Dear First Name,
We hope this message finds you well! As promised, we are writing with important dates and information essential to joining the GW Law community. We know there are a lot of things for you to keep track of, so we created this checklist with all the tasks we've set for you and the associated deadlines. As the summer progresses, we will add items to the list as information becomes available. In the meantime, please take note of the events below and include them on your calendar as appropriate.
Orientation
A detailed Orientation schedule will be posted on the Orientation website during the week of August 3. In the interim, please note the following important dates:
Wednesday, August 5 – Transfer Orientation Part 1 - Virtual Session
This virtual program is designed to introduce transfer students to the GW Law community from wherever you are currently located. The program will consist of two sessions covering a variety of topics, including an academic advising overview of planning your program, addressing graduation requirements, curricular and co-curricular offerings, available resources, and Q&A for all of the above. More information, including the Zoom link, will be sent closer to the event.
Monday, August 10 – Transfer Credit Memos
Transfer Credit Memos (TCMs) will be sent out to all incoming students whose official transcript was received from their previous institutions by July 31. This memo will indicate the number of credits transferring to the GW Law transcript and will show which, if any, course(s) a student must take.
The required first-year curriculum at GW Law includes the following courses: Contracts, Torts, Property, Legislation and Regulation, Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law I, and Fundamentals of Lawyering I and II. A transfer student who has not completed one or more of these courses at their prior law school must complete any required course the first time the class is offered for the student’s program. You will not need to match courses credit-for-credit. Rather, you must have obtained more than half of the credits required at GW Law. For example, GW Law requires four credits for Contracts. If your original law school required only three credits of Contracts, you will nevertheless be deemed to have satisfied our requirement for Contracts.
Before receiving your TCM, we encourage you to use this time to become familiar with the extensive course listing GW Law has to offer and to begin to plan a coherent academic program for your time at the Law School. The Law Bulletin contains course descriptions, and you may find the Bulletin and the information for the Fall 2026 Semester on the Records Office web page.
Wednesday, August 12 – Transfer Orientation Part 2 - In-Person Session
Check-in for this session will open at 9:30 AM. One-on-one advising by faculty, program directors, and administrators will be held from 10 AM to 12 PM, followed by lunch. Our meet-and-greet-style lunch will be a great opportunity to meet and greet other incoming students.
The advising session will provide an opportunity for one-on-one guidance regarding upper-level requirements, course selection, and a balanced academic program specifically tailored to the needs of each student. Though advising is not required, this session is offered by the Dean of Students Office specifically for incoming transfer students, and participation is strongly encouraged. Representatives from offices and programs that will be critical to your experience here (e.g., Records, Field Placement, and the various concentration programs) will be available for “one-stop” advising. Should you choose not to attend, you may attend general “first-come, first-served” advising sessions offered to all GW Law students during the “Add/Drop” period. The Add/Drop period is the time at the outset of the semester when a law student may add or drop a course or courses from their schedule without a required signature from the Dean of Students Office.
Wednesday, August 12 – Online Registration Opens
Registration for incoming transfer students via the GWeb Information System. GWeb is the system that allows students to access online services, including registration. GWeb is currently closed for registration transactions and is scheduled to open on August 12. You can register remotely at that time. Information for law students on accessing GWeb and how to register using GWeb can be found on the Records Office GWeb page. Note that registration for students transferring into GW Law is the beginning of the Law School’s Add/Drop period for the Fall 2026 semester and runs through Monday, August 31.
Thursday, August 13 – Monday, August 17 – Journal Competition
GW Law’s student journals will conduct a write-on competition for transfer students beginning Thursday, August 13, at 9 AM EDT and ending Monday, August 17, at 9 AM EDT. Competitors will have the ability to rank participating journals to be considered for membership. More information on the journal competition is forthcoming. Please direct any questions you may have to gwjournalcompetition@law.gwu.edu.
Monday, August 17 - Classes Begin for Incoming First-Years
IMPORTANT! Any incoming transfer needing to satisfy the first-year curriculum requirements of Contracts (6202), Torts (6206), or Civil Procedure (6212) should note this is the first day of class(es) for these courses.
Monday, August 24 - Classes Begin for Upper-Level Courses
Any incoming transfer needing to satisfy the first-year curriculum requirements of Property (6208), Legislation & Regulation (6209), or Constitutional Law I (6214)(Federal Systems) should note this is the first day of class(es) for these courses. [Criminal Law (6210) is only offered in spring semesters.]
The Dean of Students Office
