2024 End-of-Year Updates

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

A short time ago, Columbia's Chief Operating Officer announced that, beginning tomorrow (Thursday, May 9) at 8 a.m., Law School buildings will be open to students, faculty, and staff. Please see below for further details:

• Building Access: All Law School buildings—including Jerome Greene Hall, William and June Warren Hall, William C. Warren Hall, and Jerome Greene Annex—will be accessible to Law School students, faculty, and staff via CUID card swipe. 
• Law Library: The Law Library will reopen at 8 a.m. tomorrow, May 9, and remain open (including overnight) until 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10. 
• Faculty and Staff: Faculty and staff may access their offices and workstations beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow. We understand that, given the short notice, it may take additional time for some administrative offices to be fully operational on campus. Managers are asked to be in touch with their teams about returning to in-office work. 

In addition, the Law School will continue to provide alternative space for students, as well as arrangements for printing of materials, through Friday, May 10:

• Columbia Business School Classroom: Classroom space in Kravis Hall (665 W. 130th Street) at the Business School’s Manhattanville Campus will continue to be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. To access this room, please check in upon arrival at the lobby security desk in Kravis Hall.
• Urgent printing and copying needs: Although Law School buildings will reopen, students may continue to visit Village Copier (1181 Amsterdam Ave., corner of 118th St.) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to print or copy notes and materials. Charges incurred by those who identify themselves as law students will be billed directly to the Law School by Village Copier; no need to seek reimbursement. 

We will continue to keep the community informed about changes to Law School access and operations. Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation. 

Sincerely,
Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community, 

Per the latest message from Columbia's Chief Operating Officer, access to the Law School's buildings remains limited to faculty, students residing in residential buildings on campus, and essential employees. 
 

As a reminder, the Law School is continuing to provide alternative space for students, as well as arrangements for printing and retrieval of materials:

• Student Space Available at Columbia Business School: Classroom space in Kravis Hall (665 W. 130th Street) at the Business School’s Manhattanville Campus will continue to be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. This space will be open for law students who want to study quietly or to take their exams in a non-proctored environment. To access this room, please check in upon arrival at the lobby security desk in Kravis Hall. 
• Access to JGH Lockers / Library Book Return: Students who have essential study materials in JGH lockers or in the Law Library may retrieve them between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. They may also return library books during the same window. Students should proceed to the 116th Street entrance to JGH, where they will be required to present and swipe their CUID card. Once granted entry, students will be escorted by a Law School staff member at all times. No other parts of the building will be accessible and access will not be granted for any purpose other than for the retrieval of materials and book returns.
• Urgent printing and copying needs: As long as Law School buildings remain closed, students may visit Village Copier (1181 Amsterdam Ave., corner of 118th St.) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to print or copy notes and materials. Charges incurred by those who identify themselves as law students will be billed directly to the Law School by Village Copier; no need to seek reimbursement. 

Sincerely,

Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear members of the J.D. and LL.M. Class of 2024, 

This morning, the University shared updated plans for Commencement, including the Law School’s Class Day ceremony scheduled for Monday, May 13. The announcement read, in part:

“[W]e have decided to make the centerpiece of our Commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15.”

In addition, the University has decided to relocate most school ceremonies to Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex, “to ensure…the best conditions and resources for a meaningful experience.” The University has also indicated that it is exploring the possibility of a festive event on May 15 in place of the campus-wide Commencement ceremony.

In light of this, the Law School Class Day will move forward as follows: 

Date: Monday, May 13, 2024

Time: 3:30 p.m. (Gates Open at 2:30 p.m.)

Location: Baker Athletics Complex 
(505 West 218th Street, New York, N.Y. 10034) 

In an effort to make things as smooth as possible, all guest tickets will continue to be valid at the new location. You should expect to receive additional information, including details about the timing and logistics of arrival, in the coming days. 

