Students check in near the reception area on day one of orientation.

Faculty and staff applaud students as they walk into the Auditorium. This annual tradition is known as the clap-in.

Dean of Students Brandi Welch welcomes students.

Students walk out of the Green Lounge, a focal gathering place within the Law School building.

Students grab a boxed lunch between sessions.

Students get to know each other as they enjoy meals together in the Green Lounge.

The Law School hosted a resource fair that featured a variety of Law School and campus partners.

Students and their families connect at the “Parent and Partner 101” session, a new (optional) offering this year.

Students share a laugh as they walk through the Green Lounge.

Students attend a “Law School 101” session facilitated by three upper-level students.

Orientation leaders welcome students and distribute Law School swag.

An orientation leader leads a tour of the D’Angelo Law Library.

Students take a tour of the journals office. The Law School has four student-edited journals: the Chicago Journal of International Law, the University of Chicago Business Law Review, the University of Chicago Law Review, and the University of Chicago Legal Forum.

Students enjoy a quick pause between sessions.

The Law School’s Dean of Students team (left to right): Jesse Landstrom, senior associate director of advising and wellness programs; Brandi Welch, dean of students; Lana Ammari, associate director of student affairs; Candace Mui, associate director for student affairs and programs; and José Luis Rodríguez, senior associate director of student affairs & diversity and inclusion.

Students browse the Glass Menagerie, the Law School’s printed photo directory that is updated each year.

Professor Douglas Baird presents a session to students.

Students mingle with peers and faculty at the entering students reception right before dinner.

A student chats with Professor Saul Levmore at the reception.

Students share a moment with Professor Emily Buss.

Professor Jennifer Nou delivers the keynote for the entering students dinner.

Students share a toast at the Entering Students Dinner, a favorite annual Law School tradition.

The historic Laird Bell Quadrangle buzzed last week as 199 new students filled its halls for Orientation. The weeklong program featured a variety of community-building events intertwined with a series of sessions and workshops introducing incoming students to the Law School.

Day one kicked off with the annual “clap-in,” a celebratory tradition in which faculty and staff applaud the new students as they file into the rows of maroon seats of the Law School auditorium, taking their place as official new members of the community. Following the applause was a welcome address from Dean Thomas J. Miles. Dean of Students Brandi Welch also welcomed the students.

Among the traditional orientation offerings were also a few additions. For example, Welch presented an optional “Parent and Partner 101” session, which catered to students who are in relationships and/or are parents. Students who wished to bring their children to the session were welcome to do so, and many did.

“While there may be just one individual attending class, it is often the case that the entire family goes to law school,” explained Welch. “It is important, both for the wellness of the student and for the wellness of all partners and children involved, for the family to have an accurate picture of the coming years for both the student and the family. It’s also a wonderful time for students in similar situations to get to know one another.”

Welch also facilitated a “Professionalism” session where she discussed norms of professionalisms at the Law School and reviewed character and fitness to practice law requirements.

In addition, Welch, along with Senior Associate Director of Advising and Wellness Programs Jesse Landstrom, led a session called “Thriving in Law School,” where they talked about what really makes lawyers and law students happy (according to research), and how students can purposefully shape their time at UChicago Law to truly thrive.

There was also a resource fair where students got to meet a number of Law School departments and University campus partners, including the D’Angelo Law Library, UChicago Dining, UChicago Wellness and Health Insurance, Financial Aid, and Athletics, to name a few.

“Generative AI, Law School, and the Legal Profession” was another new session of this year’s lineup, presented by Deputy Dean and Professor William Hubbard.

Other events from the week included a boat cruise dinner on the Chicago River, an improv session, a free expression workshop, a pledge of professionalism, a first legal research and writing class, and of course, building tours and community breakfasts and lunches in the Green Lounge, a focal gathering place that sits in the heart of the building.

Concluding the week was the entering students reception and dinner, another well-loved and long-standing tradition of the Law School. This year Professor Jennifer Nou gave the keynote in a speech titled: “Don’t ‘Think Like a Lawyer’ (Too Much).”

“It was a joy to get to know our incoming students!” said Welch at the end of the week. “The vibe in the class is incredibly collegial and they are all so excited to get started. Each of them comes from an impressive background. I can’t wait to see what they’re doing to do with their time at our school.”

Photos by Lloyd DeGrane