Fundamentals of Lawyering

At GW Law, the Fundamentals of Lawyering Program introduces first-year students to the skills that will advance them from the classroom to the law firm, boardroom, courtroom, and the many other settings where law is practiced.

We prepare our students to apply their training to answer questions with nuanced analytical, research, and writing skills to provide clients with legal advice that enhances their businesses and advances their concerns. GW Law responded to legal practitioners’ calls for law schools to deliver graduates prepared to meet the changing demands of modern legal practice by offering a curriculum that offers a uniquely experiential introduction to life as an attorney and maps a path for professional identity formation and lifelong learning.

About Fundamentals of Lawyering

Faculty

First-year students work with faculty who have decades of experience in building relationships with clients and meeting their needs with creativity and skill.

Dean's Fellows

Dean’s Fellows are teachers, mentors, and ambassadors to the Fundamentals of Lawyering Program. These campus leaders teach 1L students crucial research, writing, and analytical skills.

Writing Fellows

Writing Fellows are trained to work with GW Law JD and LLM students and are available to meet with students in one-on-one writing conferences.

Program Overview

Six credit hours in legal research and writing, client relationship-building, contract review, litigation, appellate writing, and argumentation in your first year.

News & Updates

Stay up-to-date with recent program updates, newly-published scholarship, and other accomplishments from our faculty.

Additional Resources

Program Directors

Iselin Gambert

Iselin Gambert

Director, Fundamentals of Lawyering Program; Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering

Anita Singh

Anita Singh

Associate Director, Fundamentals of Lawyering Program; Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering

Erika Pont

Associate Director, Fundamentals of Lawyering Program; Coordinator of the Dean’s Fellow Program; Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering 

Natalia Blinkova

Natalia Blinkova

Acting Writing Center Coordinator; Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering