Welcome, Students – Write A Letter to Your Future Graduating Self!

The Zief Law Library team welcomes our new 1Ls, LLMs, and returning upper-level law students to a brand new school year! We hope you’ve had a restful summer and are ready to start the semester off strong. Stop by and let us know what you were up to!

As always, the law library has a wealth of resources you can use, including:

  • Legal research help and instruction from your amazing librarians, in-person, online, or by phone;
  • Access to Lexis+, WestLaw Precision, Bloomberg Law and HeinOnline;
  • Study aids (in print books, eBooks, and audiobooks) to help supplement your courses and bar studying;
  • Digital resources you can access anywhere, anytime;
  • Course textbooks;
  • Ignacio, the library catalog of Zief and Gleeson Libraries;
  • Study Room Reservations and three floors of study space;
  • Printers, copiers, and scanners (and the free LexisNexis printer);
  • Charging station for phones, tablets, and computers;
  • Puzzles, coloring supplies, and study-break materials;
  • And much more

Additionally, stop by the library to write your future self a letter, that you’ll get back at graduation!

What is the 1L Letter to Future Self Project?

As you navigate your first year in law school, take a moment to capture on your personal, professional, and academic aspirations by writing a letter to your future self. The library staff invites you to document your current ambitions, challenges, and dreams for your legal education and goals. In a few years, as you celebrate graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Law, read the letter you wrote to your future self and reflect on why you embarked on this challenging yet rewarding path. How to Participate?

Visit the letter-writing station across from the Circulation desk on the first floor of the library for materials. At the station, you’ll find pens, University of San Francisco School of Law letterhead, and envelopes. Once you finish your letter, seal the envelope and write your name and projected graduation year. At the end of your final year of law school, you can pick up your letter at the Circulation desk. For example, if you are beginning your 1L year today and predict your graduation date to be 2027, please stop by the Circulation desk in May of 2027.

If you prefer to email your letter, please email Access Services Lead, Steffi Ando, at sando@usfca.edu. She will print and seal your letter. Submit your letter by Friday, October 4, 2024 at 5 p.m. PDT.