Your First Two Weeks at Law School
Welcome to U of T Law! We are thrilled that you are joining us in August 2024.
The first step towards having a great law school experience is ensuring that you have a smooth and successful transition into the law school community. This starts during the summer, ramps up during the first two weeks of our official Orientation (August 19 – August 30), and continues throughout your first term.
Our 1L Orientation is designed to give you an introduction to the three main components of your law school experience: Academics, Student Life - Resources and Supports, and Social Activities. All students must register for orientation using their UTMail+ address (your @mail.utoronto.ca email address) via the orientation registration form that was emailed to you on July 17, 2024. If you have not already done so, please complete your registration by the end of day on July 23, 2024.
Our goal for orientation is to make sure that you have a solid general sense of the institution and community you are joining, how things work, and where to ask questions, before you start the school year in September. 1L Orientation will also create space for you to get to know each other and start to build your law school community.
Please note: the schedule, below, will be updated regularly. The schedule below gives you an idea of what the two weeks will look like, but various events may be moved, adapted, or cut from the final schedule. Please refer back to the schedule regularly with the most up-to-date room and location information.
2024 Orientation Schedule
Food & Refreshments
The morning of August 19 will also feature a continental breakfast and coffee/tea. Lunch will be provided on August 19 and on August 23, with light snacks and refreshments available during the afternoons on most days throughout orientation, as indicated on the schedule. Please plan accordingly. Please ensure you indicate any dietary needs you may have on the orientation registration form.
Costs
The orientation sign-up and social events are free of charge, except for the Toronto Blue Jays Game which costs $15 per ticket. Tickets will be available for purchase on August 19.
Social Events at Orientation
Led by upper-year student coordinators and volunteers, our social orientation events provide a range of fun and inclusive opportunities for students to get to know each other. This year's social activities will include snacks after Legal Methods classes, a Toronto Blue Jays game, a trip to Trinity Bellwoods Park, BINGO, a trivia night, and more! Social events during orientation will provide opportunities to make new friends and start to build your law school community.
For more information about student-led social activities, see below. All events are in person.
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BLUE JAYS BINGO |
Location: Rowell Room |
| TORONTO BLUE JAYS GAME Thursday, August 22nd 7:00pm |
Location: (additional cost of $15 per ticket) |
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AMAZING RACE |
Location: Race begins at the Law School Atrium |
| TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK DAY Saturday, August 24th 11:00am-4:00pm |
Location: Meet at Trinity Bellwoods, breakout activities will be stationed all over the city (more details to be provided closer to the event) |
| TRIVIA! brought to you by Baker McKenzie LLP Tuesday, August 27th 2:30-4:00pm |
Location: J250 |
| SCOTIABANK PRESENTS GAMES NIGHT Wednesday, August 28th 2:30 - 6:30pm |
Location: Rowell Room & Atrium |
| EVENING SEMI-FORMAL MIXER Friday, August 30th 7:00-11:00pm |
Location: Peter Triantos Art Gallery (21 Avenue Road) |
Orientation - Day 1 Agenda
8:00am - 9:00am - Event check-in - Flavelle House and Jackman Entrances (78 Queens Park)
Complimentary continental breakfast available
9:00am - 10:30am - Opening and Welcome Program, Moot Court Room (J250)
Traditional Indigenous Opening & Welcome From:
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Jerome Poon-Ting, JD Admissions
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Brittany Twiss, Assistant Dean, JD Program
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Sara-Marni Hubbard, Director, Student Programs
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Sako Khederlarian, Manager, Student Programs
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Sara Faherty, Assistant Dean, Office of the Associate Dean
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Ada Maxwell-Alleyne, Assistant Dean Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity
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Jutta Brunnée, Dean, University Professor and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair
10:30am – 11:30 am - Law School Tours (throughout Law school)
11:30 am – 12:00 pm - Break Out Groups (throughout law school)
12:00pm – 1:00pm - Lunch (Atrium)
1:00pm – 3:00pm - Legal Methods - First Class
3:00pm – 4:00pm - After Class Snacks (Atrium)
Our Supporters
We are incredibly grateful to our supporters for their contributions toward the 1L Orientation.
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Academic
The Legal Methods intensive course is designed to give you a thorough introduction to the way we study the law BEFORE you start your substantive law classes in September. Legal Methods classes are mandatory and run Monday – Thursday from August 19, 2024 – August 29, 2024 with a final exam on Friday, August 30, 2024.
Student Life - Resources and Supports
We want you to make the most out of being a law student at UofT. To support you in doing so, we offer you lots of important student-focused services. At the central university these include: athletic centres, accessibility services, health and wellness, equity offices, and the multi-faith centre.
At the Faculty of Law, we also offer our students dedicated staff and resources in the areas of: financial aid, career services, academic support, academic accommodations and mental health and wellness. Our amazing team of student services staff are very happy to answer your questions. Before you arrive, get to know who does what.
Did you know...
UofT Law introduced Legal Methods to our orientation just 7 years ago. We are one of several internationally ranked law schools to offer an immersive academic orientation, along with the National University of Singapore and Columbia Law School.