EUGENE, Ore. -- (Aug. 23, 2012) -- While most University of Oregon students still have more than a month to savor the last of summer, UO School of Law students are busy preparing their first assignments.
 
The UO School of Law operates on a semester system, which makes its academic calendar different from the rest of the UO campus. Students arrive in the late summer for the beginning of the academic year and round out the year in May with finals and commencement.
 
The law school welcomes its newest and returning law ducks on Monday, Aug. 27, for the first official day of law school classes. The academic year for the rest of the university begins Monday, Sept. 24.
 
"We are excited to welcome our new law students," said Michael Moffitt, dean of theUO School of Law. "They bring a wealth of experience and energy, and they will be joining a community of talented students and world-class faculty, all of whom are committed to learning about how to engage the law to make a difference."
 
This year's incoming first-year class is the first to apply to take part in the law school's new 1L Fellowship Program. The program provides an early and unique opportunity for a small group of entering Oregon Law first-year students to be introduced to specific areas of the law. Fellowships last the entire academic year with stipends being awarded to each fellow.
 
Also new for the Class of 2015 is a fall semester course on career exploration and professional planning and preparation. This class offers every student early exposure toprofessional opportunities, expectations and responsibilities; connections with experienced professionals; and one-on-one attention from a career counselor focused on helping each student identify individualized goals andstrategies.
 
About Oregon Law
For more than 125 years, the University of Oregon School of Law has served the state, the nation and the world through a continually renewed commitment to excellence in legal scholarship, classroom teaching and public service. For four years running, U.S. News & World Report has ranked three Oregon Law programs in the top ten nationally, including, Legal Research and Writing, Environmental and Natural Resource Law and Appropriate Dispute Resolution. The National Jurist recognized Oregon Law in 2012 as among the top ranked public interest law schools in two categories: prosecutors and public defenders and public interest lawyers, illustrating continuing legal academic excellence. Oregon Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and the only public law school in the state of Oregon.
 
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
 
MEDIA CONTACTS: Erick Hoffman, director of communications at Oregon Law, 541-346-1665, erickh@uoregon.edu; Ali Wayner, communications manager at Oregon Law, 541-346-7355, agreen@uoregon.edu