Yes, you can still schedule appointments with the Dean of Students team through our appointment link. We will hold these appointments as video conferences via Zoom. We are available to discuss the usual topics (classes, performance, personal health and well-being, student orgs, etc). We are also available if you have questions or issues directly related to the current situation with COVID-19. For appointment and contact information for all Student Services, you may also visit this page: https://www.law.uchicago.edu/students

No, unfortunately we will not be able to hold faculty-student lunches in Spring Quarter as we have done in the past. We are continuing to find new ways for us to stay connected in the quarter ahead.

Yes, we plan to offer a Virtual Coffee Mess each Wednesday during the quarter. We will also offer opportunities for Big Sib / Little Sib programming and a few virtual lunch talks. Stay tuned for more information!

You can update your current mailing address by sending an email to deanofstudents@law.uchicago.edu. If your address does change at any point during the quarter, we encourage you to update us.

No, currently the building is closed to students. We are continuing to follow guidance from the University, the City, and the CDC. Once the building is ready to reopen for student use we will let you know.

We have received requests from a number of students related to printing credits. We are currently exploring options and will update you in a future FAQ.

We know that student leaders worked hard as always to raise funds for their student organizations. Student leaders should be in touch with Robin Graham about which funds will roll over and any guidelines for using them.

Classes will be delivered using Zoom software. Zoom provides an audio and visual platform that can connect students and faculty. Faculty will deliver their lectures via Zoom and students will be able to participate, engage in conversation, and even be cold called. Students should claim their Zoom account (https://uchicagostudents.zoom.us/) before your first class. Even if you have previously claimed a Zoom account elsewhere, we recommend you do so through the UChicago link as it will give you access to premium features licensed by the University. Students may also use their Zoom account to host online meetings and discussion groups. For help and assistance, please visit the Zoom Tutorial page or read the Zoom Quick Start Guide [pdf].

Each class will have its own unique Zoom link. You will be able to find the link for each of your classes in the corresponding Canvas page.

Yes. Student participation in class via Zoom is expected. Education at the Law School will still be active and faculty continue to be mindful of attendance in keeping with ABA standards. As always, you should refer to your course syllabus for a full set of your professor’s expectations regarding participation.

We recognize that issues will sometimes arise that make participation challenging. For this reason, all Zoom class sessions will be recorded and students may watch those recordings for their own notetaking purpose. Please note: viewing a recording is not a replacement for attending class.

We recommend that students be prepared for the event of an internet outage with a back-up plan. Here are two back-up plan options:

1. If you have a data plan on your mobile phone or device that allows you to do so, you can download the Zoom app. We recommend that you download and login in advance so that you are ready to go in the event of an unexpected internet outage. You will need to enter your class’s meeting ID number. To find that number, login to Canvas, navigate to the Zoom tab for each of your courses, and write down the meeting ID number next to the title of your course.

2. You can call into one of the Zoom local or toll free numbers (see below). You will need to enter your class’s meeting ID number. To find that number, login to Canvas, navigate to the Zoom tab for each of your courses, and write down the meeting ID number next to the title of your course.

   +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
   +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
   +1 301 715 8592 US
   +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
   +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
   +1 253 215 8782 US

   888 788 0099 US Toll-free
   877 853 5247 US Toll-free

   Find your local number: https://uchicago.zoom.us/u/arXA0kX0d

Accessing the recordings will be one way to make up for connectivity issues that arise. We also encourage checking with your internet provider if you have concerns about your internet speed. Many internet providers are increasing speeds and eliminating data caps as a way to manage the current situation (e.g. see here). (Residents of Regent’s Park who have specific concerns about their internet may call (312) 951-9600 to find out about opportunities for faster speed.)

All workshops, clinics, and Greenbergs will continue to meet. Students may only participate in workshops and Greenberg seminars via Zoom, as they would any other class. Like all classes, participation should be active. Clinics and experiential courses will also continue to do their work via remote format, although some may present particular challenges. For clinics and field placement seminars, courts and outside agencies are increasingly limiting or shifting their activities remotely. Work within those clinics will adapt to the changing environment. Clinical supervisors will be in touch with their students with specifics for their clinic.