Honoring our graduates who have reached this important milestone, in the presence of those who have supported and cared for them along the way—family, friends, classmates, professors, and mentors—is a cherished tradition, one that we will carry on as a community. 

Gillian Lester

Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community, 

A short while ago, you received a message from Columbia's Emergency Management Operations Team (EMOT) regarding campus access and operations for tomorrow, Monday, May 5, 2024. Please see below for specific details pertaining to the Law School, which remain in effect until further notice: 

Law School buildings and the Law Library remain closed. Access to campus is limited to faculty, students residing in residential buildings on campus (specific residence halls listed in EMOT message), and essential employees. Law School staff should continue to work remotely, unless otherwise directed by their supervisor.

• Student Space Available at Columbia Business School: Classroom space in Kravis Hall (665 W. 130th Street) at the Business School’s Manhattanville Campus will continue to be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. This space will be open for law students who want to study quietly or to take their exams in a non-proctored environment. To access this room, please check in upon arrival at the lobby security desk in Kravis Hall. 
• Access to JGH Lockers: Students who have essential study materials in JGH lockers may retrieve them between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Students should proceed to the 116th Street entrance to JGH, where they will be required to present and swipe their CUID card. Once granted entry, students will be escorted by a Law School staff member at all times. No other parts of the building will be accessible and access will not be granted for any purpose other than for the retrieval of materials from lockers. 
• Urgent printing and copying needs: As long as Law School buildings remain closed, students may visit Village Copier (1181 Amsterdam Ave., corner of 118th St.) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to print or copy notes and materials. Charges incurred by those who identify themselves as law students will be billed directly to the Law School by Village Copier; no need to seek reimbursement.
   

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and understanding. 

Sincerely,

Law School Senior Operations Team

Good morning, everyone --  I write to share with you: (1) a weekend update on operations; and (2) information on quiet space for next week as well.  

Weekend Update

Extended Helpdesk Support - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm: Today and tomorrow, students may call or email the Helpdesk ([email protected] or 212-854-1370) during this 12-hour period for live, remote support form a member of our incredibly hardworking Information Technology team. My recommendation is to call first to see if you can troubleshoot an issue live, but follow up with an email as a staff member may be tied up with another student at any given moment.  Exam issues that cannot be readily handled by the Helpdesk staff will be escalated, as follows:

• For technical issues with Exam4: Braxton Dubin ([email protected])

• For non-technical issues where Registration Services support is required (i.e. an exam issue, extra time, rescheduling, etc.): Marin E. Conaughty ([email protected]) and the Registrar's Office ([email protected]).
   

  Quiet Space at Columbia Business School - Kravis Hall Classroom 670 - 12:00 pm-6:00 pm: Today and tomorrow, our colleagues at Columbia Business School (CBS) have generously agreed to provide our students with quiet space in Classroom 670 in their Kravis Hall building.  Administrative staff from our IT, Library and Student Services teams will be there to ensure the space is used by only law students.  You may also take an exam there in a quiet, unproctored space.

Next Week

CBS has also confirmed that CLS will have continued use of the Kravis Hall Classroom 670, Monday-Friday, from 8 am- 6 pm for quiet study / exam, unproctored space.

My sincerest thanks to our colleagues at CBS and at CLS (Registration Services, Building Services, IT, the Library) for their leadership and support in making this announcement today possible as we continue to do our best to operate through these changes to our operations.

To each of our students, we are all sending you our very best - and doing our very best - to help you finish the semester as strongly as you can, knowing that everyone has been impacted, in their own and/or collective ways, by the events of the past two weeks.  Please know that we all believe in, and are rooting for, you. 

Kind regards,
Dean Saavedra

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

We know that the current final exam period has been challenging and unpredictable, and we appreciate your continued understanding and forbearance as we aim to implement adjustments that balance compassion, flexibility, and the integrity of the academic experience. Please read this email all the way to the bottom.  

