Welcome New Students to Law School Orientation

More than 200 new students – J.D., Transfer, LL.M., and J.S.D – attended Notre Dame Law School‘s orientation program last week. The program included a number of activities meant to introduce students to campus, their legal education, and the profession.

After specific programs for international students, NDLS activities began on Wednesday evening with a welcome from Dean Nell Jessup Newton and introduction to the profession from Judge Thomas Hardiman, who sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Immediately following, students and visitors attended the dean’s welcome reception at Club Naimoli at the Joyce Center.

“This is one of my favorite times of the year because everyone – 2Ls, 3Ls, faculty, and staff – benefits from the energy and fresh perspectives of new law students,” Newton said. “I very much look forward to welcoming them to our community.”

On Thursday, students attended a “What to Expect in Law School” presentation led by Professors Jeffrey Pojanowski and Mark McKenna and third-year students Lauren Nottoli and Maria Ruggirello. Nottoli is president of the Student Bar Association.

Official orientation programming will concluded on Friday with a long-standing tradition – service projects. Students spent the day volunteering at 13 local community organizations, including the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and YMCA.

Participating in the service projects has three main goals: introduce students to the South Bend/Mishawaka community and some service organizations here; provide time for students to get to know each other; and for students to understand they are entering a profession to help those in need of assistance.

“The service projects are an important tradition at Notre Dame Law School because they help students learn about the community around us,” said Nottoli. “Law school is a time where we as students find ourselves focusing on ourselves. It’s great to remember how big of a role we can play and how we can impact other people’s lives in a positive way.”

In collaboration with the Student Services Office, a number of student clubs participated in a student organization fair and potlucks during the first week of classes.

“We’ll be working diligently — with students and student organizations — to maximize the quality of our students’ academic and extracurricular experience,” said Peter Horvath, student services program director for Notre Dame Law School. “Our office is a resource for personal and academic questions that may arise. Working closely with other law school departments, the faculty, and student leadership, we’re focused on developing programs and policies that enrich and supplement our students’ experience.”

Welcome to NDLS!