Connect During Immersion Weekend
The Immersion Weekend is a critical component of each of our Master of Jurisprudence programs. This is an essential networking opportunity for online law students to connect in person, on campus.
For two days, you have the opportunity to explore the campus and the city of New Orleans and build a deeper connection to your peers and Tulane University.
As a student in any of the online Master of Jurisprudence programs, you will need to attend at least one Immersion Weekend during your time in the program. These sessions are held every summer, so you can attend during either your first or second year in the program, but past students and alumni have indicated that the session was most beneficial during their first year. It is both an academic and networking opportunity for you to meet your classmates, professors and other professionals working in your field. The occasion will include a keynote speaker, lectures and workshops from industry experts, and a variety of social activities.
Master Law Without the JD
Are you ready to level up your career? Earn your master’s degree online with Tulane University. Our online Master of Jurisprudence programs give you the legal foundation to navigate today’s professional challenges.
Complete the form to get a program detail sheet for the online MJ program of your choosing. Get more details about your program, including information on Tulane Law School, the curriculum, application requirements and more.
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Get a Taste of a Past Immersion Weekend
Read about the highlights of the 2023 Immersion Weekend to learn more about the experience. Attendees enjoyed New Orleans traditions, sampling snoballs and enjoying the sights and sounds of the Saints Storyville Jazz Band. Most importantly, they formed closer bonds with their cohorts, faculty and staff members, and the campus community.
Immersion Weekend Itinerary
Each summer’s Immersion Weekend features unique speakers and topics, which is why some students have chosen to attend both weekends during their time in the program.
Check out the schedule for the July 2026 Immersion Weekend to get a sense of this on-campus experience.
Thursday
Nola Craft Culture’s Umbrella Creation
(optional paid experience)
4:00-6:00 p.m.
10th Anniversary Reception
Le Pavillon Hotel
Friday
Bus departs from Le Pavillon Hotel to Tulane Law School
8:00-8:45 a.m.
Registration
Continental Breakfast & Coffee/Tea
8:45-9:00 a.m.
Welcome
Faculty Presenters:
- Vice Dean Stacy Seicshnaydre
- Deputy Director MJ-EEL Chris Dalbom
- Faculty Director MJ-LEL Saru Matambanadzo
- Deputy Director MJ-LEL Elizabeth Townsend-Gard
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Anti-Discrimination Law in the Trump Era
Faculty Presenters:
- Professor Gillian Egan, Senior Corporate Counsel, ACV Auctions
- Professor Elizabeth Ribet, Director, Repair, Inc.
10:15-10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
General Counsel’s Round Table
Faculty Presenters:
- Professor Aurelio Perez, General Counsel
- Professor Jose Lopez, General Counsel, Zeplin, Inc.; Lecturer, UC Berkeley
- Ms. Shanna Simmons, Chief Legal Officer, Zendesk
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Lunch
(featuring Boucherie with Hubig’s Pies)
IDs and Bookstore Time
Staff Present:
- Ms. Morgan Jackson, Program Director
1:30-3:00 p.m.
AI Issues in Law
Faculty Presenters:
- Professor Elizabeth Townsend Gard
- Professor Ron Gard
- Professor Mariya Volzshkaya, Attorney, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- Professor Chris Dalbom
- Professor Robert Wiygul
3:00-3:10 p.m.
Break
(Only in New Orleans Break: Featuring Plum Street Snowballs)
3:15-4:30 p.m.
Tulane Law 101: Scavenger Hunt
4:30-5:00 p.m.
Social Media Raffle Drawing & Second Line
(Featuring the Saints Storyville Jazz Band)
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Awards Dinner and Cocktails: A Taste of New Orleans
(Featuring Nectarine)
7:00 p.m.
Bus departs from Tulane Law School to Le Pavillon Hotel
Saturday
Bus departs from Le Pavillon Hotel to Tulane Law School
8:00-9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast & Coffee/Tea
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Choose Your Own Adventure
In these sessions, our amazing faculty will share their expertise and experiences to help you bring your career to the next level. We invite you to choose your own adventure!
Faculty Presenters:
- Professor Tracy Law—”ABCs of Investigations: Red Light! Green Light! Go Slow?”
- Bob Oberstein, Arbitrator, Mediator, Investigator and Educator, MJ-LEL ’20—“So, You’re Thinking About Maybe Becoming a Neutral (Arbitrator, Mediator, Investigator, Ombuds, etc.)?” How to upskill/benefit your career today while setting the stage for a neutral career tomorrow.
- Professor Tina Boudreaux—The Future of Contracts After AI
- Professor Mark Davis—”Public Information: What It Is, How To Access It, and How Your Rights May Be Changing”
10:15-10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30-11:45 a.m.
Choose Your Own Adventure
In these sessions, our amazing faculty will share their expertise and experiences to help you bring your career to the next level. We invite you to choose your own adventure!
Faculty Presenters:
- Professor Tracy Law—”ABCs of Investigations: Red Light! Green Light! Go Slow?”
- Bob Oberstein, Arbitrator, Mediator, Investigator and Educator, MJ-LEL ’20—“So, You’re Thinking About Maybe Becoming a Neutral (Arbitrator, Mediator, Investigator, Ombuds, etc.)?” How to upskill/benefit your career today while setting the stage for a neutral career tomorrow.
- Professor Tina Boudreaux—”The Future of Contracts After AI”
- Professor Mark Davis—”Public Information: What It Is, How To Access It, and How Your Rights May Be Changing”
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Networking Lunch
(featuring Boucherie with Gambino’s King Cakes)
1:15-2:30 p.m.
Choose Your Own Adventure
In these sessions, our amazing faculty will share their expertise and experiences to help you bring your career to the next level. We invite you to choose your own adventure!
Faculty Presenters
- Professor Lawrence Kahn—“Safety is a Full-Time Job, Not a Part-Time Practice: HST & The Law”
- Professor Tracy Law—“ABCs of Investigations: Red Light! Green Light! Go Slow?”
- Professor Jennifer Cooper—“Human Communication in the Age of AI”
- Bob Oberstein—“So You Want to Be a Neutral? Entering a Career in Arbitration or Mediation”
2:45-3:00 p.m.
Break
(Only in New Orleans Break: Featuring Angela Brocato’s)
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closing Plenary: Executive Power in the Courts: Federalism and Fisticuffs
Panelists:
- Professor Robert Wiygul
- Professor Mark Davis
- Professor Saru Matambanadzo
4:15 p.m.
Bus departs from Tulane Law School back to Le Pavillon Hotel
ENJOY THE CITY!
Please feel free to plan dinner or drinks with your classmates or cohort on your own.
“I’m so proud to have been a speaker at the 2023 Immersion Weekend. While here, I was able to give my perspective on life as general counsel of a couple of companies. I’m just extraordinarily excited to meet the students here, to support this program at Tulane and just to be here and let all of it sink in. I look forward to doing anything I can to help support next year!”
Immersion Weekend Highlights
“The thing I look forward to about Immersion Weekend is getting to meet and connect with my students offline and in real life here on campus.”
