First Week Information and Schedule for
Fall 2011 Incoming Students
Questions About:
» Financial Aid: contact Tom Stuart at (785) 670-2770.
» Residency: contact Karla Whitaker at (785) 670-1706.
Resources
- Admitted Student Checklist
- Fall 2011 Complete Course Schedule
- See also First Year Course Schedules, below
- New Student Forum
- Financial Aid Disbursement Dates
- First Year Curriculum
- Academic Calendar
- Laptop Computer Specifications
- Policies Governing Computer Use and Information Technology Services Resources
- Housing:
- Washburn University: Campus safety & security, health services, campus attractions.
- Topeka Convention & Visitors Bureau for upcoming events, attractions.
- Current weather forecast
- Topeka news: Topeka Capital-Journal, WIBW-TV, KSNT-TV, KTKA-TV
Map to the Law School
On this page:
- Important: First Week Assignment and Expert Learning Program
- First Week Theme: Professionalism in the Law
Students should begin thinking about professionalism early in their careers. In preparation for the August 18 luncheon keynote address by The Honorable Lee A. Johnson, Kansas Supreme Court, students should read the following article: Professionalism: It's no joke by Charles E. McCallum (Business Law Today, Volume 16, Number 3 (January/February 2007)). - Financial Aid
- First Week Check-in
- First Week Overview
- Section Assignments
- Enrollment
- Official Undergraduate Transcript
- Tentative Schedule of Activities
- Washburn Law Alumni Association 1L Student and Family Picnic
- First Year Class Schedules
- Textbooks
- Optional Leisure Reading
- Tuition
- Health Insurance
- School of Law Directory
Washburn Law's First Week Program helps our students become accustomed to the study of law in a supportive, introductory environment. During this week, students begin their law school careers by meeting daily in one of their regular first year classes (i.e., Torts or Contracts) with the professor who teaches that course. Students also meet in small study groups and attend a number of social activities to become better acclimated to life at Washburn Law.
Financial Aid: See the Financial Aid section of the Admitted Student Checklist, Fall 2011 Entering Class
First Week Check-in: To prepare for the first day of classes (see below), incoming students are expected to check-in on Monday morning, August 15, 2011, between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Please enter the law school through the north doors; the Check-In process begins outside Robinson Courtroom. At check-in:
- You will receive your First Week materials and section assignment.
- You will receive a Washburn Law t-shirt.
- Your photograph will be taken for the Washburn University School of Law Directory.
A representative from the Financial Aid Office will be available to answer questions and address concerns.
After check-in you will be free until the welcome and opening session on Monday at 10 a.m. in the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center.
First Week Overview: The first week of classes for students starting at Washburn University School of Law for the Fall 2011 semester begins Monday, August 15, 2011. The schedule for the first week has been modified to accommodate extended work in Torts or Contracts class, scheduled group projects for the class, and required informational sessions. In the interest of planning, you should prepare yourself for full days.
First full day of classes and regular class schedules begin Monday, August 22, 2011.
Section Assignments: You will be assigned to one of two sections immediately prior to the start of classes. You will be notified of your specific assignment during check-in.
Enrollment: Law school staff will formally enroll all first year students prior to arrival on August 15, 2011. No Fall 2011 pre-enrollment steps need to be taken by incoming students.
Official Undergraduate Transcript: The accreditation standards of the American Bar Association require that an official copy of your final undergraduate transcript, demonstrating that you have received your Bachelors Degree, be on file at your law school. The transcript must be official and sent directly from the institution in which you graduated to: Washburn University School of Law, Admissions Office, 1700 SW College Ave., Topeka, KS 66621. Please note: copies of transcripts provided to LSDAS, for admissions purposes, do not fulfill this requirement.
Tentative Schedule of First Week Activities (updated 8/12/2011): Following is the schedule of classes and activities for first-year law students during their initial week at Washburn Law. While modifications may occur to this schedule, note that Torts and Contracts classes meet Monday through Friday.
Monday, August 15
8:00-10:00 a.m.
1L Check-In - Please enter the law school through the north doors; the check-in process begins outside Robinson Courtroom.