We are still following the class schedule and we also need to meet our required number of instructional minutes per ABA requirements. To this end, we will continue to schedule make-up classes. As always, these will be scheduled during the lunch hour or at off hour times so that they do not conflict with other classes.

Many textbooks and case books are available electronically. Our library is working to put together a list of which books have electronic versions. In some cases, publishers are making their electronic versions free. We will share this list with you as soon as possible. For now, West Academic is offering complimentary eBooks for students who do not have access to the print version of their required texts. To set up ebook access, you need to create a West Academic account at https://eproducts.westacademic.com and then call West at 877-888-1330 (ext 4).

In the meantime, if you go to the Course Search website and search for your courses, you can see which books are required for your classes. At the bottom of each course description is a link to Barnes & Noble. If your click that link it will show you which textbooks are required or optional for that course. It will also display if the book is available to rent or in digital format.

Additionally, in the coming days, the library will send each of you a code so that you can access an electronic version of the Blue Book. Stay tuned for more to come!

While the University changed their start date for Spring Quarter the Law School did not. The Law School decided to move ahead with March 30 as the start date for two reasons. First, we already had two weeks of Spring Break while the rest of the University had only one. The University needed that extra week to get ready. However, the Law School began working on our plan for remote teaching earlier and had the extra time from our longer break. Second, because of our ABA accreditation, it is important for us to maintain our appropriate amount of instructional time. If we had delayed Spring Quarter by a week we would have needed to schedule all of that missing class as make-up classes, something we thought would add to the challenges of an already difficult quarter.

All Zoom recordings will be available through the Canvas page for your course. Navigate to the Zoom tab for your Canvas page and then click on “Cloud Recordings”. Note: you will only be able to access recordings if you have claimed your UChicago Zoom account. To do so, visit this page: https://uchicagostudents.zoom.us/

The direction from the University and the city is at this time to remain at home as much as possible. Until further notice, the Law School building is not open for students so you cannot meet faculty there. We do not recommend meeting with faculty or others outside of the building either given the guidance from the city.

Yes, faculty will have virtual office hours. You should consult your syllabus to find out how each individual professor will hold them. Many will use Zoom but other options may be available. If you need to meet with a professor who is not teaching Spring Quarter, send them an email to find out how they are managing office hours this quarter.

At the moment we have not changed any paper deadlines. If a student is facing any particular challenges related to COVID-19 or for other reasons, please be in touch with the Dean of Students office to discuss options.

Yes, ABA standards require active participation in class, even with our online Zoom format. However, in light of the extraordinary circumstances, students who are taking classes that would place real time participation between the hours of 9:00pm and 7:00am local time will qualify for our reduced attendance policy. Students should be in touch with Dean of Students Charles Todd to receive permission. Students who qualify for an attendance accommodation will need to watch the Zoom recording for any and all classes missed. In such cases, for purposes of ABA compliance faculty will ordinarily require participation to be made up in some other way, such as through a Canvas discussion board.

Our goal and expectation is for students to participate actively whenever possible. A student facing internet connection issues has a number of options:

• Slow internet can often be remedied with Zoom by toggling to the speaker view rather than the gallery view. The speaker view only shows one video at a time rather than the videos of everyone in the class. You can also reduce the size of the video display window rather than maximizing it to fill your screen. Both of these options will help reduce bandwidth.
• We recommend closing other internet applications and browsers that are open such as email and social media. Any open program that is actively uploading or downloading information will add additional drag on your connection speed.
• If your internet connection is still unstable, try connecting to audio in Zoom via your phone rather than through your laptop.
• If none of those options helps, turn your own video camera off. If you do, be sure to let your professor know you are there but having internet connection issues.

If you do not have access to internet of any kind, please be in touch with the Dean of Students Office as soon as possible.

