Dear Â鶹ÊÓƵWCL students:
Welcome.
Starting law school (or starting a new year of law school) is exciting, but it can also be daunting, confusing, and anxiety-producing. We wanted to be sure that at any time, you have easy access to information about the many places on campus where you can get the support you need.
Please know, too, that the Â鶹ÊÓƵWCL administration and your faculty are here to assist you. If you cannot find the support you need on the list below, reach out to one of your professors or one of us, and we will do our very best to respond to your concerns or direct you to someone who can.
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mental Health and wellness counseling
- Office of Student Affairs
- What we do: Personal (nonprofessional) counseling; pep talks; personal and/or family issues; issues with faculty, staff, or students; ADA accommodations.
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm; after hours by appointment.
- How to reach us: Email studentaffairs@wcl.american.edu.
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ Counseling Center
- What we do: brief individual therapy (6-8 sessions per academic year), unlimited group therapy, community referral assistance, and consultation.
- How to set up a session: Call 202-885-3500.
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ Virtual Group Therapy
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ LifeWorks
- What we do: Culturally informed, solution-focused support for students located in the United States and abroad.
- How to reach us: Download "MySSP" app; available on all platforms.
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ ProtoCall
- What we do: 24/7 crisis support for all students, faculty, staff, and parents; talk to a licensed clinician for support and get information on community referrals.
- How to reach us: Call 202-885-7979.
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ Q.P.R. Training:
- What we do: Question, Persuade, Refer is an interactive hour-long training program that equips individuals with skills to help students who are expressing suicidal thinking; training is available for faculty, staff, and student leaders.
- How to reach us: If interested in a QPR training, contact Dr. Malina Basdeo atÌýbasdeo@american.edu. Please give at least three weeks notice when you are submitting a request.
- You@American
- What we do: Free web-based resource center that provides information about other resources available at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
- How to reach us: Create an account at .
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disability accommodation services
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC)
- WCL Disability Support
- What we do: Once accommodations are confirmed, we walk through steps for proper implementation.
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm; after hours by appointment.
- How to set up a meeting: Email disability@wcl.american.edu.
short-term Support for life emergencies
- The Office of Student Affairs provides support for short-term periods (up to 2 weeks) arising from an unexpected life emergency. These requests are not guaranteed. We ask all students to provide documentation to support a short-term support request.ÌýÌý
- A short-term support request is NOT an accommodation under the ADA. It is support extended to the student by faculty in consultation with the Office of Student Affairs. While faculty are usually willing to work with students to extend such support, they are not required to do so.Ìý
- Some (non-exhaustive) examples of life emergencies include: a broken limb, a parent’s emergency surgery or needed care therefrom, a medication issue affecting one’s academic progress, a stolen laptop containing one’s class notes, a funeral requiring travel, a concussion, or even a scheduled surgery that needs to be performed.Ìý
- How to make a request: Contact the Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@wcl.american.edu or 202-274-4030 or stop by Capital 101.Ìý
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Pregnant & Parenting students
- WCL is dedicated to providing a supportive and accessible learning environment for our pregnant and parenting students. The Office of Student Affairs also works to facilitate any necessary accommodations under Title IX for our moms-to-be to ensure they are happy, healthy, and able to maintain their academic progress throughout their pregnancy. READ MOREÌý
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private appointment room
- Private room within the Pence Law Library for virtual counseling appointments, medical appointments, or interviews. Available to WCL students to reserve in 50-minute increments. Bookings cannot be made consecutively, and this room is NOT a study space.
- Hours of service: M-F 8:00am - 6:00pmÌý
- How to access: Book a reservation at this . You will receive a confirmation email with a code for the key box. Please do not share this code.Ìý
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Services
- Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Affinity Relations
- What we do: Institutional equity and policy development, educational programming, diversity and inclusion collaborative initiatives, and affinity organization support.
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm.
- How to reach us: email diversity@wcl.american.edu.
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academic support
- Office of Academic Excellence
- What we do:ÌýEmpower students to make informed decisions to succeed in law school and prepare for the bar exam and legal practice. Advisors counsel on academic planning, course selection, law school skills, and bar exam success through individual appointments, online resources, information sessions, and workshops.Ìý
- Hours of service:ÌýM-F 9:00am-5:00pm; after hours by appointment.
