Getting Ready to Start

You may want to get a head start on your law studies this summer.  While understandable, it will be difficult for you to engage yourself in actual course material.  Your summer is probably better focusing on the following:

• Organize Your Life. Make sure your living situation is settled.  Get your budget and finances in order.  Enlist the aid of your support network.  Develop a routine.  Simply everything that can be made simple.
• Enjoy Life. Spend time doing the things you love with the people you love.  You’ll have precious little time for either once law school begins, so overdose on it ahead of time.
• Get Physically Prepared. Attend to your medical appointments.  Establish an exercise routine.  Get plenty of rest.  Life will become extremely busy and law school will quickly consume you.  Making sure you’re in good health and having an outlet for stress to give some time away from your studies will make a huge difference.
• Gather the Information you will need for registering with and applying to the Bar. You’ll be grateful that you did it before classes begin.
• Set up your NSU Identity Your life as an NSU Law student will require to you use various digital systems for email, financial aid, and registration, among other things.  To set up your NSU Identity, https://www.nova.edu/resources/nsuidentity.html.  Should you encounter problems, please contact the NSU Help Desk Support at 954.262.4357 or help@nova.edu.  As much as we’d love to help you, Admissions does not have the access or expertise with these systems and their access.

We have assembled a list of books, including novels that will engage you in legal issues or provide advice on success in law school and the legal profession.  Read a few at your leisure this summer.

Join the Facebook group for the entering class and begin meeting your future classmates and colleagues.  You can use the group to:

• Make new friends and reconnect with friends you didn’t know would be starting law school with you
• Share ideas and information and ask questions
• Organize activities and social events
• Find roommates, meet classmates who are realtors, get leads on good and affordable housing options.

When section placements are released in early July, you’ll likely form subgroups for each section to share information and create section pride. First-year students are pre-registered for classes and assigned to a designated section. Each section is broken down into smaller subsections for the Legal Research and Writing Classes.

• You must have all transcripts submitted to LSAC for inclusion in your Credential Assembly Service report.
• All transcripts must be complete, including updated transcripts reflecting grades for coursework completed since you submitted your application or prior transcripts to the Service.
• Transcripts from each institution from which you earned a degree must indicate the awarding of that degree.
• If your degree is being conferred upon completion of summer coursework, please contact the Office of Admissions well in advance for special instructions on completing this requirement.

Orientation will be held in person, in August and it is mandatory. You will receive more information in July.