First, it is important to keep your microphone on mute when you are not speaking, particularly if you need to step away. Second, when you do step away, you should consider turning your camera off momentarily. Third, if your professor has chat enabled, we recommend sending your professor a private chat letting them know that you need to step away briefly and then let them know when you return. As we begin our experience with remote learning, professors may develop preferences on how you should handle this and other matters; if they ask you do something different, follow their instructions.

Yes, you can keep Zoom open and also type in another program such as Word. If you click the minimize button in the top right hand corner it will create a mini video window that will stay open and float above your Word document. This will allow you to see the speaker view while you are also typing your notes.

No, because all classes are being recorded and will be available for all students you do not need to complete the religious recording request form. However, as always, we encourage you to let your professors know if you will be missing class, even a Zoom one.

Yes, all exams will be taken from home in Spring Quarter 2020. At the moment, we have not posted an updated exam schedule. Once we do, we will let you know.

This decision has not yet been made. We hope to have an update for you all soon.

Yes. We are still in the add/drop period for course enrollment. Students should consider whether they want to adjust their schedules and work to make those changes as soon as possible.

Yes. The Office of the Registrar will be giving you access to the first Zoom class session. More information to come.

If you are considering a class and want to attend the first session for “shopping” purposes, there are two things you can do:

• If it is a class that has a waitlist, you should email the Registrar (registrar@law.uchicago.edu) ASAP to get added to the waitlist. All students on the waitlist for a class will be given access to the relevant Canvas page as a temporary auditor so that you can attend and shop during the first class session. Please email your request to be added at least 24 hours prior to the first class session. Requests that come in after that may not be able to be granted. If your request is received after the first class session, you cannot be added to the Canvas page.
• If the class does not have a waitlist but has open seats, just add the class through the regular online add process. Adding a class will give you access to the Canvas page and the links for Zoom.

Given the challenges of this particular time, we are extending the drop period for biddable classes. For Spring Quarter 2020, we will extend this deadline one week, until Friday, April 10 at 5:00pm. This will allow you to continue to adjust your schedule and drop courses through this date without having to take a W. After Friday, April 10, normal drop policies will be in effect for all courses.

If there are any changes to the add period we will let you know.

No, our class schedule is still going to follow the day/time meeting schedule as printed in courses.uchicago.edu. You are expected to actively participate and be prepared for faculty to call on you or engage in discussion. You may not enroll in overlapping classes. Please make sure none of your classes overlap, including non-law classes, and remove any conflicts from your schedule.

Faculty have already been given the option to increase enrollment caps and some of them have done so. Additional decisions will be made on an individual basis during the first week of classes.

As of now, the vast majority of our courses and seminars will meet as scheduled. The few exceptions are seminars where lecturers or visitors, unfortunately, had to cancel for spring. These seminars are:

• Labor Law in the Gig, Fissured, and Automated Economy (Andrias)
• Psychological Dimensions of Crim Punishment (Sood)

Additional advising sessions have been opened in light of these cancellations. As of now we expect few additional cancellations.

Yes, for the first class session. All students on a waitlist will be added as temporary auditors to the Canvas page for that particular course by Monday. You probably already received an auditing invitation. You will be able to access the Zoom link and syllabus for that class through Canvas. Unless we receive instructor’s consent to officially add waitlisted student(s) to the class, we will remove Canvas access for students who do not receive a seat. Only waitlisted students who become officially enrolled in a class by consent of the instructor will be able to attend additional class sessions, and get credit for the class. If you are on the waitlist and are attempting to get into the class, we recommend that you attend the first session live.

No, you can still join a waitlist. Please email the Registrar (registrar@law.uchicago.edu) ASAP to get added to a waitlist. Please email your request to be added at least 24 hours prior to the first class session. Requests that come in after that may not be able to be granted. If your request is received after the first class session, you cannot be added to the Canvas page.

Yes, the processes and policies for auditing a class have not changed. Visit our Petitions page and complete a petition to audit. Instructor consent is required for the auditing petition.

