Each year, incoming students take part in a week-long orientation consisting of classes, events, panels and lunches to help acclimate them to their new home at Alabama Law. This gives new students the opportunity to get to know faculty members and each other and to learn about the resources that Alabama Law has to offer so they come into their first day of law school with confidence.
Schedule
During orientation, students will take a one-credit-hour class, Introduction to the Study of Law. This includes a one-hour pass/fail exam available during the weekend following orientation. Please refer to the “Introduction to the Study of Law Exam” tab for more information. Students will receive an orientation schedule and any required reading/assignments for the class from their professor in July.
The Law School will be serving lunches during orientation. Students with any dietary restrictions should email the Law School Event Planner, Cindy Rice, at crice@law.ua.edu by Friday, July 25, with their name, dietary restriction(s) and that they are an incoming 1L attending orientation.
Monday, August 11: Welcome to Alabama Law!
All sessions will meet in the McMillan Lecture Hall (Rm. 187/188) unless otherwise indicated.
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Arrive, pick up materials & t-shirt, and proceed to the McMillan Lecture Hall (Rm. 187/188)
Please park in the west parking lot off 2nd Avenue (across from Coleman Coliseum) and enter through the Head Foyer entrance. Pick up your orientation materials inside.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Welcome from the Dean
Bill Brewbaker, Dean and Professor of Law
9:30 – 9:50 a.m.
Welcome from the Admissions Office and Student Orientation Committee
Claude Arrington, Associate Dean for Admissions
Olivia Pahl, Monroe Clayton, Malea Benjamin and Thomas Whatley, Orientation Committee
9:50 – 10:00 a.m.
Class of 2028 Photo – Front Steps of Law School
10:00 a.m.
Break
10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Introduction to the Study of Law
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. A255
Cameron Fogle, Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 273
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 283
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
Rm. A250
Joel Nichols, Vice Dean and Professor of Law
Rm. A225
12:10 p.m.
Break
12:20 – 1:20 p.m.
Lunch with 2Ls & 3Ls (Taziki's Mediterranean Café)
Pick up your lunch in the Student Commons then proceed to the table indicated inside your orientation folder.
1:20 p.m.
Break
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Alabama Law 101
Grace Lee, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:40 – 3:40 p.m.
Wellness Resources Panel and Comprehensive Advising Program Overview
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
3:40 – 4:10 p.m.
Camp UA
Olivia Pahl, Monroe Clayton, Malea Benjamin and Thomas Whatley, Orientation Committee
Tuesday, August 12: Cultivating a Lifelong Commitment to Service
Wear your Public Interest Institute t-shirt!
All sessions will meet in the McMillan Lecture Hall (Rm. 187/188) unless otherwise indicated.
8:15 – 9:00 a.m.
[Optional] SBA Coffee Bar – Head Foyer
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
[Optional] Law School Tours – Head Foyer
Take a tour of the Law School with an Admissions Ambassador. Tours will begin in the Head Foyer.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Welcome from the Student Bar Association
Madeline Martin, SBA President
Olivia Pahl, Monroe Clayton, Malea Benjamin and Thomas Whatley, Orientation Committee
9:30 a.m.
Break
9:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Introduction to the Study of Law
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. A255
Cameron Fogle, Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 273
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 283
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
Rm. A250
Joel Nichols, Vice Dean and Professor of Law
Rm. A225
12:10 p.m.
Break & Grab Lunch (Urban Cookhouse) – Student Commons
Pick up your lunch in the Student Commons.
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
Academic Success Panel
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
1:20 p.m.
Break
1:30 – 1:40 p.m.
Experiential Learning at Alabama Law
Jeff Baker, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction
1:50 – 2:20 p.m.
Introduction to the Public Interest Institute and Group Photo
Cassandra Adams, Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
2:20 p.m.
Break
2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Bounds Law Library Overview
Jennifer Mart-Rice, Associate Dean of Legal Information Services and Associate Professor of Law in Residence
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Breakout Rooms
Join other students to participate in activities of your choice:
- Board Games – Rm. 172
- Arts & Crafts – Rm. 175
- Trivia – Rm. A250
- Outdoor Games – Law School Back Lawn
Wednesday, August 13: School Pride Day
Show your school pride by wearing your undergraduate school colors!
All sessions will meet in the McMillan Lecture Hall (Rm. 187/188) unless otherwise indicated.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Introduction to Faculty and Administration
Bill Brewbaker, Dean and Professor of Law
9:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Student Wellness Panel
Olivia Pahl, Monroe Clayton, Malea Benjamin and Thomas Whatley, Orientation Committee
10:00 a.m.
Break
10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Introduction to the Study of Law
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. A255
Cameron Fogle, Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 273
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 283
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
Rm. A250
Joel Nichols, Vice Dean and Professor of Law
Rm. A225
12:10 p.m.
