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FALL 2008 1Ls -- WELCOME TO LAW SCHOOL
Now that you've been admitted, bookmark this page and check it regularly for information on events, registration, and tips on preparing for law school!
Information concerning Orientation, Legal Analysis, Student IDs, parking, etc. can be found in this book. Please contact us if you do not find the answer to your question here.
ORIENTATION
>2007 Orientation Schedule (2008 orientation schedule forthcoming)
1L ORIENTATION 2008
August 10, 2008
REGISTRATION
As soon as you return the required registration forms, your name is forwarded to the Law School Registrar for registration. Detailed instructions for viewing your billing statement and class schedule online will be forwarded to you via email. This information will enable you to purchase textbooks, view syllabi, and prepare for the start of classes in August. Registration will also trigger the financial aid disbursement process, enabling you to apply any financial aid you have been awarded to your university charges for the fall semester (any excess amount will be refunded to you at the beginning of the semester).
VISIT CAMPUS
If you are not able to join us for LawLawPalooza, please contact us and we'll find a time that is convenient for you to visit the law school. We can arrange for you to sit in on a class during the day or evening, appointments with financial aid, faculty, or a career counselor, and we'll have a current student show you around the facilities. Just contact us by phone at 405.208.5354
We want you to make an informed decision and we believe to do that, you really need to spend some time at our law school getting to know our students, faculty and community. So if you are traveling over 200 miles round trip, we'll assist with your travel costs.
We will provide you with a travel stipend up to $250 toward your airfare or mileage and lodging. To be eligible for the stipend you must:
- Schedule your visit in advance
- Visit between January 7th 2008 and July 1st 2008
- Travel more than 200 miles roundtrip
- Complete the reimbursement form and bring on the day of your visit
Sorry only one travel reimbursement per admitted student!
To reserve your seat as an incoming 1L, a seat deposit of $500 is due by the date listed on your acceptance letter.
*OCU LAW does not require a commitment until mid-April because we adhere to and support the LSAC Statement of Good Admission and Financial Aid Practices. These practices are designed to promote fairness and the highest standards of conduct among admissions professionals and law schools and specifically state that no law school should require an enrollment commitment of any kind, binding or non-binding, to an offer of admission or scholarship prior to April 1. If another law school has requested a deposit prior to April 1 that limits your ability to submit a deposit to OCU LAW, please notify the Assistant Dean for Admissions for options.
CANCELLATION NOTIFICATION
Because there are a limited number of seats for incoming law students, we ask that you submit a cancellation form immediately if you decide to postpone attendance or enroll at another institution. This will enable the law school to offer your seat to another qualified applicant.
DEFERRED ADMISSION
Admission offers are for the 2008-2009 academic year. Requests to defer admission to 2009 are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee. To petition for deferral, please send a letter (accepted via email) addressed to the Admissions Committee and explain your reasons for the request. Generally, deferment decisions are not made until after April 1.
OFFICIAL DEGREE TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENT
Although we received a copy of your transcript with your LSDAS report, as an admitted student, you must also arrange to have your undergraduate Registrar’s Office send an official transcript that clearly shows the date you received your bachelor’s degree directly to Oklahoma City University School of Law, Admissions Office, PO Box 61310, Oklahoma City, 73106-1310.
The first step to receiving financial assistance for law school is to complete a FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. We strongly advise completing the form no later than March 1 in order to expedite the receipt of an award letter and facilitate making an informed decision about where you will attend law school. Please use your 2007 tax returns to help you complete the application. The Title IV institutional code for OCU is 003166. If you have require assistance or counseling, please contact Jennifer Killman, Senior Loan Counselor at 405-208-5419 or lawfinaid@okcu.edu.
Please note: After June 1, all incoming students who have accepted loans must complete pre-loan entrance counseling located at: http://www.okcu.edu/financialaid/forms.asp (select Stafford Entrance Questionnaire).
SCHOLARSHIPS
Notification about scholarships is sent with your offer of admission. If you do not receive a scholarship as an incoming 1L, you may apply for a scholarship during the spring of your first year. Awards to returning students are based upon performance in law school.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS
If you have a disability that you believe may qualify for accommodation by the law school under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please prepare a statement outlining the nature of your disability and the accommodation that you believe would enable you to succeed. Click here for more information.
STATE BAR ADMISSION
Entering first-year students are strongly advised to communicate with bar admission agencies in all jurisdictions in which they may wish to practice law, in order to determine the requirements for admission to the bar of those jurisdictions. Some state bar licensing authorities require or permit law students to register as part of their licensing procedures.
Students are advised that most states require applicants to have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, to pass a written bar examination, and to demonstrate that they possess the requisite "moral character and fitness" to practice law. Any information that reflects adversely upon the character or fitness of an applicant, such as criminal proceedings, may be treated as cause for further investigation. Bar examiners in some jurisdictions also address mental health and chemical or psychological dependency matters.
