“You are about to join a profession that many, including myself, believe provides a cornerstone for the stability of this country and actually much of the world,” said Thomas Jefferson School of Law President and Dean Thomas Guernsey on Monday, January 5, 2015 as he welcomed TJSL’s incoming students during the Week One orientation program. “You have made one of the most important decisions in your life. You’ve chosen to become a lawyer, to take on a role and a set of responsibilities that will truly change you forever.”
Before law school classes begin, TJSL’s Week One program helps prepare students for the demands of law school by introducing basic law school skills. The mandatory Week One program helps bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and the demanding reading, analysis and writing required in law school.
“We have admitted a group of students who we believe are going to work hard, study hard, take their obligation to the profession seriously and graduate and distinguish themselves,” said Dean Guernsey.
During the Week One program, students participate in group sessions to learn strategies for approaching their coursework. These sessions are led by TJSL professors who are knowledgeable about what it takes to succeed in law school. Students learn how to read case law and write case briefs and how to prepare for law school exams.
“I believe that this law school community here consists of a group of people who take their obligation very seriously,” said Dean Guernsey. “We have a faculty that I believe is as good as any in the country, and we strive to maintain an excellent faculty and we continue to work to make Thomas Jefferson School of Law a dynamic, strong, close-knit intellectual community that delivers a superb legal education.”
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda Keller, Director of Admissions Tim Spearman, and Associate Director of Admissions Michelle Allison-Slaughter also welcomed and provided additional information to TJSL’s incoming students.