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Student Life

Professional Services

Counseling

Students at the Pepperdine School of Law are encouraged to visit the Student Life Office regarding any concern, whether academic, familial, financial, personal, or spiritual. Both the dean and director offer to listen to concerns and help in any way possible, including referring students to other University departments when appropriate.

In particular, students needing help with personal, mental, emotional, learning, or behavioral difficulties are encouraged to utilize the Counseling Center at Pepperdine University. All information disclosed in sessions with the Counseling Center is confidential and may not be revealed to any individual without the student's written permission, except where required by law.  In addition to the Counseling Center, we're happy to introduce students to www.lawlifeline.org, a new comprehensive website geared specifically to the mental health needs of law students.

The Counseling Center is located in the Tyler Campus Center, TCC 270, and appointments are available from 8 a.m. through 4 p.m., Monday through Friday during the regular academic year and summer sessions. Additional information may be found on the Student Counseling Center Web site.

Faculty and Student Mentoring

The faculty and student mentoring program exists to aid students in adapting to the law school environment. During orientation, each new student is assigned a faculty mentor and a group of upper division student mentors. The students meet with their mentors during orientation and at follow-up social events throughout the academic year.

Preceptor Program

The Preceptor Program connects two or three first year law students with a law school alumnus who is a practicing attorney or judge in the vicinity of Pepperdine. The alumni mentors, known as preceptors, agree to serve in a mentoring capacity for the students throughout their first year of law school. The term "preceptor" is a new term to most law students, but it is very familiar to aspiring physicians. A preceptor is simply an expert that provides practical experiences to a student. This concept translates easily into the world of legal education where practical experiences are increasingly seen as a valuable part of the educational process.

The preceptors are asked to meet with their mentees 2-3 times each semester. Although the type of meetings may take different forms for different situations, the Preceptor Program proposes three different ideas for the interactions: (i) take the students to work to witness the preceptor in action; (ii) attend a class with the students and follow up with a discussion of how law school classes translate into the real world of law; and (iii) meet with the students in a social environment for coffee or lunch. The hope is that such meetings will serve as a springboard for discussions that produce valuable learning experiences that would not have occurred in a traditional classroom.

Professional Development

The Student Life Office and the Career Development Office collaborate to present seven professional development panels throughout the academic year. The panels are mandatory for all first year students and optional for upper division students. Presentation topics:

  • Professional Health (hosted by Student Life)
  • Professional Use of Social Media (hosted by Career Development)
  • Professional Interviewing (Hosted by Career Development)
  • Professional Communications (hosted by Career Development)
  • Professional Networking (hosted by Career Development)
  • Professional Etiquette (hosted by Student Life)

Wellness

The Student Life Office recognizes that balance is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle but that balance is difficult to maintain both in law school and in the legal profession. As a result, the Student Life Office works to ensure that programs are in place to promote the often-neglected aspects of a healthy lifestyle, including physical fitness, healthy social interaction, and spiritual life.

In terms of physical fitness, the Student Life Office maintains a close relationship with Pepperdine University's Campus Recreation department. Campus Recreation offers intramural and club sports, affordable group fitness classes, instructional programming, a fitness center, and outdoor excursions. Further, when sufficient student interest exists, the Student Life Office works with Campus Recreation to provide a group fitness class on site at the School of Law. Additional information on Campus Recreation offerings may be found on the Campus Recreation Web site.