organizing orientation events for returning students. The link to RSVP to the SBA orientation can be found here. Whether or not you plan to attend the SBA Orientation, or if you only plan to attend some of the events, your RSVP is extremely helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact nicolekaremlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu (nicolekarem[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu) or scottglaser47law [dot] gwu [dot] edu (scottglaser47[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu).
Student Organizations
GW Law has a vibrant and active student organization community. If you are interested in getting more information from any of these organizations. We hope you plan to get involved as this is a wonderful opportunity to connect with seasoned members of the community.
Law School Affinity Groups
The law school has over 70 student-led organizations that serve as the backbone of the law school community. Chief among them are the many student affinity groups which include
- Asian/Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)
- Atypical Student Society
- Black Law Student Association (BLSA)
- Christian Legal Society
- J. Reuben Clark Law Society
- Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA)
- Lambda Law (Gw’s LGBTQIA student organization)
- Latino Law Student Society
- Law Association for Women (LAW)
- Middle Eastern and North African Law Society (MENA)
- Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA).
Each of these groups would like to welcome you personally. If you are interested in outreach, please complete the Affinity Group Google Form.