Dear Incoming GW Law Student,
Welcome to GW Law! We are thrilled you have chosen to become a member of The George Washington University Law School community. We are thinking about you as the summer hits full swing, eagerly anticipating your arrival, and planning for Orientation and beyond. We want to ensure your transition to the law school is as smooth as possible. You can find information about Orientation on the GW Law Orientation website. Over the summer, we will send you additional messages and update the site as information becomes available, including an Incoming Transfer Student Information website.
Note, that this email is a lengthy one, please be certain to read it carefully and save it for future reference.
Who Are We?
The Dean of Students Office is the initial point of contact for a variety of student issues and can assist with things like academic advising, disability support services, class recordings, and student wellness. In addition, we plan Orientation for incoming students to ensure you get acclimated to the GW Law community and hit the ground running!
Transfer Student Information
By way of reminder, be certain to review the Transfer Student Information available on the Admitted Student Portal. The portal contains a range of helpful resources pertinent to your enrollment as a transfer student, including information about transfer of credit, registration dates, journals, the Career Center, etc. As mentioned above, more and specific information will be forthcoming but this is an excellent starting point.
Orientation Schedule
As an incoming transfer student, Orientation events will occur in two parts. The first, a virtual session will be held on Wednesday, August 7, and an in-person session on Wednesday, August 14. More information is forthcoming but you should plan to be available from 10 AM - 3 PM on August 7 and 10 AM - 2 PM on August 14. Lunch will be provided on August 14. Orientation for incoming first-year students will be the week of August 12. Incoming transfer students are welcome and encouraged to attend any additional Orientation events your schedule permits.
The Student Bar Association (SBA)
The SBA will sponsor evening activities for incoming students throughout the week of August 12. A detailed Orientation schedule will be posted on the Orientation website in early August. The SBA is working to create a Facebook group and a GroupMe chat. As soon as these are available we’ll get them to you so you can stay up-to-date with announcements and events while getting to know your future classmates!
Your GW Identity and Account Activation: (DUE: ASAP)
Your GW identity is a collection of elements that uniquely identifies you as a member of the GW community. If you still need to do so, please activate/claim your GW identity as soon as possible. Please refer to the GW Account Activation for New Users for step-by-step guidance on how to claim your account. You will receive both GW and GW Law email accounts as part of the identity-claiming process. These accounts use the same username and password. To access your GW Law email account, log in at https://mail.google.com/a/law.gwu.edu. Note that your law school email account will be created only once you have claimed your UserID. If you are not able to locate the account activation email, please contact GW IT at ithelp@gwu.edu or call 202-994-4948 for assistance. Finally, once you have claimed your UserID, please wait at least 24 hours before trying to access the health portal or submitting forms to register with DSS for accommodations.
Law and Undergraduate Transcript Requirement: (DUE: ASAP)
If you elect to enroll at GW Law and have not already done so, please have your current law school send a final official law transcript that includes all Spring 2024 law grades (and Summer 2024 grades, if applicable). In addition, we require an undergraduate transcript (with bachelor’s degree notation).
Official law transcripts can be submitted electronically to inatGW@law.gwu.edu via a transcript electronic service (recommended). If an electronic option is not available, official transcripts can be mailed directly to the Admissions Office:
The George Washington University Law School
JD Admissions Office
700 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Recognizing that transfer students may have pending credit for coursework at their original institution due to summer courses, the deadline for submitting a complete, final official transcript from your prior institution, is October 15, 2024. A complete, final official transcript must be submitted to finalize your Admissions file and to ensure all qualifying credits transfer. If your official transcripts are not received, a registration hold will be placed on your account.
Resume Submission: (DUE: ASAP)
Please complete and submit the Incoming Transfer Student Resume Form. Responses will be used to compile the entire class profile for faculty so they have a better sense of the transfer cohort.
Immunization Requirement: (DUE: ASAP)
All matriculating students who will be under the age of 26 as of July 1, 2024, must submit their immunization records directly to Student Health Services. Once you receive access to your GW email address, you will be able to access the portal (please see above on activating your GW Identity). Please note that although the Student Health Center website shows the deadline as June 15, as an incoming law student, your deadline has been extended to July 15.
Mandatory GW SHIP Enrollment (Waiver due September 12, 2024)
All law students will be automatically enrolled in the GW Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for 2024-2025. If you have other acceptable coverage you must waive by September 12, 2024, at University Health Plans. Please note the waiver form will be available in mid-July.
Registration for Accommodations (ASAP, but no later than November 15)
GW Law Academic Rules and Policies
All law school rules and policies, including degree requirements, courses of instruction, and other university regulations are located in the GW Law School Bulletin. We update this document each summer, but you should familiarize yourself with this information as you will refer to it often during your time at GW Law. You may also want to review the Dean of Students Academic & Course Advising website which offers an abbreviated version of graduation requirements and a checklist for academic progress specific to transfer students.
More to Come!
Please be on the lookout as we will be in touch throughout the summer with additional information. Please let us know if you have any questions. We cannot wait to meet you
all in August!
The Dean of Students Office
deanofstudents@law.gwu.edu
