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AUWCL Orientation 2025

Full-Time JD Program

All sessions are required unless specifically noted as optional

9:00am – 9:40am

Note: A remote option is available at your preferred date and time. Please see below for additional information.

Lexis Platform Orientation
[In-Person Option]

Students must complete two research platform orientations before their first Legal Research and Writing class the week of August 25th. Students will upload a certificate of completion for each orientation to the course Canvas page. These sessions can be completed in person or online at a time of your choice.

Students will receive instructions for accessing the platforms and expectations for these orientations via a course message on Canvas to their American University email address before the start of orientation. 

The purpose of these orientations is to orient students to the structure and features of the Westlaw and Lexis research platforms before students need to use them independently.
1L Section Session Title Room
All Lexis Platform Orientation (live or online) Claudio Grossman Hall

10:00am – 10:45am

Demystifying the Law School Classroom
By the end of this session, students will be able to define Socratic teaching, situate it within legal education’s teaching techniques, name its pedagogical goals, and critique its strengths and weaknesses.
1L Section Session Title Room
Sec. 1 Demystifying the Law School Classroom NT01
Sec. 2 Demystifying the Law School Classroom NT07
Sec. 3 Demystifying the Law School Classroom NT08
Sec. 4 Demystifying the Law School Classroom YT17

10:45am – 10:55am

10-minute Break

10:55am – 11:40am

Who You Are Matters: Professional Identity Formation, Leadership & the Law
By the end of this session, students will be able to reflect on who they are, what they value, and the kind of legal professional they want to become. Through interactive discussions and personal reflection, this session will provide students with a personalized guide to shaping their voice, purpose, and approach to leadership as they start their law school journey.
1L Section Session Title Room
All Who You Are Matters: Professional Identity Formation, Leadership and the Law Claudio Grossman Hall

11:40am – 11:45am

5-minute Break

11:45am – 12:45pm

Student Ambassador Peer Session
By the end of this session, students will have the opportunity to hear from upper-level AUWCL students – no faculty or staff allowed. Students will have a chance to get information from and ask questions of current WCL students who have recently completed their 1L year.
1L Section Session Title Room
Sec. 1 [A - K] Student Ambassador Peer Session Y402
Sec. 1 [L - Z] Student Ambassador Peer Session Y403
Sec. 2 [A - K] Student Ambassador Peer Session NT07
Sec. 2 [L - Z] Student Ambassador Peer Session NT08
Sec. 3 [A - K] Student Ambassador Peer Session YT17
Sec. 3 [L - Z] Student Ambassador Peer Session Y116
Sec. 4 [A - K] Student Ambassador Peer Session Y400
Sec. 4 [L - Z] Student Ambassador Peer Session Y401

Thursday Afternoon Optional Activities

12:45pm – 2:00pm

Lunch on Your Own
AUWCL Dining Room

The AUWCL Dining Room will be open throughout Orientation week. It is located on the first floor of the Yuma Building. During this lunch break, our vendor Chartwells will be hosting a tasting event (i.e. samples) and providing educational materials (i.e. how to place orders, sharing menus) about its offerings for students!

Tenleytown Dining Options

The AUWCL Campus is located in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, DC. Tenleytown has a number of fast casual and sit-down restaurant options within a short walk of the law school! Here are a few dining suggestions: Five Guys, Panera, Robeks, Whole Foods, Chipotle, Cava, Nandos, Surfside, and Saku Saku.

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Safety at AUWCL
AU Safety and Security Services will join the AUWCL community for a presentation on Safety at AU in Claudio Grossman Hall.

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Get to Know the Pence Law Library
Stop by the Pence Law Library on the first floor of the Warren Building to see all that we have to offer. Take a tour of the library and scope out your favorite study spots. Make sure your Bloomberg, LexisNexis, and Westlaw accounts are all set and learn about the full range of resources the library offers.

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Student Resource Fair

Meet staff from student support and advising offices in the WCL Commons (Terrace Level). Get to know the friendly faces behind the emails and ask anything that is still on your mind as Orientation concludes. Upper-level students will also be present in the WCL Commons ready to answer your questions!

The following offices will have a presence at the Fair! Office of Student Affairs; Office of Academic Excellence; Office of the Registrar; Office of Career and Professional Development; U-Pass Office; American University Police Department; Office of Disability Support; AU Center for Wellbeing Programs and Psychological Services; DC Lawyer’s Assistance Program