Orientation

All Gonzaga students need a University identification card to access various University facilities, including the libraries and the athletic center. In order to receive your card before the start of classes, you must submit a photograph and a copy of a government ID for your ZAGCARD by July 31 via the Submit Your Photo page. For information on all the benefits of your Zagcard (hello, dry cleaning discounts!), visit the Gonzaga Campus Card Services homepage.

Your Zagcard will either be mailed to you or distributed at Orientation.

If you applied to law school before you received your undergraduate degree, wait until your final degree is posted and then send an official copy of your final undergraduate transcript to the Gonzaga Law Registrar’s Office and to LSAC by August 19.

Fall 2023 student schedules will be assigned by close-of-business on TBD if all pre-registration information has been received. Students will be notified on their Zagmail accounts when registration has been completed, and may check their schedules on Zagweb at that time.

Get instructions on buying textbooks from the Zagshop website, by visiting in person at the Boone Avenue Retail Center (BARC) on campus, or books may be available from outside vendors.

For information on obtaining academic accommodations, please visit the Gonzaga University Disability Access Office.

Many professors assign reading for the first day of class. These assignments are posted on the first-day assignments page, which will be available in early August.

The Student Handbook contains the Law School’s Academic Rules, the Code of Student Conduct, and other important information and policies. Be sure you have read it prior to the start of Orientation.

You will also be bound by the Gonzaga University Student Code of Conduct contained within.

Reminder: You must disclose everything, civil or criminal, no matter how minor, no matter if it was expunged, sealed, etc. If you did not disclose something, immediately fill out the Request to Amend Law School Application and return as instructed on the form.

In the event you apply for bar admission to practice in any state or country, your life will be under examination by the bar examiners. Failure to disclose something to us that must be disclosed to the bar examiners in any jurisdiction is evidence of dishonesty, and could prevent you from being admitted to practice. For example, the Washington State Bar application asks:

“Have you ever been cited, arrested, charged or convicted for a violation of any law including minor traffic violations?”

The application then provides:

“On matters other than traffic violations, you must set forth on an additional sheet the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the date and place; a description of your conduct; the nature of the citation, arrest, charge or conviction; the enforcement agency involved; any courts involved; file number and the disposition, including dismissal, acquittal, sentences, fines or probation, etc. It is your responsibility to provide full details, explanation and relevant documentation (copy of information, complaint or indictment, judgment and sentence, order of deferral or dismissal, etc.) to the best of your ability to do so.”

The application also provides:

“The responsibility of full disclosure rests entirely upon the applicant. Failure to fully disclose as requested in this application may be considered a reflection on the applicant’s moral character and may itself result in denial of admission. It is the applicant’s duty to advise the Admissions Department of any changes in or additions to the information provided on this application. There cannot be too much disclosure.”

To be admitted to any bar, you will be required to sign a blanket waiver of confidentiality and are subject to independent verification of the items you report on the bar application. Any discrepancies between what the bar examiners find out about you and what you report to them may prevent you from being admitted based upon lack of good moral character.

If you are borrowing loans, please complete an entrance interview and Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov. You will find all the requirements necessary to receive financial aid listed as Outstanding Disbursement Requirements in the financial aid section of ZagWeb.

Student Accounts will send an electronic Statement of Account to your Zagmail address by the end of July. If you do not have enough financial aid to cover your charges, payment or payment arrangements need to be made by August 27th.

If you will be receiving a refund, you must register for eRefund / Direct Deposit through Gonzaga University Student Accounts.

More information is available on the Financial Aid homepage. You can also contact Student Financial Services at sfs@gonzaga.edu, via phone at 509.313.6582, or by appointment at www.gonzaga.edu/appointments.

For Gonzaga students starting in Fall 2022, the required health information is due July 15 via the Health Center Portal.

Gonzaga University Health & Counseling Services (H&CS) requires all students to complete the New Student Health Clearance process in the H&CS secure online portal before starting classes. The health clearance includes a mandatory immunization requirement and the completion of various online health forms. New students will receive an email to their GU email account with instructions to complete this process. For more information about Health & Counseling Services on campus or the required New Student Health Clearance process, visit the Health and Counseling services webpage.

We strongly recommend all students have health insurance, but there is not a health insurance requirement at Gonzaga. Students in need of insurance are encouraged to explore the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. The Exchange provides an online marketplace for students to compare low-cost medical insurance options. For more information and solutions, please visit the Gonzaga Student Insurance webpage.

A vehicle parking permit is required for all campus lots. Parking permits will be available for purchase in mid August and ticketing will begin at the end of August. To purchase a parking permit, visit the Safety and Security Office or go online to gonzaga.edu/permits. Permits can be picked up in person at the Security Office (502 E. Sharp Ave - Huetter Mansion).

Gonzaga University has a number of bike racks available around campus, including one by the Law School front doors. Campus security offers Bicycle Registration services. The Law School also provides bike lockers for free to law students. For more information, contact the Law Dean of Students Office. 

Gonzaga University School of Law is directly serviced by routes #26 and #28 of Spokane Transit, which offers trip planning through Google Maps Transit. The Law School is also about one walking mile from The Plaza (701 W Riverside Ave), which is the central bus station for almost all of the routes through Spokane.

The Gonzaga Campus covers approximately 30 city blocks and has over 100 buildings. Download or explore the online Gonzaga Campus Map.

The first year of law school is a challenging experience that requires a significant commitment of time and energy. It is highly recommended that you do not work at outside employment during your first year of law school. 

You should plan to spend three hours of study time for each credit hour you are registered for. This does not count the extra time it will take to prepare for examinations or write papers. If you are registered for 15 credit hours per week, you should plan to spend at least 45 hours studying. Initially, the time commitment may be even higher. Gonzaga strongly recommends that students not be employed more than 20 hours per week in any week in which the student is enrolled in more than ten (10) credit hours

We are pleased to announce we have partnered with AccessLex Institute®, the largest nonprofit organization in the country focusing on access, affordability and the value of legal education, to bring you MAX by AccessLex®, an innovative personal finance program created exclusively for law students. Available at no cost to you or our law school, MAX drives the knowledge gain and behavior change essential to improving your financial well-being. Financial well-being encompasses how you handle and feel about your finances, and ways finances impact especially this first year in law school. You will be making important financial decisions throughout the year. To help you get on-and stay on-- the path to financial wellness, and to help you prepare for a successful first year, complete the following activities before you come to campus:

• Check out the brief intro video, and register for your free account at AskEDNA.AccessLex.org,
• Enter MAX by AccessLex® and go to “Get Started” and complete the “Financial Foundations” course,
• Schedule time with your financial coach using MAX Coaching to discuss your personal financial goals for this year.
• Check out the Scholarship Databank. It is never too early to begin looking for “free money” for next year.