Orientation
    Law school orientation will occur the week prior to the start of classes.  Orientation involves many necessary housekeeping details.  For instance, your 1L class will likely be divided into sections.  At orientation you will find out which section you have been assigned to.  There are no elective courses your first year of law school, the curriculum is dictated.  Therefore, during orientation you will be advised of your class schedule.
    Representatives from the various clubs and legal fraternities will all speak and encourage you to join their respective organizations.  In "the olden days" the speaker, frequently the dean or associate dean, would tell you all to "look to your left, now look to your right".  He would then inform you that by the end of the first year one of the three of you would be gone, thus implying a 33% failure rate.  In the "modern days" law schools no longer give the left/right speech.  However, the speaker probably will advise you of the failure policy.
    The speaker may also advise the group that those planning on becoming lawyers ought to think long and hard about any previous criminal activity.  The essence of this inquiry is as follows: the Bar Committee of the state in which you apply to take the Bar Exam will perform a background check on you.  They will inquire of previous employers and personal references.  Criminal convictions and/or bad behavior that are discovered can prevent you from becoming an attorney.  The speaker at orientation will encourage anyone who believes they may have such a record to talk to the administration about the problem.  I would only concur.  If you have behaved badly or been charged and/or convicted of crimes, talk to the school administrators if you plan on becoming a lawyer.  You don’t want to go through three years of law school only to find out that you cannot be admitted to practice due to certain past behaviors.
    Orientation will be your first chance to see the folks you will be sharing your life with for the near future.  You will likely have conversations, and meet people who will either become friends or acquaintances.
    One of the professors may also step forward to give a short workshop on case briefing.  Don't get too wound up about the dictates handed down at orientation on how to brief cases.  This book will cover case briefing in a much more understandable way.
    Most importantly, you will have a great surprise waiting.  While you thought that your last free weekend was still ahead of you, you will be advised that first day class assignments have been posted.  Your last free weekend has already passed.  That's right, there's no show and tell in law school.  Come prepared on the first day.  Unlike your undergrad experience, there will be no first day of class "here's what you can expect" talk.  The first day will start out like every other day for the next three years, by calling on a student to dissect a case.
    Orientation will likely end with an invitation to attend a barbecue or similar function to celebrate the arrival of the new class.  Then come Monday, it's all business.