- How to reach us:ÌýVisit Ìýfor appointments and resources.
- Office of the Registrar
- Office of Student Affairs
- What we do:ÌýPersonal (nonprofessional) counseling; pep talks; personal and/or family issues; issues with faculty, staff, or students; ADA accommodations; student organization and SBA liaison; Orientation and Commencement planning.Ìý
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm; after hours by appointment.Ìý
- How to reach us: Email studentaffairs@wcl.american.edu.
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Career Counseling
- Office of Career and Professional Development
- What we do: Review job application materials, plan career strategy, conduct mock interviews, teach job search skills, provide information about opportunities, organize on campus interviews and career fairs, and support all of your professional goals.Ìý
- Hours of service: In-person and virtual appointments are available Monday – Friday, between 8:00am - 8:00pm. You can meet with a counselor by appointment only.
- How to reach us: Make an appointment with any counselor via CareerLink: . You can also email careerdevelopment@wcl.american.edu for questions about CareerLink or other assistance.Ìý
- How to get information about jobs and career events:Ìý The best way to learn about upcoming OCPD events, deadlines, and highlighted positions is through the OCPD Connect Newsletter which is emailed to all WCL students weekly. OCPD resources can also be found via Legal Careers 101: (Password is OCPD).
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
- Office of Financial Aid
- What we do: counseling on smart student loan borrowing and maximizing institutional aid; resources on budgeting and loan repayment; emergency funds (limited and with specific eligibility criteria); restricted scholarships.
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm, after hours by appointment only.
- How to reach us: EmailÌýfinaid@wcl.american.edu.
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Immigration Services
- ISSS
- WCL’s Â鶹ÊÓƵ Dream Initiative
- What we do: Free immigration legal services to Â鶹ÊÓƵ students and their family members; services range from consultations to full representation on a variety of immigration applications, including asylum, family petitions, DACA, TPS, applications for victims of crimes or violence, and deportation proceedings in immigration court. (Please note that we do not help with OPT, F, or J visas.)
- Hours of service: M-F 9:00am - 5:00pm.
- How to reach us: Email Â鶹ÊÓƵDream@wcl.american.edu or call and leave a message at 202-274-4147 or drop into Â鶹ÊÓƵ Dream’s confidential any Wednesday from 12:00 - 1:30pm for a 15-minute chat and to schedule a future consultation.
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Â鶹ÊÓƵ Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Reporting System
- Please any report, complaint, or concern regarding discrimination, harassment, bias or sexual misconduct.
- The University will maintain the confidentiality of information shared throughout the complaint process. In the limited instances where disclosures must be made by the University, disclosures will be limited to those persons necessary to proceed in the fact-finding process or to otherwise address the complaint. Additionally, Â鶹ÊÓƵ complies fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which protects the confidentiality of student education records, including academic and non-academic records. A copy of the University’s Policy on Confidentiality of Student Records can be found here: /policies/students/upload/confidentiality-of-student-records-policy.pdf
- If you have additional questions or concerns, or wish to set up an appointment to meet with the Office of Equity and Title IX, you may email equityoffice@american.edu or call 202-885-8080.
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Â鶹ÊÓƵWCL Student Affinity Groups
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covid testing
- Testing is available via vending machine located outside the Pence Law Library. You must have a smartphone to obtain a test.Ìý
Again, please let one of us or one of your professors know if you need additional or different help or support. We’re committed to your wellbeing and to supporting you while you’re part of the Â鶹ÊÓƵWCL community and as you begin your legal careers.
All our very best,
Jennifer Baron, Associate Director for Disability Support
Heather Hughes, Senior Associate Dean
David Jaffe, Associate Dean of Student Affairs
Daniela Kraiem, Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development
Hilary Lappin, Registrar
Binny Miller,ÌýAssociate Dean for Experiential Education
Ezra Rosser, Associate Dean of the Part-time and Evening Division
Lisa Taylor, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations
Joni Wiredu, Senior Director of Academic Excellence
