Information for Incoming First-Year Law Students

Welcome to STU Law! First-Year Orientation is held every August prior to the beginning of the Fall Semester to introduce incoming students to the St. Thomas Law community and legal education. All first-year law students are required to attend Orientation.

Prior to Orientation, take advantage of our Introduction to Legal Studies Program (ILS).  ILS is a unique program to help you transition to law school. We encourage all incoming first-year law students to take advantage of this unique program and your time on our campus.

Below, you will find informational pages and documents to help you successfully navigate your first days at STU Law! Please contact the Admissions office 305-623-2310 or admitme@stu.edu if you have any questions.

Orientation Checklist

  1. Please review your respective class syllabi.
  2. Since many students like to know the important dates for the next school year, please take the time to review St. Thomas Law’s Academic Calendar.
  3. Financial Aid: If you have not already done so, complete the FAFSA, www.fafsa.ed.gov. St. Thomas University’s federal school code is: 001468. Instructions on “How to Apply” for financial aid can be found at: Financial Aid.
  4. Housing: On-campus housing is available on a first come basis. You may secure on-campus housing in Villanova Hall by contacting Dr. Roland Bullard at rbullard@stu.edu. For off-campus housing in Miami Lakes please contact Janille Silva of Graham Residential at 305.821.1138 or David Sao of Gleneagles Apartments at 305.362.3803.
  5. Transcripts: Have your official transcript, indicating your baccalaureate degree has been conferred, mailed to the Office of Admissions before you begin your fall semester. Students may not continue their studies beyond the first semester if the official transcript indicating the degree has been conferred is not received by the Office of Admissions October 5th.
  6. Medical History Report and Immunization Report: All students are required to show documentation of the following vaccinations:
    • Meningococcal Meningitis
    • Hepatitis B: proof of one of the following:
      • Immunization with three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine or Blood test data taken within the
      • month prior only showing the presence of the Hepatitis B antibody.
    • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunization: proof of the following:
      • Two doses of the MMR immunization or blood test data showing evidence of immunity taken within the last month.
    • A booster or Tetanus and Diphtheria (Td) taken within the last ten years.

    You may obtain these records from either your doctor, or your undergraduate program.
    Important: Students may not attend classes, or move into their residence halls until they comply with these health guidelines.

  7. Proof of Insurance: You have two opportunities to provide proof of insurance. Once you receive your student ID and PIN, you may present your insurance information on-line. You may also wait until orientation and provide the information in person. Providing proof of insurance is the only way to opt out of the school insurance plan. Student health forms are available here. Otherwise, you will be enrolled in the school insurance plan and the charge will appear on your tuition statement.
  8. You have a continuing obligation to update your application to St. Thomas University School of Law. Students who intend to practice law should be aware that in addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners at: http://www.ncbex.org/.
  9. Take the time to print out and bring a copy of the Orientation Material.

We look forward to seeing you for Orientation.

Accessing LexisNexis, Westlaw & Bloomberg Law

    • Your LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law registration code and registration instructions will be delivered to your STU email account on the first day of law school orientation. Please follow the instructions below to complete the registration process for each of the three services.
    • For LexisNexis and Lexis Classroom:
      • Go to the LexisNexis page, enter the activation code in the box where it says “Enter Activation Code” and click the “Next” button.
      • Follow the on-screen instructions to create a user name (called a “LexisNexis Custom ID”) and password. We recommend using your @stu.edu email address as the user name. Use your @stu.edu email account as the email account when asked for one.
      • Toll Free Phone: 800-455-3947
    • For Westlaw and TWEN:
      • Go to the Westlaw page, enter your @stu.edu email address in the box and click the “go” button.
      • Follow the on-screen instructions to create a user name and password. We recommend using your @stu.edu email address as the user name.
      • Toll Free Phone: 800-850-9378
    • For Bloomberg Law:
      • Go to www.bloomberglaw.com/activate to register for access.
      • Follow the on-screen prompts to register using your @stu.edu email account.
      • Once you complete the registration process, and your @stu.edu email has been verified by Bloomberg Law, you will receive an email with access information.
      • Toll Free Phone: 888-560-2529Access to commercial electronic research databases such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law are critical components to achieving success in law school. In addition to providing resources and materials for legal research, these services offer access learning management systems that are often used by law school faculty as online components of their courses. As such, we strongly recommend that students register for each of these three services during their orientation so they will always be available to you and you avoid potential delays obtaining access later in your law school career.

    *If you do not receive a registration code by the Friday before classes begin or are having difficulty registering for any of these services, please visit the Law Library circulation desk or call the Law Library at 305-623-2332. You may also contact the toll-free customer service number for the relevant service for assistance with registration or use of these databases. Training for LexisNexis and Westlaw will be provided as part of first-year legal writing courses.

Parking Pass

To acquire a campus parking pass you will need to submit a form electronically to submit that form, follow these instructions:

  1. Click Parking Application.
  2. Enter your STU username and password.
  3. Enter all necessary information, then click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
  4. Please fill out the parking decal form and have the original as well as a copy of the required documentation handy in order to pick up your parking decals at orientation.

Decals will be issued at the Campus Security table inside the Law Library during law school Orientation.

When you when you pick up your parking decal, please bring with you:

  1. Your Driver’s License
  2. Your Vehicle Registration
  3. Proof of Insurance and
  4. Copy of your schedule (which will be in your Orientation package)

*Please note it takes 24 hours from the time your PIN is entered into the system by our Admissions Office for you to be able to access this link. If you have just been admitted, wait 24 hours and retry. If you continue to experience a problem, then please contact our Admissions Office.

Suggested Reading List

Many new students have inquired about what they can do this summer to prepare for law school. In reality, the best thing you can do is read, read a little more, and continue reading. Read newspapers and news magazines about current local and world events, read books, including novels and biographies. Also, numerous books offer advice and strategies for navigating law school; these books offer insight and advice into the first year of law school and beyond. Here are a few we recommend:

Introduction to Law

Developing Practical Skills for Law Students and Lawyers

For “FUN”

For Your Family and Loved Ones