No, overlapping enrollments are not allowed, even for classes you are auditing. The expectations for Spring Quarter 2020 are for students to attend live Zoom class sessions, including for students who wish to audit a class.

Your ability to add/drop classes yourself online will run through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3. After that, you will need faculty consent to add/drop any class. Faculty consent can be emailed to registrar@law.uchicago.edu.

We have extended the deadline to drop biddable classes without a “W”, so it now aligns with the drop deadline for non-biddable classes. The deadline to drop any class without a “W” will be 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10.

Check out your online degree audit at: https://lawdegree.uchicago.edu.

Click here to schedule an appointment with Jesse Landstrom (Office of the Dean of Students), Associate Director of Student Affairs and Academic Services, or a member of the Registrar team.

In order to distinguish this unique period for the Law School and the world, the transcript grade will reflect EP or EF for the mandatory Emergency Pass or Emergency Fail scale. This will distinguish these grades from other P/F grades that might appear for classes that were already on the regular pass/fail basis. There will also be a transcript notation referencing this specific emergency for this period and that these grades were mandatory. The exact notation has not been determined as of yet.

You may have heard that some schools are instituting a minimum grade, such as a C, in order to receive a pass. We have not taken that approach here at the Law School. Under our normal grading scale any grade of 160 and above is a passing grade and earns a student credit towards their degree. We will continue with that same definition of “pass” for this EP/EF scale.

No, there will not be a curve limiting the number of Emergency Pass grades or requiring a certain number of Emergency Fail grades.

Your grade will be on the regular P/F scale.

Yes, Spring Quarter 1L classes that span winter and spring quarters will receive a EP or EF grade for both Winter and Spring quarter 2020. Note: Your Spring 2020 Bigelow class, Lawyering: Brief Writing, Oral Advocacy and Transactional Skills, will have EP/EF grades, while your Autumn 2019/Winter 2020 Bigelow class will receive standard numeric grades.

In a multi-quarter class (e.g. clinic, workshop, etc.) that includes the Spring Quarter, if the students have completed sufficient independent work in prior quarters or will complete sufficient independent work in subsequent quarters for which the instructor can assign grades, the instructor will submit numeric grades for the prior or subsequent quarter(s) and EP/EF for the Spring Quarter. Otherwise, the prior quarter(s) and Spring Quarter will all be graded by mandatory EP/EF.

For clinics, as stated in the Handbook, grades for clinical work are posted at the conclusion of the student’s involvement with the clinic, except for the Kirkland & Ellis Corporate Lab Clinic which posts grades each quarter. The timing of when clinic grades are posted will follow the Handbook, and remains unchanged. When clinic grades are posted they will follow the numeric and EP/EF grading guidelines above.

All Spring Quarter 2020 courses, regardless of when the student finishes the paper, will be subject to the mandatory Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail grading scale.

Independent studies will not be treated differently. All Spring Quarter 2020 courses, including independent studies, will be subject to the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail grading scale.

All Winter 2020 quarter grades that have been posted to a student’s record are final. Winter Quarter classes for which there is no final work/paper outstanding (because there was a final exam or a series of reaction papers due before the end of Winter Quarter), have already been and will remain subject to the numeric grading scale. For all other Winter Quarter 2020 paper classes, students will have an option to elect either the numeric or the EP/EF grading scale. Students must make this designation at the time they turn their final work/paper in or by Monday, May 4, 2020, whichever is earlier. By default, grades will be subject to the numeric scale. Students who wish to elect the Emergency Pass / Emergency Fail designation must do so by submitting the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail Request Form (the student does not need to contact the instructor). Once the online form has been submitted, the grading scale designation will be final. Students who do not submit the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail Request Form at the time they turn their final work/paper in or by May 4, whichever is earlier, will automatically be subject to the numeric grading scale.

Note: this policy does not apply to students who have already turned their final work/paper in. This policy also does not apply to classes which had both an exam and a paper option and you chose the exam option—even if the grade is not yet posted.

