Law School COVID-19 Updates

March 12, 2020

Dear Students, The health, well-being, and safety of our Loyola community and the broader communities in which we live are our highest priorities. Although currently there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) at Loyola, we are hereby taking steps to reduce the spread of this virus. We do so while ensuring academic continuity for our students.

We want to provide information more specific to the law school. Please note:

• Classes today and tonight (Thursday, March 12) will run through 9 p.m. as regularly scheduled.
• For full-time, campus-based students, there will be no classes as of Friday, March 13, and continuing through March 22.
• The Weekend JD courses in our part-time division and any mini-seminars scheduled for March 14 and March 15 will continue as scheduled but will be delivered completely online. Further details to follow from Director Kirk Walter and Associate Dean Harris.
• The online MJ and LLM classes will continue to be offered as scheduled without interruption.
• The following online JD classes will be on hiatus until Monday, March 23:
• Title IX Compliance in Higher Education
• Information Technology and Human Rights Practicum
• Operationalizing Treaties
• Public Interest Law Seminar
• Education Law Practicum (Law 166, Section 003)
• We will move all classes to online/virtual instruction on the Zoom platform as soon as possible but no later than Monday, March 23, and for the remainder of the semester. You will receive further communication from your instructors. There are Zoom tutorials online that you can access in preparation.
• Information regarding steps you can take now to prepare for online class participation is coming soon.
• Final exams will be administered online according to the regularly scheduled exam period. Details about exam format will be provided by your instructor after March 23.
• Registration for fall 2020 classes will proceed next week via LOCUS as previously scheduled.
• Remember that the University and the School of Law are not closing; we are moving instruction online to ensure that there is no disruption in your academic progress. You are free to meet with your instructors on a one-on-one basis as needed; however, you may want to consider meeting over the phone or via teleconferencing instead of in person. The Corboy Law Center, including the library, will remain open.
• Students working in clinics: Students are expected to participate in class online and participate in supervision meetings online. Also, students are expected to meet their professional responsibilities and continue to represent their clients, including appearing in court, unless there is a specific reason they should not, such as illness, individual circumstances that increase concern about contagion, or court closings. As for client meetings, for now the law school remains open and students can still access files and meet with clients in the building – that will be up to individual clinical faculty because it may be dependent on the type of clinic. Students should let a faculty member know if they are not going to be able to carry out their responsibilities. Clinic faculty will be in contact with their students to provide specific guidance regarding the operation of their clinic. 
• International students: The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISS) offers this link as an additional resource about COVID-19. Also, Residence Life has published a list of exceptions to allow some students to remain on campus with official approval from Residence Life. International students are considered an exception. Please read the full statement here and fill out an exception form by 12 p.m. (noon) Sunday, March 15, if you are interested in staying on campus for the remainder of this semester.
• Student workers: If you are a University student worker, check in with your supervisor before coming back to campus.

At this time, under University directive, all events are canceled until further notice. This includes student organization meetings, outside events, panel events, or other planned events. Please contact Dean Giselle Santibanez-Bania if you have any questions.

If you have questions as this situation constantly evolves, please refer to the University’s central information hub at LUC.edu/coronavirus. FAQs are being updated frequently. However, if you have questions that are not addressed by your instructors and advisors or on the LUC.edu/coronavirus site, please forward your questions to LoyolaChicagoLaw@luc.edu. Please put “FAQ” in the subject line. The staff monitoring that email account will work to provide consistent and timely responses.

We know that transitioning to online/virtual instruction is a significant adjustment for all of us, and we thank you all so much for your understanding and patience as the University works on alternative methods of delivering instruction for our students. We will endeavor to provide you with the support that you need.

We also understand that these are stressful times in our world. The Loyola Wellness Center has a number of resources available for students, including a list of tips for managing anxiety caused by the spread of COVID-19. We also want to encourage you to be sure to take care of yourself.

We are proud of the work ethic, dedication, and resiliency of the Loyola community. We firmly believe that together we will get through this and come out stronger.

With best wishes for your well-being and with profound gratitude for your patience and perseverance, 

Michael J. Kaufman, Dean

James Faught, Associate Dean, Administration

Zelda Harris, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Giselle Santibanez-Bania, Assistant Dean, Student Services

The health, safety, and well-being of every member of our law school community is and always will be our first priority.  As we return from spring break, we wanted to remind our community to stay current on the developments regarding COVID-19, also referred to as coronavirus, and to take preventative actions as you would routinely do in preparation for the annual flu and cold season. Loyola University Chicago is committed to sharing the most up-to-date information with our community – you can find updates on the University’s website: https://www.luc.edu/coronavirus/. To date, there are no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus within our University community here in the U.S. or our study abroad programs. 

Please note the following:

1. At this time, Loyola University Chicago is not cancelling classes; if that changes, we will alert you via email and Law School Announcements as soon as possible.
2. The Law School has modified its attendance policies for classes in light of our concern for your safety. If you are sick, please stay home. Your absence due to illness will not be held against you in the grading process. Faculty and staff are encouraged to work remotely as needed.
3. We are working with faculty to potentially teach courses remotely. We will share information with you about remote courses if they become necessary.
4. All sick students and employees (with symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath) should consult their health care provider and stay home from school or work until their symptoms resolve. Students with chronic conditions (like asthma) should work with their health care providers to ensure any necessary rescue and controller medicines are on hand and take special care to keep the illnesses well-managed and under control. If you need help identifying a source of primary medical care, please contact the Wellness Center: https://www.luc.edu/wellness/
5. Please ensure that your most up-to-date contact information is available in LOCUS.
6. In accordance with University directives, any law school student, faculty member, or staff member who has traveled from or through a country designated as threat level 3 by the CDC (currently China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea) must stay home and may not return to campus or campus events for a period of 14 days after returning from the affected country.   

Finally, COVID-19 does not distinguish between race, nationality, or geographic borders.  Stigma and discrimination against the afflicted discourages early reporting of symptoms and further perpetuates community spread. If you believe someone has been the victim of discrimination, please contact the Office for Equity and Compliance to submit a report: https://www.luc.edu/equity/

For more information from local and national government agencies, please visit www.chicago.gov/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the CDPH Coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 or email coronavirus@chicago.gov.

Thank you for your attention to this challenging situation and for your patience as we work through developments as they happen. Please continue to check https://www.luc.edu/coronavirus/ for the latest updates about Loyola University Chicago. We want to do all we can to protect the health of those in our community—that’s our first priority.