Getting Ready for Law School

Please check this page throughout the upcoming months for important information regarding orientation, assignments to complete next summer, and more!

Please also be sure to check your email, including your SMU email, for important information, updates and reminders throughout the upcoming months.

Also, keep an eye on each section of the Admitted Students Website for updates! If you ever have any questions, please email us at lawadmit@smu.edu.

Orientation 

Orientation - First-year JD Students

Orientation for all incoming JD students is mandatory. Orientation will be held from August 12-15th.

Orientation - Transfer and Visiting Students

Orientation for incoming fall 2024 transfer and visiting students is mandatory and will be held on August 15th.

Classes

The first day of class is August 19.

Special Note for International Students

Please refer to the Have To's page on the Admitted Students Website for information about requirements for international students.

Preparing for Orientation and Law School

Preparation for Orientation

Required assignments for orientation preparation will be added throughout the summer, so please check back often.

Preparation for Law School

Admitted students frequently ask what they should be doing now to prepare to enter law school in the fall.

Additionally, law school will be different from any academic endeavor you have faced, and the best way to succeed is to come into the fall semester with a realistic idea of what to expect. We asked some of our faculty members and others to compile a list of books they would recommend to an incoming law student. These readings are completely optional.

Again, this list of books is an optional reading list.

PracticePro: Law School Mastery for Incoming 1Ls - this optional program is an immersive law school prep and career coaching program for incoming 1Ls. Scholarship opportunities are available. Check the website for eligibility and application details.

Please check back frequently throughout the summer for updates.

Assignments due on the first day of class

Your assignments will be posted on the Course Schedules and Information page on the law school registrar’s website.

Also, be sure to check your SMU email regularly, as many professors will send out assignments via email. Some of your assignments may refer to the TWEN site. You will receive instructions for accessing TWEN during orientation.

SMU Email Address and Student ID Numbers

Shortly after your admission, you will receive your SMU e-mail address, ID number, and temporary password. All of this information will be emailed to you from the Admissions Office. You will continue to receive emails from the Admissions Office to the email address you provided in your law school application, however, the university and in particular the Financial Aid Office will only send emails about your enrollment at SMU to your SMU email account.

Living in Dallas

The law school is located on the northwest corner of SMU's main campus in Dallas, Texas. The campus is situated just five miles from downtown Dallas in a beautiful residential neighborhood surrounded by shops, restaurants, and services. It is a village within the city offering an abundance of activities within walking distance.

SMU offers a wide variety of university-owned housing. Graduate dormitories, off-campus apartments, duplexes, and houses are available. For on-campus housing information, contact Residence Life & Student Housing at 214-768-2407.

SMU Graduate Studies has also put together the Dallas Guide for Graduate Students that will help you learn more about the city of Dallas and what it’s like to live here.

This super helpful resource is also available to help guide you through the housing search.

Order a Parking Permit or DART Pass

More information on obtaining your parking permit or DART Pass will be provided in the spring.

Get a Student ID Card

More information on obtaining your Student ID Card will be provided in the spring.

Order Your Textbooks

After the registrar has enrolled you in your classes (by the end of July), go to: my.SMU.edu, and click on Student Homepage. Once you click on Student Homepage, you will then click on Manage Classes. The left-side of the screen will include a link that says SMU Bookstore. That link will direct you to the SMU bookstore.

The SMU bookstore is located in Barnes and Noble on the south end of campus, 3060 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75205, 214-768-2435.

The link to the SMU bookstore website is here.

The SMU bookstore will price match www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com as long as the textbook on Amazon is sold and fulfilled by Amazon. If you find a lower price through one of those two suppliers, please call or visit the bookstore so they can verify the lower price.

Special Note For International Students

Please refer to the Have To's page on the Admitted Students Website for information about requirements for international students.