- Incoming first-year law students may check-in at any time during this period to receive section assignments, book lists, a Washburn Law t-shirt, and registration packet.
- Students will have their Washburn Law directory photos taken during check-in.
- Breakfast of donuts and juice provided courtesy of Phi Alpha Delta (PAD).
- Tom Stuart, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, will be available to answer questions in Room 106.
- Students may purchase textbooks after check in and receiving their section assignment (Memorial Union, Washburn Bookstore, lower level southeast corner).
Please note that after you receive your section assignment, it is important to obtain your textbooks on August 15 or soon after, whether through the Washburn University Bookstore or another source. Do not wait until the last minute; although the Bookstore generally carries sufficient copies, it does not guarantee this.
10:30-11:15 a.m.
- Section A: Introduction of Class (Dean Thomas J. Romig) Room 102
- Section B: The Honor Code and Professionalism in Law School (Aïda Alaka, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs) - Room 114
11:15 a.m.-Noon
- Section A: The Honor Code and Professionalism in Law School (Aïda Alaka, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs) Room 102
- Section B: Introduction of Class (Dean Thomas J. Romig) Room 114
Noon1:00 p.m.
Boxed lunches provided - Pick up lunches in Room 100
- Student Organization Fair: Learn about student groups and other organizations by visiting information tables - First Floor Commons
1:003:00 p.m.
- Section A: Torts Class (Professor Rory Bahadur) Room 102
- Section B: Contracts Class (Professor Michael Schwartz) Room 114
3:15 5:00 p.m.
Structured Study Group Meetings (various locations around the law school: your study group leader will guide you)
Tuesday, August 16
8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Optional meeting with Alumni Services and Advancement Offices - First Floor Commons
9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
- Section A: Torts Class (Professor Bahadur) Room 102
- Section B: Contracts Class (Professor Schwartz) Room 114
11:15-11:45 a.m.
- Section A: Time to Talk: An Open Discussion about Diversity in the Legal Profession (Ms. Shanelle Dupree, Diversity Coordinator) Room 102
- Section B: Kansas Lawyer's Assistance Program (Ms. Anne McDonald, Executive Director) Room 114
11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- Section A: Kansas Lawyer's Assistance Program (Ms. Anne McDonald, Executive Director) Room 102
- Section B: Time to Talk: An Open Discussion about Diversity in the Legal Profession (Ms. Shanelle Dupree, Diversity Coordinator) Room 114
12:15-1:45 p.m.
- Working Lunch: Boxed lunches provided Pick up lunches in Room 100
- Structured Study Group Meetings (various locations around the law school: your study group leader will guide you)
Please note that no food is allowed in the library or courtroom.
- Structured Study Group Meetings (various locations around the law school: your study group leader will guide you)
2:00-4:15 p.m.
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Tour and Presentation (1515 SE Monroe, Topeka, Kansas)
- 2:00: Students board buses in north parking lot.
- 2:15-2:25: Welcome and Site Orientation.
- 2:30-3:15:
» Group One members meet in Auditorium for Presentation (see below)
» Group Two members tour site on their own - 3:20-4:05:
» Group Two members meet in Auditorium for Presentation
» Group One members tour site on their own - 4:15: Buses depart back to law school.
- Presentation: "Washburn University School of Law and Brown v. Board of Education," by Mr. Charles Scott, Jr.
- Mr. Scott's grandfather and father were graduates of Washburn Law and each worked to end segregation in Kansas. Mr. Scott's father was one of the filing attorneys in the original Brown case, while Mr. Scott himself was an attorney in the Brown III case.
- Site Historian Thom Rosenblum will also be available to assist Mr. Scott and answer questions during the afternoon. Mr. Rosenblum is writing a book on the Scott family lawyers.
- See the Summer 2004 issue of Washburn Lawyer for more information about Washburn Law graduates involved in the Brown case.
Wednesday, August 17
Please wear your Washburn Law t-shirt on Wednesday for the class photo (t-shirt distributed at Monday check-in).
8:30-10:15 a.m.