Comprehensive information concerning bar admission requirements, including state-specific information and links to state bar examining agencies, is available at the National Conference of Bar Examiners. For students planning to apply to the Oklahoma bar, visit the Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners site. Links to these and many other bar-related sites are on the OCU LAW CONQUER THE BAR page.
OCU LAW Admitted Student Message Board
The OCU LAW Admitted Student Message Board is live! Check it out here: Message board. Meet other admitted students, find housing and roommates in OKC, learn about things to do in OKC, and be the first to get information about 1L Orientation. Click on the link above and click on the log-in link to create a new profile.
STUDENT ACCOUNTS / TUITION PAYMENTS
If you have questions concerning your student account or tuition payments, please visit the Student Accounts webpage. This page will provide you with information on how to log in to your account, how to qualify for "book bucks," financial aid refund dates, the application for direct deposit of your financial aid refund, and other important issues concerning tuition and your account. You can also contact the Student Accounts office by phone at (405) 208-5146.
PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Click here for information on how you can begin your professional and career development process this summer. The Professional and Career Development Center (PCDC) encourages incoming students to review the PCDC Student Information and Resource Guide located at www.okcu.edu/law/PCDC/students/policies.
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY TOBACCO POLICY
As part of a number of health initiatives being introduced at OCU, the tobacco policy on the OCU campus recently changed. The new policy states that no tobacco of any kind is permitted, inside or outside OCU buildings, anywhere on the OCU campus. Click here to read the policy and frequently asked questions.
$500 BOOK AWARD. Apply Now
The OCU LAW chapter of Phi Delta Phi offers one (1) $500 Book Award to an incoming first year law student. The non renewable scholarship is given to the selected student in the amount of five hundred dollars. ($500).
FALL CLASS SCHEDULES
Fall class schedules for incomding 1Ls will be forthcoming from the Office of Student Services.
The Sunset Schedule allows you to complete your J.D. in the same 3-year window, but instead of taking all classes during the day, your curriculum of required courses is offered in the afternoon and evening, Monday through Thursday (no Friday classes).
For more information about the Sunset Schedule and how to select this schedule, click here.
TEXTBOOKS AND SUGGESTED READING
Due to the unique nature of law study, principally the casebook method, law professors prefer that you wait until the days just prior to the beginning of the semester to begin reading for their classes. Therefore, class assignments are intentionally not posted until August, and there is no required reading until that time. However, if you are anxious to begin reading law school or law-related books, There are several excellent law-related books you can consider on our list of suggested reading*.
*This list is not required reading, nor do we suggest that you read every book on this list! But if you’re looking for books that will both prepare and perhaps motivate you about your future in the legal profession, please consider the suggestions.
HOUSING OPTIONS IN OKC
It is very important that you allow yourself enough time to relocate to Oklahoma City, find housing and get your personal affairs in order before you begin law school. For infomation about finding rentals or even a realtor, click here.
Beginning this year, admitted law students are eligible to receive a waiver of the GMAT requirement and will be considered for an MBA Scholarship from the Meinders School of Business (MSB). In addition, you no longer need to send a separate application to the Graduate School. Instead, complete the JD/MBA Interest Form and the law school will forward your law school application, a copy of your LSDAS, personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation to the Graduate Admissions Office for processing. For more information about the JD/MBA program, including pre-requisites, requirements, scholarships, coursework and the grading policy, click here.
ADVICE ABOUT LAW SCHOOL
Looking for some honest, sincere advice and information about how to prepare for law school, about life in Oklahoma City, about what to expect in terms of scheduling your time, where to live, etc, etc. Click here for bios, pictures, and contact information for OCU LAW's Senior Ambassadors. Add their screen names to your buddy list, email, or call them with your questions.
SUMMER
There are many things that you might choose to do over the summer to prepare for law school.
1) VOLUNTEER at a legal aid clinic, law firm, government office, or your local courthouse.
2) ATTEND CLASSES: Begin work on a joint JD/MBA degree. Enroll over the summer in business courses.
3) SAVE $ for law school.
4) TRAVEL- your time & funds will soon be limited!
5) READ! Get in the habit of reading every day. Choose materials that challenge your reading and comprehension skills. Consider reading books about law school.
6) RELAX!
7) Spend quality TIME with friends & family.
8) Visit your local courthouse and observe sessions.
INTRO TO ACADEMICS
For detailed descriptions of law school classes or more information about the required course curriculum, course descriptions, certificate programs, JD/MBA information, study abroad opportunities, or other academic standards or regulations, please visit the Academics and Student Services section of the web site.
LAW STUDENTS AT OCU LAW
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
Questions about the status of your deposit or deferring admission? Contact Ramona Freels, Admission Coordinator.
Questions about visiting? Contact Nikki Manos, Admissions Assistant.
Questions about the law school or OCU LAW? Contact a law student ambassador.
Other questions? Contact Heidi Puckett, Associate Director.
Access to our Admitted Student section is open to all visitors to the OCU LAW Web site.
Events are for those applicants admitted Fall 2008 unless otherwise specified. For information on the decision and review process, click here.
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