1) We will resume remote exam administration tomorrow. Please note: We are not able to update your individual LawNet account to reflect these shifts. Please instead rely on this email.

a. The Provost’s email on exams does not affect the Law School.

b. For 1Ls: Exams in Foundation Courses (Contracts, Constitutional Law) will take place as scheduled on Friday, May 3.  The 1L exam schedule for next week will proceed according to the original schedule.

c. For Upper-Year J.D. and LL.M. Students: An updated exam schedule for this Thursday and Friday is outlined below. Exams will take place next week according to the original schedule.

i. The following exams, which were originally scheduled for today (Wednesday, May 1) will take place tomorrow (Thursday, May 2). Scheduled time slots remain the same.

ii. The following exams, which were originally scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, May 2) will take place on Friday, May 3. Scheduled time slots remain the same.

iii. Exams originally scheduled for Friday, May 3, will take place as scheduled. Scheduled time slots remain the same. Registration Services will work to reschedule the exams of individual students for whom the above shifts introduce conflicts. (Please see item #2 below.)

iv. “Any day” exams that were previously due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, will be due instead by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8.

2) We will continue to permit students to reschedule exams.

a. Registration Services will continue to accept requests to reschedule exams submitted using the Emergency Exam Reschedule Form. Selections must be made prior to the scheduled start time of the exam and before accessing it in Exam4.

b. Upper-year students with conflicts resulting from the updated Thursday and Friday exam schedules should also use the Emergency Exam Reschedule Form to request a rescheduled exam.

3) Going forward, students may elect a course to be graded on a Cr/F basis until ONE HOUR prior to the scheduled start of their exam in that course. Cr/F elections should be made by contacting Registration Services.

4) Until further notice, Law School buildings and the Law Library remain closed and staff should continue to work remotely.

a. All Law School buildings—including Jerome Greene Hall, William and June Warren Hall, and William C. Warren Hall—as well as the Law Library remain closed. Students, faculty, and staff will not be permitted to enter campus buildings, including via CUID card swipe. We will notify the community if this changes.

b. For tomorrow (May 2) and Friday (May 3), from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. the Law School has secured a classroom in Kravis Hall (665 W. 130th Street) at the Business School’s Manhattanville Campus. This space will be available for law students who want to study quietly or to take their exams in a non-proctored environment. To access this room, please check-in upon arrival at the lobby security desk in Kravis Hall. Please note: Paper copies of exams will not be made available.

c. For urgent printing and copying needs as long as our buildings remain closed, students may visit Village Copier (1181 Amsterdam Ave., corner of 118th St.) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to print or copy notes and materials. Charges incurred by those who identify themselves as law students will be billed directly to the Law School by Village Copier; no need to seek reimbursement.

Thank you to our colleagues across the Law School and the University who are working diligently and continuously to adjust and maintain continuity of operations during this exceptionally difficult time for our campus.

Sincerely,
Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear Students,

Due to the unexpected closure of campus buildings, we know that some of you have been unable to retrieve books and materials—including those which are crucial to preparing for exams—from lockers and library carrels in Jerome Greene Hall.

If you have essential study materials in JGH and would like to retrieve them, we have arranged for a staff-supervised access window today, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students will be required to present and swipe their CUID card at the 116th Street entrance to JGH and will be escorted by a Law School staff member at all times. No other parts of the building will be accessible and access will not be granted for any purpose other than for the retrieval of materials. 

Please continue to monitor your email for additional updates, including regarding the resumption of exams. 

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and understanding. 

Sincerely,
Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

Throughout the day today, we have been working to adapt the Law School’s operations in line with the changes announced by the University. We know that this morning’s pivot was a challenging one, and we are grateful for your cooperation and flexibility as we continue to work together to navigate the events on campus and draw the semester to a close.

