After a year and a half of uncertainty, the campus of UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law experienced its customary energy and vitality as new students arrived on campus for orientation.
“My orientation experience was a satisfying blend of comfort zone and culture shock,” says Eliot Esposito, JD ’24 of Bridgewater, Connecticut. “I arrived intimidated, but the organized introduction already has me feeling like a member of the campus bubble.”
1L Eliot Esposito
The two-day welcoming event took place from Aug. 17 to 18 to help new students familiarize themselves with their surroundings and one another. The energy continued as in-person classes began on Aug. 23. For many students, including Ritika Gairola, LLM-IP ’22, the opportunity to meet faculty and classmates in person was a long time coming. A native of India, Gairola had to defer her admission to UNH Franklin Pierce by a year as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020. In the year and a half that has passed since that time, she has been impressed by the support system — even from a distance — extended by the law school, including personal attention to the needs of students impacted by COVID. Despite lingering precautions, including mandatory masks and social distancing, students were able to enjoy a traditional experience when they arrived in Concord.
Ritika Gairola
“The amount of personal attention and support this school extends to each student further makes it a dream law school,” says Gairola, “especially for the international students. After waiting for more than a year, being here for on-campus learning feels like a dream come true. The learning experience began even before the classes started. Talking to classmates from all walks of life, with different cultural and professional experiences, makes this journey holistically enriching.”
Sydney Reyes
For orientation, UNH Franklin Pierce offered somewhat separate schedules for residential JD students and LLM and master’s candidates. All new students were welcomed to campus on Aug. 17. After opening remarks from Dean Megan Carpenter, and Associate Deans Shane Cooper and Rebecca Purdom, they attended small-group breakout sessions with mentors. Other sessions on the first day offered introductions to technology and financial aid, library services, security, and health benefits. New students also heard from the Affirmative Action and Equity Office, met their teaching assistants, and attended a student panel that addressed topics from mental health to homesickness to study strategies.
“As someone new to New Hampshire and law school,” says Sydney Reyes, JD ’24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “I was able to feel more comfortable knowing there are other students making that adjustment, and we’re all in it together. In addition, my classmates have been so friendly and welcoming, which reminds me why I chose a smaller law school.”
Day two, Aug. 18, featured more introductions to resources, including career services and student organizations. Professor Emeritus Mitch Simon spoke to new JD students about professionalism and the N.H. State Bar, while Director of Academic Success Danette Wineberg offered tips for academic success. The final day concluded with The Honorable Carol Ann Conboy, JD ’78, Associate Justice for the N.H. Supreme Court, administering the Oath of Professionalism.
Nicole Cannon
“UNH Law did a phenomenal job of creating that sense of belonging from the moment I walked in the door at orientation,” says Nicole Cannon, a 1L from Olive Branch, Mississippi. “Every interaction I had with faculty, administrators, and professors during orientation was helpful and reassuring. I already feel supported and encouraged by the UNH Law community.”
Orientation for LLM and master’s students followed a similar schedule, with attendees receiving a joint welcome from the deans with their JD colleagues and attending the same information sessions from technology and financial aid, library services, security, and health benefits. They, too, heard from the Affirmative Action and Equity Office and attended the student panel. The second day of orientation tailored for the LLM and master’s students included an introduction to the American law school by Associate Dean Purdom; a session on common law vs. civil law led by Professor Bill Murphy, chair of commerce and technology graduate programs; and a legal research overview conducted by Professor and Intellectual Property Librarian Jon Cavicchi.
Karla Bernardo
Like Gairola, Karla Bernardo, an attorney and an LLM-IP student from the Philippines, was forced to defer her entrance to law school for a year because of the pandemic. She learned of UNH Franklin Pierce from colleagues who attended the school and raved about its offerings.
“The global alumni reach of this law school is incredible,” says Bernardo, “and it’s amazing how, during the orientation, we found out that almost all of us in the graduate class were led to UNH because of our colleagues whose careers have been shaped by the Franklin Pierce network. What I will most remember about this first week is the thrill of being part of this vibrant, welcoming, top-notch community. It’s exciting to finally be here.”
The first week of classes brought an additional buzz of excitement to the hallways and classrooms of the law school. Reyes says the experience was made more comforting by seeing the familiar faces of students she had met during orientation. Gairola expressed satisfaction with the “healthy learning environment” that already has made UNH Franklin Pierce feel like family after just a short time. In her early days of studying the law, Cannon has been boosted by the reinforcement of her professors, who have reminded her that she is a capable student armed with the tools for success.
“Additionally,” Cannon adds, “I will remember the electric atmosphere of the first class debate I participated in.”