- Section A: Torts Class (Professor Bahadur) Room 102
- Section B: Library and Computer Survival Tips (Mr. Andrew Evans, J.D., and Mr. Glen McBeth, J.D.) and Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing Program Overview (Professors Tonya Kowalski, Jeffrey Jackson, Joe Mastrosimone, and Emily Grant) - Room 114
10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Location: Andrew J. & Georgia Neese Gray Theatre
(East of Bradbury Thompson and south of White Concert Hall)
- Character and Fitness & the Bar Exam (Ms. Carol Green, Clerk of the Appellate Courts of Kansas)
- Pro Bono and Alumni Mentor Programs and Career Development (Ms. Margann Bennett, J.D., Director of Professional Development and Pro Bono)
Noon - 12:15 p.m.
Wear your Washburn Law t-shirt!
Location: Memorial Union, North Steps
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Lunch and Free Time
- Optional Student Lunch and Panel Discussion sponsored by Phi Alpha Delta (PAD)
"What I Know Now that I Wish I'd Known Then" - Room 114
1:30-3:15 p.m.
- Section A: Library and Computer Survival Tips (Mr. Andrew Evans, J.D., and Mr. Glen McBeth, J.D.) and Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing Program Overview (Professors Tonya Kowalski, Jeffrey Jackson, Joe Mastrosimone, and Emily Grant) - Room 102
- Section B: Contracts Class (Professor Schwartz) Room 114
3:305:00 p.m.
Law Library Tours; Westlaw Registration
- Westlaw Registration
(Section A; Section B is Thursday afternoon), Law Library Computer Lab, 2nd Floor- 3:30-4:00 p.m.: Section A1
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Section A2
- 4:30-5:00 p.m.: Section A3
- Law Library Tours
Meet at Law Library Reference Desk- 3:30-4:00 p.m.: Section B1
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Section B2
- 4:30-5:00 p.m.: Section B3
Thursday, August 18
9:0011:00 a.m.
- Section A: Torts Class (Professor Bahadur) Room 102
- Section B: Contracts Class (Professor Schwartz) Room 114
11:30 12:45 p.m.
Welcome Lunch and Keynote Address - Memorial Union, Washburn Room A and B
Menu: Grilled fajita steak, chicken, or vegetarian burritos; pinto beans with green chiles; cilantro lime rice; tossed salad; tortilla chips with queso; apple pie.
- Welcome by Dean Thomas Romig
Ms. Karla Whitaker, Director of Admissions
Mr. Vladimir Viaud, WSBA President - Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Lee A. Johnson, Kansas Supreme Court, "Stewardship and Professionalism in the Study and Practice of Law"
- Administration of Professionalism Oath
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Structured Study Group Meetings (various locations around the law school: your study group leader will guide you)
3:00 5:00 p.m.
Law Library Tours; LexisNexis and Westlaw Registration
- LexisNexis Registration (Thursday only)
Room 100 — Please bring your laptop- 3:00-3:30 p.m.: Section A1 & B1
- 3:30-4:00 p.m.: Section A2 & B2
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Section A3 & B3
- Westlaw Registration (Section B)
Law Library Computer Lab, 2nd Floor- 3:00-3:30 p.m.: Section B3
- 3:30-4:00 p.m.: Section B1
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Section B2
- Law Library Tours (3:00-4:30 p.m.)
Meet at Law Library Reference Desk- 3:00-3:30 p.m.: Section A3
- 3:30-4:00 p.m.: Section A1
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Section A2
Friday, August 19
8:30-9:00 a.m.
Optional Breakfast with the Centers for Excellence and Law Clinic - First Floor Commons
Section A Room 102:
- 9:00-9:30 a.m.
- Keeping it Together: Your Money and Your Life
» Mr. Tom Stuart, Asst. Director of Financial Aid
» Ms. Marilynn Koelliker, Director of University Counseling Services
» Ms. Jamie Shehi, Psychologist, Counseling Services
- Keeping it Together: Your Money and Your Life
- 9:30-11:30 a.m.
- Torts Class (Professor Bahadur)
Section B - Room 114:
- 9:00-11:00 a.m.
- Contracts Class (Professor Schwartz)
- 11:00-11:30 a.m.