Looking ahead to tomorrow (5/1), we expect operations to proceed remotely, much as they did today. Here are some important details:

• Exams: For tomorrow, and until further notice from the Law School, students who wish to proceed with their exams as scheduled may do so remotely. Students wishing to reschedule an exam originally set for tomorrow—or who wish to take their exam in an in-person, proctored environment under an existing disability accommodation—should complete the Emergency Exam Reschedule Form; this selection must be made prior to the scheduled start time of the exam and before accessing it in Exam4.
• NEW—Business School Space Available for Students: The Law School has secured two classrooms in Kravis Hall (665 W. 130th Street) at the Business School’s Manhattanville Campus. These rooms will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Law students who wish to use them for quiet study or to take their exams in a non-proctored environment. To access these rooms tomorrow, you must REGISTER by 10 pm EDT today and check-in upon arrival at the lobby security desk in Kravis Hall. Please note: Paper copies of exams will not be made available.
• NEW—Printing Reimbursement and Village Copier: Today, for urgent printing and copying needs, students may pay out of pocket and seek reimbursement from Student Services (submit receipts to [email protected]). Beginning tomorrow and through the remainder of the exam period, students may visit Village Copier (1181 Amsterdam Ave., corner of 118th St.) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to print or copy notes and materials. Charges incurred by those who identify themselves as law students will be billed directly to the Law School by Village Copier; no need to seek reimbursement.
• Building and Library Access: Until further notice, all Law School buildings—including Jerome Greene Hall, William and June Warren Hall, and William C. Warren Hall—as well as the Law Library remain closed. Students, faculty, and staff will not be permitted to enter campus buildings, including via CUID card swipe. We will notify the community if this changes.

• Staffing: Law School staff, researchers, and faculty should plan to work remotely unless explicitly directed otherwise by their supervisor. Remote work will continue until further notice, including from the University’s Emergency Management Operations Team.

  We appreciate your understanding in this fast-moving environment. We will continue in our efforts to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have accurate, up-to-date information to enable planning for the days ahead.

  Sincerely,
  Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

As you know, following last night’s protest activity in Hamilton Hall, the University’s Emergency Management Operations Team (EMOT) has begun to implement several operational changes on campus for today, Tuesday, April 30.

Right now, all campus buildings—including Jerome Greene Hall (including the Law Library), William and June Warren Hall, and William C. Warren Hall—remain closed. Students, faculty, and staff will not be permitted entry to campus buildings, including via CUID card swipe. Please refer to EMOT’s earlier messages regarding campus access restrictions.

We recognize that these closures may affect some students' ability to proceed with exams scheduled for today. In light of this:

• Remote Exams: Students who wish to proceed with their exams as scheduled today may do so, although administration will be remote. Staff will be working remotely. As a result, paper copies of exams will not be provided. You also will not have access to any on-campus quiet rooms for exam taking.
• Emergency Reschedules: Any student who would like to reschedule any of their exam(s) scheduled for today may do so by selecting “Other” in Registration’s Emergency Exam Reschedule Form. In the “Other” category, simply write: “4/30 Emergency Reschedule.” You must make this selection prior to the originally scheduled start time of your exam and before accessing it in Exam4.
• Scheduling Impact of Emergency Reschedules: If you opt for an Emergency Reschedule, then other aspects of your exam schedule may need to shift. If you are a 2L, 3L or LL.M., please note that the outside date for completion of all your exams is Friday, May 10th. If you are a 1L, please note that the outside date for completion of all your exams is Monday, May 13th or a later date that week to be announced.
• Office of Disability Services Accommodated Students: If you have existing accommodations that require an in-person, proctored experience, and you want to exercise that option rather than taking your scheduled exams remotely today, please fill out the Emergency Exam Reschedule Form. Registration Services will schedule you for an in-person, proctored experience at a later date.

• Exams in Progress: Registration Services will be in touch with students who presently have exams in progress about the impact, if any, of these administrative changes.

  This is an evolving situation and we encourage members of our community to continue to monitor communications from campus for the latest updates. We will continue to keep you updated as circumstances change and additional information becomes available.

