Summer Refreshment: Law School Undergoes Renovations for a New Look in the New School Year
When the Class of 2025 and returning 2Ls and 3Ls and LL.M. students arrived for fall semester this month, something was different at the Law School. And not just a fresh coat of paint.
There was a newly renovated lobby. A new student services suite. More robust digital signage. And more.
The work, which began the week of June 6, proceeded on an aggressive timeline through the summer months, and led to renovation of the first floor suite (formerly the Dean’s Suite), the Law School Lobby and main hallway.
Updating the lobby space provides consistency with the newer design of the now-five-year-old Penny Commons in the Hixon Wing, and varying seating options for students are intended to be more conducive to their usage of the lobby. This includes expanded tabling options and the addition of two collaboration tables with seating capacity of six per table.
The new lobby area is also more student-focused, with the relocation of student-facing functions to a more centralized and accessible location. The Office of Admissions, Office of Student Services, Administrative Services (Building and HR), IT and AV functions are now in one convenient place.
The addition of multiple large-screen monitors in the lobby and new office space modernizes and enhances the Law School’s digital experience. An investment in a content management system allows for coordinated use of all common area monitors.
The second floor faculty office hallway in the original building (over the lobby) also received upgrades, with fresh paint and the installation of new lighting and carpeting. The offices of the Legal Practice Program have moved into the suite formerly occupied by the IT staff, across from the Communications Office. A major HVAC system replacement also took place on the second floor.
In the Wolf Law Library, crews replaced the carpeting in the Chappell Reading Room located on the Library’s main floor. The Reading Room will undergo a furniture refresh in late fall and will be a more open, brighter place to study and work.
“Updating our physical surroundings with a new lobby and student services suite will encourage the kind of community engagement that makes the Law School a special place,” said Dean A. Benjamin Spencer. “I look forward to seeing students, staff and faculty gathering in this space to discuss emerging trends, share information about the latest news, and even just hang out together.”
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America’s first law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.