Orientation
The Office for Law Student Affairs hosts a four-day orientation every fall to welcome the incoming JD students. Orientation is held one week before the beginning of the fall semester. During orientation, students will have the opportunity to take an oath of professionalism, get to know their classmates and professors, take part in introductory doctrinal and Legal Writing and Research sessions, and hear from various law school and USD representatives about how they can get involved in the USD Law and USD campus communities.
Graduate and International Programs hosts a two-hour orientation each fall and spring to welcome the incoming LLM and MS candidates. The orientation is typically held approximately one week before classes begin for the semester. Representatives from the Law School Registrar, the Office for Law Student Affairs, Financial Aid, Career and Professional Development and the Office of Clinical Education will be present to familiarize the candidates with the resources available through USD and the School of Law.
The orientation also is an excellent opportunity to meet the other incoming LLM and MS candidates as well as the staff of the Graduate and International Programs office who will work with you throughout your degree program.
Additional Information for LLM in Comparative Law Candidates
In addition to the two-hour orientation, LLM in Comparative Law candidates are required to attend an Introduction to U.S. Legal Education Workshop. The workshop is designed to provide international attorneys with the foundational skills needed to begin their study of law in the United States. The workshop typically lasts four to five days beginning approximately one week before classes start for the semester. This workshop is mandatory for all LLM in Comparative Law candidates.
During the workshop, LLM in Comparative Law candidates will begin their two required courses: Introduction to U.S. Law and Legal Writing and Researchfor LLM in Comparative Law Candidates. The workshop will include coverage of special topics such as "Sources of Law, Federal and State Court Structure and Stare Decisis," "Anatomy of a Case: How to Read, Analyze and Brief a Case," and "Demystifying the Socratic Method." The workshop typically also includes a visit to a local court to meet with a judge and view trials.