  Sincerely,
  Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear Students:

I write to share with you clarifying details about the specific rule changes and the process for electing Cr/F (see attached) and to remind you of the existing protocol for requesting exam accommodations (see below). 

1. Emergency Reschedules. You may complete this form now to request to reschedule an exam to a later date due to an emergency.  In the event of a medical or mental health emergency, you must submit a note from a medical provider, which may include Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS).
   
   Disability Accommodations. Students with established disability accommodations via Disability Services will have their accommodations implemented according to their letter. If they have questions about their exam administration, they should contact [email protected] or [email protected], as needed.

We understand that many students feel distressed and negatively affected by the current events on our campus.  We encourage you to please reach out to CPS for any urgent counseling needs. You can make an appointment through the Patient Portal or by calling (212) 854-2878 (available 24/7).  You can also reach out to your Student Services academic advisor or to me ([email protected]).

If you have any questions, please email Student Services or Registration Services, respectively.  As always, you can also reach out directly to me if you have an urgent situation and have not received a response within a business day.

My thanks in advance to each of you for your collegiality, partnership, and professionalism as you work with me and my exceptionally hard working, compassionate, and knowledgeable colleagues through the exam period. 

Yours truly,

Dean Saavedra

Spring 2024 Emergency Accommodations re: Credit/Fail (Cr/F) Elections

Dear Students,

The exam period is always a stressful time of year, and this year it is particularly so with the unrest on campus and the additional agitation on the streets outside the University’s gates. I know that last night’s protests and counter-protests, which I witnessed alongside some of you as we watched from Revson Plaza, left some students feeling particularly frightened and distracted. 

We are in a fast-moving environment right now, and it’s difficult to anticipate how circumstances might change from one day to the next. In light of this unpredictability, I am writing to update my communication yesterday about exam administration and grading policies. Please see two changes outlined below:

1.  All exams will be virtual. Late this afternoon, we received word that the tentative plan we have been working to implement—providing an alternative, off-site location for proctored exams—is not feasible. As a result, all exams will need to take place in an online format, including those that would have taken place in a proctored environment. 

Exams will continue to be administered using the Exam4 software at their originally scheduled day and time. We will make classroom space available in Jerome Greene Hall and William and June Warren Hall for those who wish to make use of it, and we will continue to honor existing accommodations for those of you who have disabilities. If you are not comfortable taking your exam at the Law School and do not have a suitable off-campus setting in which to do so, please contact Registration Services; we will make every effort to arrange for alternative locations on a case-by-case basis.

2.  We will expand the optional Credit/Fail (Cr/F) election. With respect to grading protocols, all students, including 1Ls and LL.M.’s, may elect to have any of their courses graded on a Cr/F basis. In other words, students may elect to have zero, one, two, three, or any number of spring semester courses assessed on a Cr/F basis. Please note the following considerations:

• Students may only choose Cr/F in courses for which exams or final assessments have not yet occurred. Grades already submitted, and courses in which final exams or papers have already been conducted are not eligible to be converted to Cr/F.

• Any courses taken on a Cr/F basis under this one-time exception will not count against the ten-credit limit stipulated in Rule 3.1.2.3.

• Rule 3.1.2.4 is waived, which means that foundation courses, as well as courses that fulfill the Legislation and Regulation and Professional Responsibility requirements are eligible to be taken on a Cr/F basis.

• For courses with any-day exams, which all become available at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 29, the deadline for making an additional Cr/F election will be Saturday, April 27th at 11:59 p.m.

Other aspects of the grading policies announced yesterday remain unchanged. Registration Services will share a more detailed message clarifying the specific rule changes and the process for electing Cr/F in LawNet.

Now, as always, we must support one another in ensuring a safe community where we can learn, live, and express ourselves. We must stand together against hate, harassment, and bigotry. Such conduct is unacceptable, and has no place at Columbia Law School. Finally, if you are in need of support, or if you just need someone to talk with, do not hesitate to reach out to Student Services, the Office of Graduate Degree Programs (OGP), and/or the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) team. If you are experiencing an urgent mental health concern, please call CPS immediately at 212-854-2878; this hotline is staffed 24/7. 

