Orientation and Foundations for Law School Week
To help you understand the importance and serious nature of our Orientation and Foundations for Law School Week, following are descriptions of each session.
DEAN'S WELCOME - Dean Athornia Steele will welcome incoming students.
STUDENT ORGANIZATION FAIR - Student organizations will staff tables and distribute information about the clubs and societies which are active in the law school.
INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL PROFESSIONALISM - Students who are beginning to study law should do so with the ideals that guide the profession firmly in mind every day, as well as the impact this profession - unlike any other - has on society. In small groups, students will discuss various ethical dilemmas and the codes of conduct which govern both law students and lawyers. Justice R. Fred Lewis of the Florida Supreme Court will welcome the students.
ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY TEST - A standardized test will be administered to make an initial assessment of your abilities in the critical skills of reading, thinking, and writing, which are essential for success in law school. The results of this test will also be used to individualize your academic support. The test will be given to you again at the end of your law school career so that we may assess the "value-added" by your education at the Law Center.
STAGES OF A LAWSUIT - In this session, your Legal Study Skills (LSS) teacher will guide you through the procedural steps of a typical civil lawsuit. Particular emphasis will be placed on the importance of learning new vocabulary. Also, we will discuss the procedural posture of cases presented in law school texts.
BLACKBOARD/LEXIS TRAINING - Students will receive passwords and an introduction to these important course and research tools.
INTRODUCTION TO COURSE OUTLINES - This class will review the preface and detailed table of contents of one of your first-year textbooks, with a view toward identifying and developing conceptual frameworks for your first-year courses.
LAWYERING SKILLS AND VALUES - LSV is often called the most important course in law school as it covers the "real" lawyering skills of legal research and writing in the context of simulated problems. The course addresses additional practical skills such as negotiating and counseling. Professional responsibilities issues are also addressed.
"TRIALS OF LAW SCHOOL" - This recently released movie depicts a number of law students' experiences throughout their first year, including the law school classroom experience (and the fear of being called on to speak), time management issues, and surviving exams.
TIME MANAGEMENT AND LEARNING STYLES INVENTORY - The time management session addresses the extraordinary time demands on a first year student and how to manage and balance those demands. The learning styles inventory introduces the theory of metacognition and learning how one learns, with a view to increasing each students' knowledge about particular strategies for learning and problem solving.
FLORIDA BAR PROGRAM - A representative of The Florida Board of Bar Examiners will describe the character and fitness requirements for admission to the bar, emphasizing particularly amendments to law school applications and filing deadlines, and their impacts on first year law students.
BRIEFING AND NOTE TAKING - This session focuses on the skill of drafting a short summary of a legal case- referred to as a "brief " - and its important role in mastering legal analysis. The note taking part of the session describes the difference between taking notes in undergraduate and law school classes, and explores effective methods for memorializing and internalizing information presented in law school classes.
FIRST DOCTRINAL CLASS - One of your first semester professors, from the three doctrinal subjects of contracts, torts, or criminal law, will initiate your substantive legal education. This experience will give you a sense of how law school classrooms function.
CLASS DEBRIEFING AND WRITING ASSIGNMENT - Your LSS instructor will lead a discussion of the first doctrinal class, including the teaching method employed, notes that should have been taken, and what you should have gleaned from the experience. You will also complete a writing assignment based on the subject matter of the class.