- Keeping it Together: Your Money and Your Life
» Mr. Tom Stuart, Asst. Director of Financial Aid
» Ms. Marilynn Koelliker, Director of University Counseling Services
» Ms. Jamie Shehi, Psychologist, Counseling Services
- Keeping it Together: Your Money and Your Life
Close of Formal First Week Program - Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center
- 11:45 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
- Introduction of Keynote Speaker (Dean Thomas Romig)
- Keynote Speaker: Professor James Concannon, "A Brief History of Washburn University School of Law"
Lunch and afternoon on your own.
Attending Law School as a Family:
Information Session for Students, Spouses, & Significant Others
Children welcome!
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Room 102
- Welcome by: Aïda Alaka, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Jalen Lowry, Associate Dean for Student Affairs
- Panel Discussion with:
- Professor David Pierce, '77, and Ms. Martha Pierce
- Ms. Shanelle Dupree, '07, and Mr. Mark Dupree, '07
- Mr. Sean Bartholick (3L) and Ms. Nani Bartholick
5:00-5:30 p.m.
- Law School Tours for Families by Student Ambassadors Mr. Eloy Gallegos and Mr. William Patterson
6:00-8:00 p.m.
1L Students and Family Picnic with Washburn Law Faculty, Staff, and Alumni
Reynolds Lodge, 3315 SW Tinman Circle, Lake Shawnee, Topeka
- Sponsored by the Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association. See Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association Picnic.
Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21
Unscheduled Days
Monday, August 22
Regular class schedule begins
Washburn Law Alumni Association 1L Student and Family Picnic: The Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association invites you, your spouse and/or significant other, and children to a casual, relaxing picnic and get-together on Friday, August 19. Board members from the Washburn University School of Law Alumni Association and law school faculty and staff will help you celebrate the end of your first week at Washburn Law.
Friday, August 19, 2011
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Reynolds Lodge, Lake Shawnee, Topeka
Lake Shawnee map.
Directions from the law school to Lake Shawnee (see map below):
- Allow 20 minutes driving time.
- Take SW MacVicar Avenue south to SW 21st Street.
- Turn left (east) and travel 2.0 miles to SE Adams Street.
- Turn right (south) and travel 1.0 mile to SE 29th Street.
- Turn left (east) and travel 3.0 miles to Croco Road (go past SE California Avenue; please use caution at 29th and California around the road construction).
- Turn right (south) and travel .6 miles to SE East Edge Road (watch for large wooden Lake Shawnee sign).
- Turn right (west) on SE East Edge.
- Go past the first Tinman Circle street sign (follow sign pointing toward Recreation Building).
- Turn right at the second Tinman Circle sign. Reynolds Lodge is the first shelterhouse on your left (3315 SE Tinman Circle) past the Recreation Building.
Class Schedules: Upon arrival to Washburn Law, first year students are assigned to a section, either A or B. Class schedules for each section are as follows (see also complete Fall 2011 class schedule):
| Section A | Section B |
|---|---|
| Torts Prof. Bahadur Monday, Wednesday: 8:00-9:15 a.m. Friday: 1:00-1:50 p.m. Room 102 |
Torts (B1) Prof. Glashausser Monday, Friday: 10:00-11:50 a.m. Room 100 OR Torts (B2) Prof. Glashausser Monday, Friday: 1:00-2:50 p.m. Room 100 |
| Criminal Law (A1) Prof. Maxwell Monday, Wednesday: 1:00-2:15 p.m. Room 120 OR Criminal Law (A2) Prof. Maxwell Monday, Wednesday: 2:30-3:45 p.m. Room 120 |
Criminal Law (B) Prof. Kaye Tuesday, Thursday: 1:00-2:15 p.m. Room 102 |
| Property Prof. Pierce Tueday, Thursday: 8:00-8:50 a.m. Friday: 9:30-10:20 a.m. Room 102 |
Property Prof. Janet Jackson Monday, Wednesday: 3:00-4:15 p.m. Room 102 |
| Contracts I Prof. Schwartz Monday, Wednesday: 10:30-11:45 a.m. Room 114 |
Contracts I Prof. Schwartz Monday, Wednesday: 8:00-9:15 a.m. Room 114 |
|
Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (A1) Prof. Kowalski Tuesday, Thursday: 2:00-3:15 p.m. Room 150 OR Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (A2) Prof. Mastrosimone Tuesday, Thursday: 2:00-3:15 p.m Room 119 OR Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (A3) Prof. Grant Tuesday, Thursday: 2:00-3:15 p.m Room 120 |
Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (B1) Prof. Kowalski Tuesday, Thursday: 10:30-11:45 a.m. Room 150 OR Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (B2) Prof. Jeffrey Jackson Tuesday, Thursday: 10:30-11:45 a.m. Room 100 OR Legal Analysis, Research & Writing I (B3) Prof. Grant Tuesday, Thursday: 10:30-11:45 a.m. Room 120 |
Textbooks: Section assignments affect textbook purchases. Final section assignments will not be made until just before August 15, 2011. Please do not purchase textbooks prior to checking in at Washburn Law on August 15.