Sincerely, 

Gillian Lester
Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law

Dear Students, 

I know how challenging the events of the past weeks have been for so many of you. Our Columbia community is being tested in ways we could not have imagined not so long ago. It will take us time before we are able to regain our collective footing. 

Many of you have reached out—to your professors, and to me directly—to offer your views, both about how the crisis on our campus has affected you personally, as well as to share your input on how the Law School can better support you. The collective voices of the Student Senate, student survey, student groups, and many individual student meetings and emails testify to the heart-wrenching challenges we face individually and collectively, and also to the range of perspectives on how best to support you as we move into exams and bring the semester to a close.

The faculty met today in an emergency meeting to reflect on your views and to discuss and deliberate a broad range of ideas and proposals for flexibility at this exceptionally difficult time.  

I write now to announce some important changes relating to the administration of final exams and spring semester grading protocols.

1. Uptown Proctored Option. Consistent with the Provost’s recent communication that we make available “a remote proctor to physically administer exam[s],” the Law School expects to offer students the opportunity to take their scheduled in-person, proctored exams at an off-site location, most likely at one of Columbia’s campuses in Manhattanville or at the Medical Center. Offering an off-site location will allow us to maintain a proctored exam environment—a critical and unique aspect of so many Law School exams—while also accommodating students who do not wish to come to the Morningside Heights campus. We do not expect to offer a virtual exam option for scheduled in-person proctored exams. You will shortly receive an email from Registration Services with a link to a brief, one-minute survey asking whether you intend to take your exams off campus. We need you to indicate your intention by NOON ON FRIDAY, so we can secure adequate space uptown. Please note: We will continue to honor and comply with all existing, approved disability accommodations.

2. Additional Cr/F election. On a one-time basis, all students may elect to take one additional course Cr/F no later than to 5 p.m. on the third calendar day before the scheduled day of the exam for that course. This means that upper-level JD students will be able to elect up to two Cr/F classes instead of one. The upper-level JD students’ Cr/F election deadline will also now be rolling, rather than fixed—an additional one-time accommodation—which means that tomorrow’s previously announced deadline is no longer applicable. 1Ls and LLMs may also elect up to one class as Cr/F, instead of zero such classes, up to 5 p.m. on the third calendar day before that exam. 
   
   Specifically, for this semester, we are (i) amending Academic Rule 3.1.2 to allow up to one Cr/F election for 1Ls and LLMs and up to two Cr/F elections for upper level JD students, (ii) amending 3.1.2.1 to allow students to notify the Registrar of each election up to 5 p.m. on the third calendar day before the scheduled exam, and (iii) waiving 3.1.2.4. All other aspects of how our current Cr/F option is administered will still apply.

   There is a wide range of views on these important matters of academic policy, and on what will best support your well-being and careers. And I know that the measures described above will leave some in our community disappointed. I and the rest of the faculty hope, however, that these additional measures of flexibility will help to reduce stress and anxiety, while also affirming our strong commitment to academic excellence, equity, and fairness. 

   Best regards,

   Gillian Lester
   Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

In light of the University’s decision to shift to a hybrid modality, we write to provide additional information about Law School classes and operations. The information below pertains only to Tuesday, April 23, and Wednesday, April 24—the two remaining days during which spring semester Law School classes are in session. We will provide guidance for the balance of the week as it becomes available.

