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AUWCL Orientation 2025

Orientation Week Activities

All sessions are required unless specifically noted as optional

Dates and times for all sessions can be found on the daily schedules

Full-Time Schedule

  

Part-Time Schedule
Dean's Welcome and Professional Oath

By the end of this session, students will be welcomed to the American University Washington College of Law by Interim Dean Heather Hughes.

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

Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Ebony M. Scott (AUWCL alumna class of 2006) will then administer the Professional Oath to the incoming part-time class.
Demystifying the Law School Classroom

By the end of this session, students should be able to define Socratic teaching, situate it within legal education’s teaching techniques, name its pedagogical goals, and critique its strengths and weaknesses.

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.
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
Introduction to Legal Research & Writing Curriculum

By the end of this session, students will be able to name the core skills and sources of law that lawyers use to represent clients. They will have strategies for success to acquire those foundational skills in their Legal Research & Writing courses. They will have a practical and holistic understanding of how their Legal Research & Writing courses are structured week to week and the various people involved in delivering the course.  

Legal Research Platform Orientations

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.

Westlaw Platform Orientation (live or online)
  • Live Option: Wednesday, 9:00am – 9:40am, Claudio Grossman Hall
  • Online Option: Student may complete at their preferred date/time, remote

Lexis Platform Orientation (live or online)

  • Live Option: Thursday, 9:00am – 9:40am, Claudio Grossman Hall
  • Online Option: Student may complete at their preferred date/time, remote

Introduction to Research & Academic Programs at AUWCL

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.
Meet Your 1L Faculty

By the end of this lunch session, students will have met their Legal Research and Writing, Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Torts professors over lunch.
Overview of Orientation Week

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.
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.
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.

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.
 

Who You Are Matters: Professional Identity Formation, Leadership and 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.
Student Ambassador