Move to Online Instruction

As you know, the Law School had already been making contingency plans for this possibility.  As directed by the University, there will be no class meetings next week (March 16-20), and we will use that week to complete preparation to move all classes online beginning Monday, March 23.  Separate training sessions for moving class instruction to zoom were held earlier today for students, staff, and faculty.  Additional training sessions for students will be offered tomorrow (Thursday, March 12) from 11:30-12:30 in Room 110 and from 4:00-4:30 in Room 157.  In light of the University’s directive, the training session previously announced for Monday, March 16, is cancelled.  The Law School’s IT staff is ready to provide assistance to anyone having difficulty accessing or using the technology, which most of you know is quite intuitive and effective.

Classes This Week Continue as Scheduled

Classes will be held in the classroom as normally scheduled tomorrow and Friday.  This Friday will be the last day of in-person instruction for the semester.

Exams

We anticipate that final exams may need to be administered remotely.  We will follow up with more details on plans for that in due course.

Student Activities and Events

In addition to suspending in-person classes, the University has also directed the cancellation or postponement of events with more than 50 persons.  This does not apply to the Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, which is already in progress, but will require the cancellation of endowed lectures, academic conferences, and other larger events scheduled for later this semester.

Campus Remains Open

Students are free to leave campus and finish the remainder of the semester from elsewhere.  For students who elect to remain in town, the campus and the Law School will remain open.  Students may continue to access the Law Library and student organization offices, though we should all be mindful to practice social distancing and follow other recommendations of health experts.

We will be following up with more detailed information on all of these matters in the days ahead.  I recognize that this response will cause significant disruption and inconvenience for all members of our community.  We will be working tirelessly to minimize any hardships or headaches and I thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.  Our community has weathered other significant storms before and I have no doubt we will all pull together again to navigate this challenge as well!

Best,

David Meyer

Please mark the following dates on your calendars:

Friday, March 20, 2020- Deadline for upper-class JD students to select pass/D/fail option for the spring semester.

Friday, March 27, 2020- Instructions regarding taking exams on computer distributed.

Monday, March 30, 2020 - Rescheduling of exams due to exam conflict begins (students should report to Academic Services in room 204 to reschedule an exam b/c of exam conflict). The deadline to reschedule an exam due to conflict is April 23, 2019.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020 – 1L Selecting Courses Program, 4:00 pm – Room 110. 

Monday, April 13, 2020 - Deadline to submit seminar, Directed Research and simulation course applications for fall semester (summer/fall registration materials will be released in late March).

Tuesday, April 21, 2020- rising 3L and continuing LLM/SJD students may begin registration for the Summer/Fall 2020 terms starting at 8:00 am.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020- Last day of classes for Spring semester (a Monday class schedule day will be held on this date)

Wednesday, April 22, 2020- rising 2L students may begin registration for the Summer/Fall 2020 terms beginning at 8:00 am.

Monday, April 27, 2020- Exam period begins

*Note that all grades and other requirements are due for graduating students on May 9^th. 

All other grades for the spring semester will be due the week of June 1 – 5^th.

Members of the 3L and LLM classes are encouraged to submit their votes for this year's faculty awards (to be announced at the commencement ceremony).

There are 2 awards given for distinction in teaching- the Felix Frankfurter Award, which is given to a full-time faculty member, and the Monty Lemann Award, which is given to a member of the adjunct faculty.

All 3L and LLM students may go to the following link on the TLS Intranet to submit their vote for this year's faculty awards in order to recognize those faculty members who you believe have done an outstanding job in teaching and instruction.

https://intranet.law.tulane.edu/Depts-Offices/Academic-Services/Faculty-Awards-Voting

Voting will be available via this site until April 16, 2020.

The exam numbers (blind grading IDs) for the Spring 2020 semester have been assigned.  Students will use this one exam number assigned to them for all examinations taken or assignments done anonymously during the spring term.  This is different than any exam number used during a previous semester.

To access your exam number log on to GIBSON online and select the Blind Grading ID option under the Law School Services heading. Then choose Spring 2020 when prompted for the term.

Information regarding exams procedures and instructions will be posted closer to the exam period.

Colleen Timmons

Assistant Dean, Academic Services

Tulane University School of Law

6329 Freret St., Suite 204

New Orleans, LA  70118

504-862-8835

504-862-8373 (fax)

ctimmons@tulane.edu

Here's my calendar link to schedule an appointment.

All students who plan to graduate in May 2020 must submit an application for graduation to Academic Services (room 204) by January 31, 2020.  A copy of this graduation application  may also be obtained from the Academic Services Office in suite 204 or found under the Forms link on the Academic Service page of the TLS Intranet.   The completed application may be emailed to lawacademicservices@tulane.edu or turned in to Academic Services in suite 204. 

The application for graduation must be received in order for a diploma to be ordered and for the degree checkout to be completed.

Degrees will be conferred on May 16, 2020 (note previous email below regarding the commencement ceremony information).  Please see https://commencement.tulane.edu/ for information regarding the commencement schedule and activities.

Diplomas will not be distributed at the respective graduation ceremonies, but rather mailed to individual students, arriving three to five weeks after commencement. Please make sure to provide a diploma mailing address on the graduation application form.  Graduates will have their names called during the law graduation ceremony, they will walk across the stage, receive a blank diploma cover/tube, and enjoy a photo opportunity. 

For JD and LLM graduates: at the time that the graduation application is submitted we will collect information from you to order your graduation regalia.  Since the cost for the graduation regalia is incorporated into the tuition/fee amount students have already been assessed there will be no additional charge for the regalia, and the Law School will order the regalia for these students participating in graduation.   

PhD and SJD degree candidates, as well as Master of Jurisprudence candidates who plan to participate in commencement, will be able to order their graduation regalia from the Tulane University Bookstore during Grad Fest.   Grad Fest will take place on March 11^th and 12^th.  More information regarding Grad Fest will be available soon. 

Please contact Academic Services if you have any questions about the commencement activities.

Colleen Timmons

Assistant Dean, Academic Services

Tulane University School of Law

6329 Freret St., Suite 204

New Orleans, LA  70118

504-862-8835

504-862-8373 (fax)

ctimmons@tulane.edu

lawacademicservices@tulane.edu

Here's my calendar link to schedule an appointment.