• Law School classes will be offered in a hybrid format. To fulfill our obligations to provide in-person instruction to our students, faculty should plan to teach in their assigned classrooms during the next two days. For students who require accommodations for religious observance, or who prefer to attend class remotely, a real-time virtual option will be available. Otherwise, students should expect to attend classes in their regularly scheduled rooms.
• As with today, faculty should create Zoom links for their classes and share those links with students.
• Members of the Law School IT and AV teams will be on-site tomorrow to assist faculty with logging into Zoom in their classrooms and ensuring that the classroom technology equipment is functioning properly. If needed, faculty should contact the Law School IT Helpdesk for assistance.
• Instructors who find it infeasible to conduct class in a hybrid format may teach via Zoom in a fully remote format or make other appropriate alternative arrangements. For externship placements and other off-campus field- and practice-based learning opportunities, it may be appropriate to proceed as normal, a decision that should be considered by the program and instructor on a case-by-case basis.
• Faculty are strongly encouraged to make a virtual option available for office hours and exam review sessions, and to make recordings of the latter available to students who are unable to attend.
• Faculty are encouraged to be flexible in responding to students seeking adjustments and accommodations. In a message to Law School instructors this past Sunday, Dean Lester requested that faculty give special consideration to requests for accommodations from students—including excused absences, access to recordings, and other similar measures, as well as to allow for religious observance or approved disability accommodations.
• Law School buildings will remain open via CUID card swipe, but will close overnight. Jerome Greene Hall (both entrances, 116th Street and Revson Plaza) and William and June Warren Hall will be staffed with a security officer and accessible via CUID card swipe from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Both buildings will be fully closed outside of those operating hours. The Law Library will continue to be open during regular hours. William C. Warren Hall and Jerome Greene Annex will continue to be accessible via CUID card swipe per normal protocol.
• The Law School will maintain an on-campus staff presence as necessary to support instruction and operations. Law School administrators and support staff will receive guidance from their supervisors regarding expectations for on-campus work. In general, employees who support faculty and students, or who are essential to Law School operations, will be expected to report to campus.

• Non-Class events and programs scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday may proceed as planned on campus. Organizers should endeavor to make a hybrid option available to allow for virtual participation to the extent feasible, and may decide to shift to a fully remote format at their discretion.

  Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and flexibility as we navigate this challenging period. We will continue to keep our community updated and informed as information becomes available.
  
  Sincerely,
  Law School Senior Operations Team

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community,

Very early this morning, President Shafik announced that all classes today, Monday, April 22, will take place virtually, and faculty and staff who can work remotely should plan to do so. While we are still working through some of the details at this hour, we write to provide further information about classes and operations at the Law School:

• Classes: All classes should be convened as scheduled via Zoom. Faculty should create Zoom links for their classes and share those links with students. Full-time faculty who need assistance should work with their coordinators. Adjunct faculty and other instructors may contact the Law School IT Helpdesk for assistance. Instructors who find it infeasible to conduct class by Zoom may cancel class and reschedule or make other appropriate alternative arrangements.
• Building Access: Jerome Greene Hall, William and June Warren Hall, William C. Warren Hall, and Jerome Greene Annex will remain accessible via CUID swipe. While President Shafik expressed the preference that students who do not live on campus not come to campus, our buildings will be open for student study. The Law Library will be open regular hours today, and campus remains accessible via CUID swipe at limited entrance points.
• Staff: Unless otherwise notified by your supervisor, Law School administrators and support staff should plan to work remotely today. A limited number of essential personnel, including some staff in Building Services, Human Resources, IT, and Student Services, will be on site. We encourage staff working remotely to make themselves available via phone and Zoom, particularly for students who may be in need of support.
• Events and Meetings: All previously scheduled in-person events and meetings, including office hours and review sessions, should take place via Zoom if feasible. Because we cannot provide operational support, no events—including those for which room reservations have been previously made and confirmed—may take place on the Law School’s campus today.

We recognize that you may have further questions at this time. We are working to obtain additional information from the University and will share additional updates regarding campus operations should they become available.

A final note: The safety and well-being of our community are of paramount importance at this time of tension and disharmony. We encourage members of our community to take advantage of the supportive resources available to students, faculty, and staff, and to submit a report through appropriate University channels if you become aware of a violation of University policy.

Sincerely,
Law School Senior Operations Team