All grades from Autumn 2019 Quarter and prior quarters that have already been posted to a student’s record are final. For all other Autumn Quarter 2019 or earlier courses with outstanding work, students will have an option to elect either the numeric or the EP/EF grading scale. Students must make this designation at the time they turn their final work/paper in or by Monday, May 4, 2020, whichever is earlier. By default, grades will be subject to the numeric scale. Students who wish to elect the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail designation must do so by submitting the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail Request Form (the student does not need to contact the instructor). Once the online form has been submitted, the grading scale designation will be final. Students who do not submit the Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail Request form at the time they turn their final work/paper in or by May 4, 2020, whichever is earlier, will automatically be subject to the numeric grading scale.

Note: this policy does not apply to students who have already turned their final work/paper in. This policy also does not apply to classes which had both an exam and a paper option and you chose the exam option—even if the grade is not yet posted.

No, it is not possible to request a late drop from a prior quarter. All other add/drop rules remain in effect according to the Student Handbook.

No. If you are taking a non-law class this spring, you will be subject to the grading polices determined by that department. If you were approved by the instructor of the department to take the non-law class pass/fail, the final grade will be on the P/F scale not the EP/EF scale. If you are taking the class for a letter grade, you will receive a letter grade. Non LAWS prefixed classes do not count towards a student’s Law School GPA no matter the grading scale.

You will be on the Law School Emergency Pass/Emergency Fail grading scale.

You can contact Dean Casaleggi or any advisor on the OCS team.

The Writing Competition is managed by the journals. Any decisions about the competition will be made by the journals.

Yes, you are eligible for federal, state and UChicago financial aid while you are enrolled in remote learning. You must still be enrolled for the required number of units (half-time or full-time) to be eligible. The Office of Financial Aid has posted a FAQ to answer your questions about financial aid during Spring Quarter.

Emergency funding assistance remains available; students who need support should review options and apply to the Bursar’s Office.

The Office of the Bursar has posted a helpful FAQ. Our Director of Financial Aid, Michele Ortiz Wortel, is always available to assist you.

The only change made to Spring Quarter 2020 is a reduction in the Student Services Fee. You can find out more information on that change as well as information regarding tuition on the Bursar’s FAQ.

The Office of the University Bursar offers an emergency assistance program that you can apply for through my.uchicago.edu. Food may also pose a challenge for some of you. You can learn more about food security resources and apply for assistance on the Student Support Services website.

If you are experiencing difficulties of this kind, we urge you to reach out to the Law School Financial Aid Office or the Dean of Students Office as soon as possible.

The answer to this is highly dependent on when it happens.

• If a member of the Law School community is confirmed to test positive for COVID-19 and in the seven days before the confirmed test was present in the Law School building or at a Law School event: The Law School will work with the Chicago Department of Public Health to communicate with anyone that person may have come into contact with and advise them on steps to take. As Chicago Booth did after one of our students tested positive, we will close the Law School building to everyone for 48 hours and conduct a deep cleaning. We will offer support to the affected person and we will inform the Law School community in a way that safeguards the affected person’s privacy. We will also share any steps that we are taking and that you need to take.
• If a member of the Law School community is confirmed to test positive for COVID-19 but has not been in the Law School building or at a Law School event in the seven days prior:  We will work with the Chicago Department of Public Health or the Department of Health in the location where the affected person resides to assist in any way we can. We will offer support to the affected person and we will inform the Law School community in a way that safeguards the affected person’s privacy. We will also share any steps that we are taking and that you need to take.
   

Student health and counseling resources will remain available to students through Spring Quarter; however, check this site often for updates on on-campus, telehealth, and teletherapy options.

Ordinarily, under ABA guidelines, we require students to attend at least 80% of all class sessions in order to qualify to sit for the exam or to submit a final paper. This policy is still in effect. Students who miss class will need to watch the Zoom recording for any and all classes missed. In some cases, faculty may also require additional participation, such as a Canvas discussion board. However, in this extraordinary time, students who are dealing with substantive and ongoing COVID-19 related circumstances can reach out to the Dean of Students to discuss alternative options.

