2012 Summer Orientation
Orientation is an important opportunity for students to be introduced to an inclusive learning environment, construct the academic and personal development foundations for success, build community and collaboration with other students, and understand the values and traditions of Seattle University School of Law. The primary goal of orientation is to equip incoming students to learn, so that they may begin their studies as knowledgeable and confident students from the first day of class.
Orientation for students beginning Criminal Law this summer will take place on Tuesday, June 12th and Thursday, June 14th. (See below for information for part-time evening students only.) All summer entry students are expected to attend both Orientation Sessions 1 and 2 of the two-day program. Session 1 lays the ground work for Session 2, so it is important that you attend both sessions. There will be two duplicated sessions each day, so please feel free to choose whichever one is more convenient for your schedule. The sessions will be from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Both sessions will take place in Room C5. You do not need to preregister. If you cannot make it to orientation, materials will be posted on the “Academic Resource Center” TWEN page, and passwords may be picked up at the Academic Resource Center.
Time / Location / Tuesday, June 12th / Thursday, June 14th1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room C5 / Orientation Session 1 / Orientation Session 2
6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Room C5 / Orientation Session 1 / Orientation Session 2
Orientation is facilitated by Professor Connie Krontz. As orientation is designed to introduce entering law students to the study of law, legal topics covered will include an overview of the legal system, types of authority and types of legal arguments. You will also learn critical legal skills to enable you to think like lawyers from the first day of class. Topics will include reading and briefing cases, synthesis and outlining, and effective legal analysis.In addition, our Librarians will introduce you to important library resources and representatives from two legal research providers, TWEN (The West Education Network) and Lexis, will be on hand to provide you with login passwords. In preparation for orientation, you will be expected to read selected materials. You will receive these materials at the beginning of June. If you have any questions regarding orientation, please contact Professor Connie Krontz .
Also, please plan to join us for the 2012 Summer Welcome Barbecue. We will meet on the Law School patio from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 18th so that you may join us either after class if you are taking the afternoon section of Criminal Law or before class if you are taking the evening section of Criminal Law.
2012 Summer Criminal Law Workshops & Laboratories
Why Workshops and Laboratories? Research on learning indicates that students’ academic performance is enhanced when skills such as legal analysis and synthesis are explicitly taught, when students have ample time to develop and practice those skills, and when students receive frequent and constructive feedback. Workshops present an opportunity to learn about critical legal skills and the legal learning environment. Laboratories complement the workshops by giving students time to practice and apply that knowledge under the guidance of a teaching assistant, using materials that have been collaboratively created with your criminal law professor. Both the workshops and laboratories seek to explicitly and plainly facilitate the development of cognitive skills and metacognitive processes by having students actively engage in a variety of learning activities.
What Are They? The workshops are one-hour in duration and held intermittently throughout the summer, prior to the weekly lab. ARC teaching assistants will then lead two-hour weekly laboratories and are responsible for using the class-specific materials to build skills such as reading and briefing cases, outlining, engaging in effective legal analysis, and exam writing. TAs work closely with professors to ensure that the materials covered in the labs adequately reflect the faculty member’s expectations, develop practice exams and sample answers, and provide feedback to the faculty about how students are doing in their class. However, the labs are not review sessions – the focus of the labs is skills development. The labs focus on the critical skills necessary to ensure success throughout law school. Teaching assistants attend class, hold weekly office hours, and are available to work with students on an individual basis. Neither the workshops nor the labs are mandatory.
When Are the Labs Scheduled? How Do I State My Lab Preference? Labs are typically held before or after your regularly scheduled criminal law class. You will receive a link to a survey shortly after Spring Visit Day. Please note that you are not registering, but merely stating a preference for labs for scheduling purposes. Preference is given on a first come, first served basis. However, as you will see on the survey, if you have a reason why you can’t attend one workshop or lab over another, we will take that into consideration. You must select your preferences before 5 p.m. on June 3rd. That following week, assignments will be determined and you will receive an email containing the details of your lab registration, including your Teaching Assistant, time and location of your lab. If you do not complete the survey, you will be arbitrarily assigned to a laboratory.
If you have any questions regarding the workshops or labs, please contact Assistant Director Brendon Taga at .
Other Important Notes
Campus Card
All students are required to have a Campus Card. This card provides students with a convenient form of identification that allows access to a variety of university systems and services with one card. You can use the card for the following: ID verification, library checkout, meal plans, late hour building access, Connolly Center access, snack and beverage machines, copiers, and the bookstore. The Campus Card Office is located in Room 309 of the Engineering Building and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will hold a carding event on the Court Level of the Law School on Tuesday, June 12 between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. If you are unable to attend the carding event, you may go to the Campus Card Office.
Part-Time Evening Students Only
On Wednesday, June 13th, students who are enrolling in our part-time evening program are invited to attend a voluntary orientation program designed specifically for our part-time students. You will hear from currently enrolled evening students who will share their experiences and some survival tips. In addition we will provide dinner so that you can have a chance to meet your classmates. There will also be a key note speaker. The event will take place on the Second Floor of the Law School and will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.