8/22/2023

Last week, Delaware Law welcomed 244 new full- and part-time JD students to campus for Orientation. Hailing from across the country and abroad, they have various academic and professional backgrounds. The entering class is 29% diverse with 84% of the class identifying as a first-generation law student. Orientation week included instruction designed to help students achieve success in law school. Topics included case briefing essentials, effective time management, note-taking and outlining tips, and how to approach law school assessments and bar exam preparation. The program also included important sessions on wellness, student resources, and tools to build cultural competence, sensitivity, and humility as new legal professionals.

New Law School Dean and Professor of Law, Todd J. Clark, kicked off the week with welcoming remarks in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom. Dean Clark reflected on the significance of beginning his journey at the Law School alongside this incoming class.

With teamwork and student success at the core of his message, Dean Clark told incoming students:

“Everybody in this building is your teammate. The people in this room are your teammates. I am your teammate. Your professors will be your teammates. We will be a family, we will work together, we will struggle together, we will grow together, we will learn together, we will be great together, we will pass the bar [exam] the first time together. We will accomplish great things together.”

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor, Alice Eakin, also addressed students and congratulated them on pursuing such a meaningful career path.

“As a lawyer, you will have a lot of power to do a lot of good. You are going to be the champions for your clients, their protectors, the people giving them guidance. You are going to help them through some of the hardest times of their lives and also some of the most exciting and wonderful times of their lives. I’d wager that a number of you will go on to be judges and legislators, as well. And so [you will] not only impact individual lives but [also] the community and potentially the nation as well,” said Dean Eakin.

New students wrapped up the week with a community event focused on fun and relaxation. Students enjoyed food trucks, lawn games, and comradery with peers, faculty, and staff. Student Bar Association representatives and other student organization leaders also joined in the fun to answer questions and provide campus tours.

Delaware Law is delighted to welcome our new students, and we wish them success during this upcoming semester and beyond!