Break
12:20 – 1:20 p.m.
Lunch with Faculty Advisors (McAlister's Deli)
Pick up your lunch in the Student Commons then proceed to the room indicated inside your orientation folder.
1:20 p.m.
Break
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
1L Professor Panel
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Heather Elliott, John J. Sparkman Chair of Law
Russell Gold, Frank M. Bainbridge-Walter L. Mims Professor of Law
Ben McMichael, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Interdisciplinary Legal Studies
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:40 – 3:10 p.m.
Introduction to the Career Services Office
Megan Walsh, Assistant Dean of Career Services
3:10 – 3:40 p.m.
Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. Courthouse & EJI Legacy Museum Preview
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
3:40 p.m.
Break
3:50 – 5:30 p.m.
Backyard BBQ – Alex W. Newton Courtyard, Head Foyer and Student Commons
Thursday, August 14: Montgomery Visit
The first-year class will travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to visit the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama and the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum. No pictures are allowed inside the Courthouse or museum. Phones will not be allowed inside the Courthouse and should be on silent for the museum. All students will need a government-issued identification card to enter the Courthouse.
7:00 a.m.
Arrive at the Law School
Please check-in outside the Head Foyer then grab some breakfast.
7:15 a.m.
Begin Boarding Buses
7:30 a.m.
Depart for Montgomery
9:45 a.m.
Arrive at the Frank M. Johnson Jr. U.S. Courthouse Complex for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
One Church Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
9:45 – 10:00 a.m.
Enter through Courthouse security
No photos or phones are allowed in the Courthouse.
10:00 – 11:15 a.m.
Presentation & Remarks
Chief Judge Emily C. Marks (Class of 1998), U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
11:15 a.m.
Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch and Roundtable Discussions
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Return to Buses and Travel to the EJI Legacy Museum
400 North Court Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Legacy Museum Visit
Please remember to silence your phones and refrain from taking photos.
3:00 p.m.
Return to Buses
3:15 p.m.
Depart for Tuscaloosa
5:30 p.m.
Arrive at the Law School
101 Paul Bryant Drive East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Friday, August 15
All sessions will meet in the McMillan Lecture Hall (Rm. 187/188) unless otherwise indicated.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Alabama Law Honor Code and Honor Council
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
9:30 a.m.
Break
9:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Introduction to the Study of Law
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. A255
Cameron Fogle, Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 273
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 283
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
Rm. A250
Joel Nichols, Vice Dean and Professor of Law
Rm. A225
12:10 – 12:30 p.m.
Break & Grab Lunch (Broadway Pizza) – Student Commons
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
Building Community Panel
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
1:20 p.m.
Break
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Strengthening Community
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:40 – 3:00 p.m.
Orientation Wrap-Up
Olivia Pahl, Monroe Clayton, Malea Benjamin and Thomas Whatley, Orientation Committee
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Exam Software Overview
Jeb Richter, Director of Law School Information Technology
3:30 p.m.
Break
3:40 – 4:30 p.m.
Introduction to the Study of Law Review Session
Kimberly Boone, Director of Legal Writing & Moot Court Programs and Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. A255
Cameron Fogle, Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 273
Anita Kay Head, Assistant Dean for Students and Associate Professor of Legal Writing
Rm. 283
Anil Mujumdar, Assistant Dean for Leadership & Professional Identity and Assistant Professor of Law in Residence
Rm. A250
Joel Nichols, Vice Dean and Professor of Law
Rm. A225
Introduction to the Study of Law Exam
The exam period will open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, and completed exams must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 17. The exam must be completed within the prescribed time limit in order to receive a Pass grade.
The exam may be completed from any location with a computer and a stable internet connection. However, the Law School will have rooms reserved for students to take exams and will make IT support available during designated times within the exam window. Students are encouraged, but not required, to complete the exam at the Law School during these designated times in case they experience tech or other issues. Further details regarding the exam will be provided during the review session on Friday, August 15.
Key Post-Orientation Dates to Remember
Monday, August 18
9:15 a.m.
Friday, August 22
2:00 p.m.
Alabama State Bar Presentation – Bedsole Moot Court Room
Karen Laneaux, Alabama State Bar Admissions Director
Saturday, August 23
2:00 p.m.
SBA Battle of the Gavel – Alex W. Newton Courtyard, Law School Back Lawn
Thank you to our 2025 1L Orientation Sponsors!
We are grateful to our community for supporting various sessions and providing door prizes that are given away by the Student Bar Association throughout orientation. Sponsors will be announced at orientation.
Visit Alabama Credit Union at one of their Tuscaloosa locations or online at alabamacu.com.
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