Student Experience

Inside the traditions that make UVA Law No. 1

From fostering intellectual growth in the classroom to nurturing strong bonds with classmates, the University of Virginia School of Law has earned the No. 1 spot for Best Quality of Life in the 2025 Princeton Review rankings. As first-year students begin their law school careers, discover the events, traditions and projects that make UVA Law unique.

Orientation and meeting your 1L section

For many UVA Law students, classmates in their 1L section – a group of about 30 to 32 students who take most of their first-year classes together, sometimes combined with other sections – become lifelong friends.

UVA first-year students learning about student activities and clubs during orientation

First-year students learn how to get involved at the University at the Student Activities Fair. (Photo by Julia Davis)

At orientation, students meet their sections for the first time. Orientation activities also include a day of service. This year on Aug. 17, the Public Interest Law Association organized the event, which allows incoming students to bond while participating in service projects. First-year students also learned more about how to get involved at the Student Activities Fair on Aug. 28.

A historic competition

The annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition, which debuted in 1928, now ends in a fall finale with two teams of third-year law students making an appellate moot argument before prominent judges.

historic photo of UVA students competing in the William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition

Third-year law students argue before prominent judges in the fall finale of the William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition, a UVA tradition since 1928. (UVA Law Archives)

The competition starts with about 80 second-year students competing on two-person teams through quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The winning teammates receive a cash prize, and their names are inscribed on a plaque outside the three moot courtrooms in Slaughter Hall. Those plaques feature some familiar and illustrious names, including former U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Tunney, both from the Class of 1959.

Moot court judges over the competition’s nearly 100-year history include Supreme Court Justices William Brennan, Warren Burger, Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O’Connor and William Rehnquist.

Pro Bono Challenge

Many students participate in the school’s Pro Bono Challenge, which encourages and recognizes students who complete 75 hours or more of pro bono service before they graduate. Students who hit that mark are honored at commencement and receive a certificate of recognition signed by the dean.

For the Class of 2025, 91 of 307 graduates completed the challenge. In addition, the graduate who best demonstrates an “extraordinary commitment to pro bono service” is honored with the annual Pro Bono Award.

An auction for public service

The Public Interest Law Association’s primary fundraising event is an auction, held each fall semester to support students working in non- or low-paying public interest jobs during the summer. The live auction features big-ticket items like stays at vacation homes and fan favorites such as dinner parties or other social events with faculty. The silent auction is a social event featuring a dance held at a local venue, similar to the Barrister’s Ball, a wintertime formal dance the Student Bar Association hosts.

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A cheesy exam season

During finals, the staff of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library harnesses their considerable organizational and culinary skills to produce grilled cheese sandwiches for hungry students in need of a study break.

Academic journals – and tryouts

In their spring semester, first-year students try out for the school’s 10 academic journals. While each journal has its own focus, all applicants must follow the same tryout process: Bluebook editing exercises and an eight-page legal essay.

The Libel Show

Dating back to 1908 as a performance on the steps of the Rotunda, the student-run annual Libel Show lampoons faculty, the administration and law school culture through a musical comedy format. Dozens of students participate in the production each year.

several UVA Law students in a cast photo during the annual UVA School of Law Libel Show

Students perform in the annual Libel Show, a musical comedy variety show dating back to 1908 that lampoons faculty, the administration and law school culture. (Photo by Julia Davis)

Testing skills at first-year oral arguments

For several days in the late spring each year, all first-year students argue an appellate case before a panel of judges, typically two alumni or local attorneys and a second- or third-year student serving as a Legal Writing Fellow. The first-year students also prepare and submit a brief in advance of their argument date.

The North Grounds Softball League and Invitational

Softball has been a popular pastime for law students since the school moved to North Grounds in the mid-1970s. The North Grounds Softball League organizes fall and spring intramural seasons, but also hosts an annual invitational, which marked its 42nd anniversary in the spring.

UVA Law students posing with a canine mascot during the annual Softball Tournament

Law students compete in the North Grounds Softball League, which hosts intramural seasons and an annual invitational tournament that attracts teams from across the country. (Photo by Julia Davis)

The event attracts teams from dozens of law schools nationwide to raise funds for ReadyKids, a Charlottesville nonprofit that supports local young people and their families. Other athletic traditions include the Barristers United soccer club and the student-faculty basketball game, supporting the Public Interest Law Association.

The Jefferson Medal in Law

The University and Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates Monticello, jointly sponsor the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals, awarded annually to recognize the achievements of those who embrace endeavors in which Jefferson excelled and held in high regard.

The law medal, and its counterparts in architecture, citizen leadership and global innovation, are UVA’s highest external honors. Recipients have included Supreme Court justices, Cabinet secretaries and U.S. senators. The medalist in law gives a lecture at the Law School.