Optional Leisure Reading: We have identified several books related to adjusting to law school. You may find these interesting to read during your leisure time. Links to more information at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and publisher websites are provided. Again, these are not mandatory readings.
- A. General
- Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success by Ruta K. Stropus and Charlotte D. Taylor (2001) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Reading Like a Lawyer: Time-Saving Strategies for Reading Law Like an Expert by Ruth Ann McKinney. (Carolina Academic Press, 2005) (CAP website)
- B. How to Think About Studying Law
- Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law by Kenney F. Hegland (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- A Student's Guide to Legal Analysis by Patrick M. McFadden (2001) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- C. How to Adjust Academically
- 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School by Andrew J. McClurg (2009) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble | West)
- The Law School Survival Guide (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Acing Your First Year of Law School by Shana Connell Noyes and Henry S. Noyes (1999) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Starting Off Right in Law School by Carolyn J. Nygren (1997) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Law School Without Fear by Helene Shapo and Marshall Shapo. 2nd ed. (2002) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- 1000 Days to the Bar by Dennis J. Tonsing (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- D. How to Do Well On Exams
- How to Study Law and Take Law Exams by Ann M. Burkhart and Robert A. Stein (1996) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- How To Do Your Best on Law School Exams by John Delaney (1993) (Amazon.com)
- Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams by Richard Michael Fischl and Jeremy Paul (1999) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
Tuition: Tuition rates for the 2011-2012 academic year are:
- $574 - Resident
- $896 - Non-resident
In addition, there is a $35 per semester student activity fee.
See Tuition and Other Costs to Attend Washburn Law for more information (based on 2010-2011 data). Payment deadline for Fall 2011 tuition and fees is September 2, 2011 (see the Washburn University website for more information about payment of tuition and fees).
Health Insurance: A Blanket Accident and Sickness Insurance plan is available to Washburn students. To learn more, see Student Health Services and Health Insurance Coverage.
Washburn University School of Law Directory: The Washburn Student Bar Association sponsors and publishes a directory of students, faculty, and staff at the beginning of each academic year. Photographs taken for the directory are also used to provide faculty with course rosters for their classes.
During check-in on Monday, August 15, 2011, we will take your photograph and ask you to provide/verify your address, phone number, hometown, and verify your undergraduate institution.
The directory is available in two formats: print, and electronically through a password protected area of the Washburn Law website (your login/password will be distributed during the first week). One copy of the print Directory is distributed to each student, faculty, and staff member at Washburn Law. Access to the electronic version of the Directory is limited to students, faculty, and staff at Washburn Law.
Although the information collected above is used to produce the Directory and by Washburn Law personnel in order serve you better during the school year, we recognize that you may not want to share some of this information outside the law school staff. When you provide your Directory information you may indicate your desire to not have one or more of the following items printed in the Directory and displayed in the electronic version:
- Your photograph
- Your local address
- Your local phone number
- Your hometown
- Your undergraduate institution
The print Directory should be available for distribution the second week of September. Questions about the Directory may be directed to Martin Wisneski at martin.wisneski [at] washburn.edu.
