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AUWCL Orientation 2025

Full-Time JD Program

All sessions are required unless specifically noted as optional

8:30am – 10:00am

Check in + Orientation & AUID Pickup

Welcome to AUWCL! Please arrive early to orientation to check in, pick up your name tag, orientation packet, AU ID, and U-Pass. We’ll start distributing materials at 8:30am in the AUWCL Commons on the Terrace Level between the Warren and Yuma buildings. Orientation content starts promptly at 10:00am.

We encourage you to arrive early to start connecting with classmates and the AUWCL community members assisting with orientation week. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and meet someone new!

10:00am – 10:30am

Overview of Orientation 
By the end of this session, students will be able to identify the goals of orientation, understand Honor Code requirements, and get to know their colleagues.
1L Section Session Title Room
All Sections

Overview of Orientation

 Claudio Grossman Hall
 

10:30am – 11:00am

Dean's Welcome and Professional Oath

By the end of the session, students will be welcomed to the American Univeristy Washington College of Law by Dean Heather Hughes

Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Tanya M. Jones Bosier (AUWCL alumna class of 2000) will administer the Professional Oath to the incoming full-time class. 

1L Section Session Title Room
All Sections

Dean's Welcome and Professional Oath

 Claudio Grossman Hall

11:00am – 11:10am

10-minute Break

11:10am – 11:55am

The US Legal System and Types of Legal Authority
By the end of this session, students should be able to understand the nature of common law, describe the basics of federal vs. state jurisdiction, identify the types of authority that each branch of government produces, distinguish between primary and secondary sources of law, identify which sources are mandatory primary authority versus persuasive primary authority, and explain when and why lawyers use secondary sources.
1L Section Session Title Room
Section 1 The US Legal System and Types of Legal Authority NT01
Section 2 The US Legal System and Types of Legal Authority NT07
Section 3 The US Legal System and Types of Legal Authority NT08
Section 4  The US Legal System and Types of Legal Authority YT17

11:55am – 12:10pm

5-minute Break

12:00pm – 2:00pm

Introduction to Academic and Research Programs Lunch

By the end of this lunch session, students will be able to identify the various research and academic programs available to them at AUWCL and build excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. Program directors will give brief presentations on their programs, followed by time student questions.
1L Section Session Title Room
All Sections Introduction to Academic and Research Programs Lunch Claudio Grossman Hall

2:00pm – 2:10pm

10-minute Break

2:10pm – 3:10pm

Introduction to Law School Learning

By the end of this session, students will be able to identify strategies to effectively manage their time and prepare for meaningful class participation in the law school setting. Law school is a unique learning experience that requires specialized skills and growth strategies 
1L Section Session Title Room
Section 1 Introduction to Law School Learning NT01
Section 2 Introduction to Law School Learning NT07
Section 3 Introduction to Law School Learning NT08
Section 4 Introduction to Law School Learning YT17

2:00pm – 2:10pm

10-minute Break

3:20pm – 4:05pm

Faculty Big Ideas
Dean Heather Hughes will lead a session underscoring the importance of faculty scholarship at AUWCL. A few of our world-renowned faculty will share a “big idea” explored in their research, explain why it is relevant to the world in which we live, and how it informs their teaching.
1L Section Session Title Room
All Sections Faculty Big Ideas Claudio Grossman Hall

4:05pm – 4:10pm

5-minute Break

4:10pm – 5:05pm

Tools of the Lawyering Trade
At the end of this session, students will understand how to operate within the AUWCL community as an educational environment that is preparing them to navigate the legal profession. Students will further understand the systems of support at AUWCL and how to access them.
1L Section Session Title Room

All Sections

 Tools of the Lawyering Trade Claudio Grossman Hall