Law School Orientation

Looking Ahead to Orientation

We are very excited to see you in person this year for 1L Orientation as well as in-person 2L and 3L Re-Orientation sessions this Fall. All Orientations are currently scheduled to be in person and live as we return to in-person classes and operations for Fall 2021. We will update you here and by email if anything changes. 

Orientations for each class are currently scheduled as follows:

  • Full-time 1Ls – August 9-11th 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
  • Part-time 1Ls – August 9-10th 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, and the evening of August 12th
  • Full-time 2Ls – August 20th 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
  • Part-time 2Ls – January 21, 2022 5:30 PM-8:30 PM
  • All 3Ls (Full or Part-time) – August 27th 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
  • LL.M. and M.Jur. Orientations are planned by Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, Shannon Sevier (ssevier@stmarytx.edu). The Orientation schedule is as follows:
    • M.Jur. – August 9th 8:00 AM-2:00 PM and August 10th 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
    • LL.M. – August 9th 8:00 AM-2:00 PM and August 11th 6:30 PM-8:00 PM

Please scroll down to find orientation schedules for your class and information about pre-orientation assessments.

Incoming 1L Students

Congratulations & Welcome to st. Mary’s School of Law!

The St. Mary’s School of Law 2021 Orientation Program is presented by the Office of Law Success and the Office of Admissions.

The August 2021 J.D. Orientation program will introduce you to St. Mary’s Law, your classmates, some of the faculty, and the legal profession. Orientation involves mandatory programming across several days as well as many optional social events and faculty presentations.

We look forward to welcoming you as a new member of our community in August!

Full-time first year J.D. students should plan to participate in approximately three full days of mandatory programming that will take place over the course of Monday, August 9th through Wednesday, August 11th.

Part-time first year J.D. students should plan to spend approximately two full days of mandatory programming on Monday, August 9th and Tuesday, August 10th, as well as a few hours of programming the evening of Thursday, August 12th.

1L Full-time Orientation Schedule
1L Part-time Orientation Schedule

Returning 2L & 3L Students

Welcome Back!

The St. Mary’s School of Law 2021 and 2022 Re-Orientation Program is presented by the Office of Law Success.

The 2021 and 2022 J.D. Re-Orientation programs will cover important information to know for your 2L and 3L year, course planning, the bar exam, and will also include breakout sessions to work on key skills for law school or the bar exam. Orientation involves mandatory programming across three hours and a pre-orientation assessment. Attendance at 2L and 3L Orientation is key to your success at St. Mary’s and is beneficial to your academic and professional development. Failure to attend will result in the placement of  a registration hold.

We look forward to welcoming you back in August!

Full-time second year J.D. students should plan to participate in approximately three hours of mandatory programming that will take place Friday, August 20, 2021. You should also plan to complete the Pre-2L Orientation Assessment, which will take approximately 4.5 hours of your time. The Assessment will open for you on July 19, 2021 and will close on Sunday, August, 22, 2021.

Part-time second year J.D. students  should plan to participate in approximately three hours of mandatory programming that will take place Friday, January 21, 2022. You should also plan to complete the Pre-2L Orientation Assessment, which will take approximately 4.5 hours of your time. The Assessment will open for you on December 15, 2021 and will close on Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Full- and Part-time third year J.D. students should plan to participate in approximately three hours of mandatory programming that will take place Friday, August 27, 2021. If you are a Part-time student that has already attended 3L orientation you do not need to attend a second time. You should also plan to complete the Pre-3L Orientation Assessment, which will take approximately 3 hours of your time. The Assessment will open for you on July 19, 2021 and will close on Sunday, August, 22, 2021.

2L Full-time Orientation Schedule
3L Full-and-Part-time Orientation Schedule
2L Part-time Orientation Schedule

Questions about orientation or the pre-orientation assessment? Contact Arturo Zapata, the Law Success Coordinator, at azapata2@stmarytx.edu or at 210-431-4340.

Arturo Zapata

Law Success Coordinator

Visit the Law School's Website

Learn more about the Law School campus, support offices, and upcoming events on the Law School’s webpage at St. Mary’s School of Law – San Antonio, TX (law.stmarytx.edu).

Pre-Orientation Academic Assessments

As part of Orientation, the School of Law administers an academic assessment to all 1L, 2L, and 3L students. The 1L and 2L assessments are created by Kaplan.  The 3L Assessment is created in Adaptibar.  These assessments are given at many other law schools around the country.  You will receive an individualized report with your assessment results so that you can identify strengths and weaknesses in key law school skills and skills necessary for the bar exam.

The Pre-Orientation Academic Assessment takes approximately 4.5 hours to complete for 1Ls and 2Ls, and 3 hours to complete for 3Ls. These assessments are taken entirely online at your convenience within the designated testing timeframe.  You received an email from the Assistant Dean of Law Success with specific instructions on how to access and take your pre-orientation assessment.  This email will help you as you seek to take the assessment.

Important assessment dates are as follows:

  • Pre-1L Assessment opens by July 19, 2021 and must be completed by Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 11:59 PM.
  • Pre-2L Assessment opens July 19, 2021 and must be completed by Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 11:59 PM.
  • Pre-3L Assessment opens July 19, 2021 and must be completed by Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 11:59 PM.

Please note these assessments are mandatory and must be completed by the deadline. If you do not complete the Assessment by this deadline, you may incur certain penalties such as additional obligations and a registration hold on your account.

More importantly, these assessments are invaluable tools for you if taken seriously.  These assessments will provide you valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses as you seek to develop your skills for law school, the bar exam, and the practice of law.