If you are ill or otherwise unable to attend class, follow the procedures you usually would—contact your professor or follow the instructions they provide in their syllabus about how they would like you to handle it. As with in-person classes, students may also qualify for exams to be rescheduled.  If you think you will have to miss a substantial number of classes, need to reschedule an exam, or are otherwise in need of assistance, please contact Dean Todd as soon as possible.

Most disability accommodations are still in place for remote teaching (e.g. note taking, alternate format materials, exam-related accommodations). If you are not sure how a particular accommodation is being met or if you would like to discuss a new accommodation, please feel free to schedule an appointment with our advisor Jesse Landstrom. If you are in need of a new accommodation we also encourage you to review our page on Assistance for Students with Disabilities.

At the moment, the Law Library is closed and staff are working remotely. The University library system is continuing to monitor the situation as it develops and is working with the Provost’s Office to determine when it is safe for librarians to return. We will continue to keep you updated.

Reference librarians are available via email and real time chat to provide research assistance Monday – Thursday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Starting Saturday, March 28th and until the building reopens, we will also have a reference librarian available via email and real time chat Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. To access this service, please visit Ask a Law Librarian.

Unfortunately, West Academic withdrew their permission to offer most of their text books to our students for free. While the library was able to obtain electronic access to some titles, we unfortunately were unable to obtain access to all. Please refer to this spreadsheet with up to date information about access to ebooks. If you have questions, please contact the Library.

Please check your Canvas site to see if any of your initial readings have already been provided to you electronically. You can also check with the publisher to see if they have an electronic version of your book. If you have purchased the hard copy of the book and are waiting on it to come, the publisher might provide you with an electronic copy for free. If you are not sure who to contact at the publisher, be in touch with the Library.

All due dates have been extended. Quarterly loans are now due October 2, 2020. Annual loans are now due May 1, 2021. Please visit the Library website for more information about due dates and fines.

The D’Angelo Law Library will continue to provide access to electronic collections, research guides, and legal databases via its web site and make available any of its services which can be delivered remotely. In addition to the above services we have ebooks available including study supplements, as well as past exams.

Unfortunately, since the Law Library building is closed and library staff are working offsite, scanning services are suspended until further notice. However, the library has subscriptions to a number of legal research databases that provide similar information as well as access to interdisciplinary databases through the University. If you need assistance, reference librarians are available to provide research consultations remotely. To request a research consultation, including from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM on the weekends, please visit the Ask a Law Librarian page.

Unfortunately the University made the difficult decision to not hold a live Convocation ceremony in June 2020 on campus. Please see the announcement from the President and Provost from April 7, 2020 for more information. At this time, the University and the Law School are planning virtual ceremonies for June 13. We will update you with more information soon. Please also visit the University’s Convocation website: https://convocation.uchicago.edu/.

Yes, we are looking into options for a photographer to come to the Law School and take photos of the class of 2020 in their regalia. Additionally, students will still receive their hood as a gift from the Law School.

For any classes that have been cancelled, we will reach out to impacted students right away. We encourage you to schedule an advising appointment with either Jesse Landstrom or the Registrar’s Office.

We have received a waiver of the distance learning rules from the NY Court of Appeals for Spring 2020 courses.  We have confirmed that a waiver will not be required for California. Our Registrar’s Office is continuing to be in touch with jurisdictions around the country and will seek waivers as needed.

All is well. A number of students, faculty, and staff received emails telling them that their Westlaw access was ending. Westlaw has made clear that this email was a mistake, and you should ignore it.

Yes, along with the rest of the University, all staff at the Law School are still working. The vast majority of staff are working from home. A very few essential personnel are still in the building in order to ensure that essential operation.

In addition to Law School employees, the food service workers, such as those who work at the Law School Café, at the University, both full- and part-time, will continue to receive their regular pay for the duration of Spring Quarter. The University is also working with our food service contactors to establish new roles and responsibilities for their employees to meet pressing needs in our community.