Welcome to Vanderbilt Law School!
Student Orientation Week marks the start of your legal education at Vanderbilt. Your first law class, The Life of the Law, will introduce you to some foundational concepts that you will encounter throughout your legal education (and beyond). You will also learn about extracurricular opportunities that will allow you both to gain legal experience and to connect with peers, including public interest work, externships, student organizations, and the annual Moot Court and Mock Trial competitions.
As a lawyer, you will assume an important responsibility: upholding the rule of law, the foundation of a just and equitable society. Volunteer service to under-represented individuals and groups is an excellent way to learn about the social and ethical responsibilities inherent to the legal profession. I encourage you to sign the Pro Bono Pledge to work at least 25 hours each year in the public interest.
We are deeply committed to your safety, welfare, and flourishing at the Law School, and I ask you to join us in taking care of one another and supporting all of our community members.
I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming months.
Sincere regards,
Chris Guthrie
Dean and John Wade-Kent Syverud Professor of Law
Please visit our Health and Safety Protocols website for updates regarding Vanderbilt COVID policies.
Schedules subject to change, please check back prior to beginning of Orientation.
Student Survey: Preferred Name, Pronouns, Dietary Requests
Students wishing to ensure their preferred name and pronouns are added to their nametag should complete this form.
I'll Take You There: Exploring Nashville's Social Justice Sites
Sunday, August 14th 10am - 11am
In conjunction with volunteers from the rising 2L and 3L classes, the Law Students for Social Justice Organization, the George Barrett Social Justice Program and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community are coordinating optional student-led tours during the week of orientation for incoming students. The tours will be based off the guidebook I’ll Take You There: Exploring Nashville’s Social Justice Sites, which all incoming students will receive a copy of, courtesy of Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Community Yesha Yadav. The book provides historical background and context to many frequently-trafficked sites in Nashville and also highlights lesser-known places with histories of significance in struggles for racial and social justice in the city.
All incoming students will get a copy of I'll Take You There on Monday during check in, courtesy of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community. Students attending the walking tours will get their books on Sunday prior to the tour.
The Public Interest Office invites all incoming JD students to attend the Public Service Orientation on Sunday, August 14. This optional event will take place from 1:30-3:00pm at the law school. The agenda for the event can be found here .
The Public Service Orientation is designed to expose you to the public service tenets of the legal profession and to allow you to speak in small breakout sessions with attorneys and faculty members representing a diverse array of practice areas who devote all or part of their professional lives to pro bono service. Most of these attorneys are Vanderbilt Law clinical faculty or alums. All are eager to speak with incoming Vanderbilt students about their legal work and ways for students to become involved.
If you are interested in participating in the Public Service Orientation, please register here with your contact information and preferences for the breakout sessions. Each participating student will be assigned to a breakout session led by one of the attorneys or faculty members listed in the attached agenda. Please register no later than Wednesday, August 10.
If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to contact the Public Interest Program Coordinator, Erin Parr-Carranza.
Smart Borrowing Strategies Handout
Loan Repayment Planning Worksheet
PSLF Limited Waiver Opportunity
Loan Summary Instructions - StudentAid.gov
Smart Borrowing PowerPoint Presentation
Release of Academic Information and Policy Form - Available August 15, 2022
Order your required course materials: You can find them at the
Vanderbilt Bookstore.
Students can pick up books in person or have them delivered to their home address.
Find Your Way - Need help finding a room in the law school? Watch our Tour the Bulidng video or visit the helpful floor plans.
Vanderbilt Law School IT Support - reachable by phone: 615-343-9999, email, or live chat
Student Support Resources - Life does not stop while you are in law school. We can connect students with a wide variety of support resources, whether you are just looking for some stress-reduction help or are experiencing a major life trauma, illness, substance abuse, or mental health event.
Inclusion Support Resources - Both Vanderbilt Law School and Vanderbilt University view learning within a diverse student body as an essential component of our educational and co-curricular goals. As a means of supporting this foundational philosophy, Vanderbilt offers a broad array of resources supporting our diverse academic community.
International Students
- All F-1/J-1 students are required to complete the International Student & Scholar Services mandatory Maintenance of Status and Employment Session and SEVIS Check In.
ONEelevate is a highly selective leadership training program for Vanderbilt 1L’s. Students will be selected based on demonstrated leadership potential as well as lived experience overcoming adversity (i.e. underrepresented law student, first generation to attend college, or other significant life challenges).
Application closed for 2022 - 2023 cohort.
Email questions to vls.student.affairs@vanderbilt.edu.
Students will not need any textbook for the few two days of Life of the Law. Information will be provided on Brightspace prior to Orientation. Students will need their Legal Writing textbook for class on Thursday, August 18th and Friday, August 19th. You will also have required reading prior to Legal Writing.
Please check your fall schedule to ensure you know which Legal Writing section you are in. Each section has different room assignments during the Legal Writing sessions of Orientation. We recommend printing or taking a screen shot of your Life of the Law - Legal Writing schedule below. As a reminder, required readings and textbooks will be necessary for Legal Writing on Thursday, August 18th and Friday, August 19th.
