From left: Danielle Robinson Briand, a third-year law student and orientation leader, with first-year law students Heather Wright and Maya Lirtzman-Sivkin during the 2009 orientation.

The School of Law hosts an orientation weekend for first-year students each year. The program is designed to give incoming students the opportunity to meet new classmates and experience what the School of Law has to offer.

The 2009 orientation program kicked off Aug. 21, welcoming 160 new students to campus.

In his opening remarks, School of Law Dean Brad Saxton recalled his own law school years, calling them a "transformative experience."

"It was one of the best years of my life, but it was also one of the most challenging," he said. "We have very high expectations of you. You're all very bright and talented. Take it seriously right from the beginning."

The new class, the most selective to date, includes students from 25 states and five foreign countries. Three thousand applicants vied for the 160 spots. Student life experiences range from a military sniper to a pastry chef. Their age range spans four decades.

Second- and third-year School of Law students, dressed in sunny yellow t-shirts, served as orientation leaders.

"It's nice to be the one to tell people, 'Don't be nervous.' It's nice to hear reassurance from people who've already been through it," said third-year student Cristina Watkins, who greeted arriving first-year students in the parking lot.

For the first time, incoming students this year took an oath underscoring their commitment to professionalism and civility on campus as well as in their future professional lives.

School of Law alumna Bernadette Conway JD '85, a Connecticut State Superior Court judge in New Haven, administered the oath.

Students also met with representatives from bar associations and School of Law student organizations.

Among the groups present were the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association; George W. Crawford Black Bar Association; South Asian Bar Association; Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Association.

First-year student Curtis St. Brice, of West Hartford, Conn., planned to join the School of Law's Intellectual Property Law Society and the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association.

"I'm considering the [Student Bar Association] too," he said, "but they say don't take too much on your plate first year."