Happy Back to School! This year is a whole new ballgame and orientation was the kick off.
My school does a 3 day orientation program the first week of school, followed by 2 days of classes. I’m happy we don’t have a full week like some schools and that it doesn’t start on like a Thursday and we kinda just jump right in, but I digress lets talk all about orientation and my first week of law school!
Day One
The first day was kind of a general overview of law school and the several resources, programs and people available to us over the next three years and the rest of our careers. It was great to hear from the Dean who is a fabulous lady and I am very excited to get to work with her and learn from her over the next few years.
We got to meet some our other Deans and Professors throughout the day during different the programming offered. We met Career Services, the Clinic Professor and another Professor who teaches yoga Wednesday nights in the hallway to decompress from the craziness.
We also had a scavenger hunt around the law school that I personally didn’t want to do bc we had just eaten and I was full but it was kinda fun to go around meeting staff and faculty who are SOO helpful and get to know the building in a different way than just walking the halls in the middle of the day.
The best part was the catered food I have to say. Lol, no but it was delicious. The best part was getting to put a face to a name after talking to my classmates in a GroupMe for the last few weeks. I met some cool people and am excited to get to know them more. I got to meet the people in all and the majority of my classes and am starting to pick up on who I can see as a study buddy and friend in the coming weeks so that was a plus too!
Day Two
Our second day of orientation was an early one and a long one at that. W had a mini class at 8:15 on The Civil Litigation Process and another one at 10 on How to Brief a Case. The professors we had during this class are not our professors for the semester so it was nice to get to know other teachers and see their teaching styles for future semesters. I loved the two I had and have started to build a little friendship with one, which in law school is SO SO SO important.
After the classes we were given a bagged lunch and we boarded busses to the Federal courthouse, the Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse. We had two sessions there with a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and two attorneys, a Federal Public Defender and an attorney in the District Attorneys office.
The courthouse is gorgeous and hearing stories and what these people do and how they got there was inspiring. It was a great way to kick off our legal careers. We also were dressed in suits this day so it helped make us feel professional and like true lawyers.
After the courthouse visit we had a little break before our dinner with advisors, Deans and professors so I went home to refresh and change into a business dress.
Dinner was catered at a reception hall downtown that was gorgeous and the food was really good. We were seated in our advising groups and got to meet the faculty member who’s going to help guide us over the next few years. I loved mine, he is such a sweet, kind, knowledgeably man and loves music and traveling so we had a blast.
After dinner we all went home and called it a night since Wednesday was gonna be another early morning.
Day Three
Our final day of orientation began much like the second day. We had another session of each class in the morning and then after lunch we had a student organization fair and a presentation on Light as a Metaphor for Culture by a professor before closing remarks. Then we were off to begin the next chapter of our lives.
Week One Recap
Since Orientation was Monday – Wednesday our first day of class was Thursday so after orientation ended Wednesday afternoon I changed and met up in the library with a few friends to get our reading for our first class done.
Once I finished I headed home since I was exhausted. Thursday morning I couldn’t sleep so I woke up extra early (4:30 am – I know I’m crazy) and got a workout in before cooking and eating breakfast and getting ready for school. I got to the library around 7:15 and it was so nice to be one of the first people there.
I was able to get most of my reading for my second class done before Contracts I at 9 am and got to have a good time joking and hanging out with my friends before class.
Contracts was a great class, the professor I have wrote the textbook so you know he is so knowledgeable and also he is fun and not too tough on you right off the bat. I want to go into transactional, business law so I am very excited for this class.
After contracts I had a large break so I finished up my reading for my next class before we had a lunch presentation on how to use Lexis Nexis, a website that is a research database for law students and lawyers.
Thursdays typically are my long days, with 4 classes with minimal breaks so most weeks wont be that easy breezy but it was nice to have time to get some fun and laughs in.
At 2:30 I had Civil Procedure I so we went in and I immediately fell in love with my teacher. She is the sweetest, most hilarious old woman and she was the first professor or Dean to get my last name right so that only endeared me to her more.
After Civ Pro I would usually have a fourth class but it was also cancelled so I called it a day and went home to relax for a few hours.
Thursday nights my school has a law school social called Rump Court (most law schools call it Bar Review). Our first one started at 7:30 to have a chance to meet and greet with out mentors before being with everyone at 9 for Rump Court.
Luckily I already knew and am friends with my mentor but it was fun meeting older students and everyone of my friends mentors and talking to them.
We went to the second bar where Rump Court was being held around 9:30 and stayed there till midnight just having a good time. It was just what we needed after a long week.
I wasn’t tired until like midnight oddly, considering I had been up since 4:30 but eventually it caught up to me and I ubered home around 12:15.
Friday I only have one class at 10 so I slept in and got to school around 9:15 and it was glorious.
Our Friday class is Lawyering and Professionalism, a seminar on how to be good working lawyers. The professor is the former Dean of the College of Law and he is so cool and I’m excited for his class.
Once it was over I called it a day and a friend and I went to our apartment complex pool with a bottle of wine to unwind from the week. We stayed there until 4 when it was about to pour and after a nap and shower I watched tv until I went to sleep.
Saturday we had an event for the whole law school, professors, and Deans called Benchmark and I went with my friends for a little before we grabbed dinner at a bar while watching the UM v UF game and then we bar hopped and danced all night. It was such a fun way to celebrate officially getting through our first week.
Overall this past week has been stressful, hectic, long and overwhelming but so much fun. I love almost everyone I have met and now that I know I have a solid group of friends in my class and in the 3L class I’m ready to take on my first year of law school!
If there are any specific law school posts you want me to write or any comments/questions be sure to leave them down below or message me on Instagram @kaylaaamorann. Thanks for reading!
xo Kayla