Study

Duke Law will continue to offer a “hybrid” model of instruction in the Spring 2021 semester. Students are not required to be on campus in the spring if they choose to participate remotely due to health and safety concerns, or other considerations—but for those who elect to be in Durham, we will offer some in-person opportunities.

The majority of our courses, including those for first-year students, will be online, though some doctrinal and larger lecture courses, simulation courses, and seminars will meet in person some or all of the time, or on a rotating basis, with a fully remote option always available. Additional small upper-level courses, including most clinics, ad hoc seminars, readings courses, independent studies, and some externships, will also meet in person some or all of the time. Courses that have an in-person option are identified as such in the Spring 2021 schedule.

In general, classes will take place on the same days and at the same times as ordinarily scheduled, via the remote platform selected by faculty. As always, please review all communications from your faculty carefully to be sure you are aware of asynchronous and synchronous obligations and opportunities. If you have concerns about attendance for a specific class, please contact your faculty member directly. If your attendance concerns are more general, please contact Academic Affairs or Student Affairs.

Mitigating the risk of COVID-19 infection for all members of our community remains of paramount importance and, together with a commitment to educational excellence, the guiding principle behind our decision-making. With that in mind, we remind you that all members of the Duke community—students, faculty and staff—will have to observe required health and safety protocols. These include wearing a face covering in all public areas, practicing physical distancing, washing hands frequently, doing daily symptom monitoring, and reporting and following any new guidelines that may be instituted. To protect each other, any of us who is symptomatic or deemed at risk due to contact tracing will need to report the symptoms or contact and undergo follow-up measures, which may include testing and quarantine. If you choose to come to campus, including the Law School building, you will be expected to follow these rules, and also exercise special care with respect to any travel outside of Durham. This agreement is recognized under the Duke Compact, a statement of mutual commitment to community health and behavioral standards that every student, faculty, and staff member is required to agree to at the outset of the 2020-21 academic year.

For more information on returning to campus, please visit the Duke United website.

The revised academic calendar is available on our website. As noted in e-mails to the Duke Law community, first-year students will have their first LARW meeting on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, and the first day of all classes for all students is Wednesday, January 20. Classes will be held through the spring, with no scheduled spring break, and end on Thursday, April 22. Additional days off during the spring semester will be announced in the coming weeks. Examinations will be administered from Monday, April 26, to Friday, May 7. We will share information about graduation as soon as we learn more from the University about the schedule and event protocols.

On-campus interviewing will take place (virtually) from Wednesday, January 13, to Saturday, January 16. Wintersession is scheduled over two long weekends during the spring semester: Friday, February 19 – Sunday, February 21; and Friday, March 12 – Sunday, March 14. Wintersession registration will take place in mid-December.

Spring registration begins on Friday, November 13, when bookbags open. Registration windows will open on Monday, November 16, until Thursday, November 19, and add/drop--during which you may continue to make changes to your schedule--runs from Friday, November 20, until Wednesday, February 3, at 11:59pm.

As with the Fall 2020 semester, we plan to use our normal grading system for the Spring 2021 semester. That said, the pandemic is unpredictable and we cannot foreclose the possibility that our normal grading system will need to be modified, or that individual students or courses will need to be graded differently due to health or other disruptions.

The Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) has announced that it will return to its March guidance for international students on F-1 visas. As such, we believe any such students who want to enter or remain in the United States, including first-year students, will be able to maintain their visa status regardless of their course registration this fall. At this time we expect that students who want to participate in a fully online format may do so remotely. JD and dual-degree students should contact Assistant Dean Amanda Lacoff or James Lambert for individualized assistance as needed. LLM students should contact Associate Dean Oleg Kobelev.

Effective October 5, the Law School building is open to students on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You should generally plan to come to the building for scheduled appointments – such as office hours with a faculty member, an in-person class, or a meeting with a staff member – or reserved study, printing, or group meeting hours. The Law School now has some limited space available without reservation as described below. Please note that access will be further limited during winter break; we will share further information about those protocols in the coming weeks.

You will need your Duke Card to swipe into the building at all times. You will also need to continue to complete your symptom monitoring and participate in surveillance testing if asked in order to keep your Duke Card active. Please remember to swipe your card to enter the building and please don’t hold the door open for others. In the event we need to do contact tracing related to an identified COVID exposure, we will need these individual card swipes to know who is in the building. If you are in an emergency and need to speak to someone outside of regular business hours, call Duke Police at 919-684-2444 or page the Dean on-Call (pager: 919-970-4169; or cell: 984-287-0300).

Students may reserve individual study space or printer access during hours in which the building is open using the seat reservation system. Students may reserve group study or meeting space by submitting a Meeting Request Form (you will be contacted by the Events Office to confirm your reservation). These spaces may be used without a reservation as long as you vacate the space if a person or group who has reserved it arrives. If you make a reservation, please keep the reservation confirmation in case you need to ask someone to vacate the space. No reservation is needed to use Star Commons, which has been reconfigured to enable physical distancing for small group meetings. Food and drink may be consumed in outdoor spaces. Please remember to put your mask back on when you are finished eating or drinking.

Further details on printing and building access can be found in the August 28 email from Academic Affairs, the September 11 email from the Dean’s Office and the Events Office, and the October 5 email from Academic Affairs.

Café de Novo will not be able to operate in the building as it has in the past. Information regarding on-campus dining options can be found here. Information about access to the non-law libraries can be found here and general campus access information is on the Duke United page.

Reserving Space in the Law School

Spaces

For Students

Individual Reservations: Duke Law students can make individual reservations for study space in the Law Library, several classrooms, the Blue Lounge, and the Mezzanine. Seats in journal offices, the SJD office, and Clinic areas are limited to students in those programs. View the full list of spaces with available seats for individual study and make a reservation.

Group Reservations: Available spaces are listed on the Events page. Please fill out the meeting request form.

Spaces Not Requiring Reservations: Available spaces are listed on the Events page. Note that reservations are required for all individual study spaces.

For Faculty/staff

Available spaces are listed on the Events page. Please submit an Outlook meeting request following the instructions provided on the Events page.

Rules

By adhering to the following rules, we can keep the law school open and safe for those students who wish to use it and the faculty and staff working onsite.

• Masks must be worn at all times, even if you are the only person in a space.
• Social distancing of at least 6 feet is required. Even if the person is in your bubble, other people do not know that and may feel that you are being unsafe.
• Only sit at spaces marked with a green check. These have been measured to ensure 6 foot distancing. Do not move chairs.
• Clean the surfaces with provided supplies at the end of your reservation.
• Food is not allowed inside the law school. Food may be consumed outdoors.
• You must leave by the building’s closing time. After hours use is not permitted.

Reservation information

Reservations for individual study spaces are required to help avoid conflicts over spaces and for contact tracing purposes.

Each student can make up to 6 hours of seat reservations per day. These can be split into multiple reservations, but each reservation counts toward the weekly maximum of 7.

The default seat reservation length is 6 hours or up to the time the building closes. If you need a shorter reservation, use the dropdown menu at the bottom of the booking grid screen to adjust the end time.

Padding of 15 minutes is added on each side of a reservation to allow time for cleaning.

Cancel your reservation using the link in the confirmation email if you will not use the reserved space. This makes it available for other people and it will not count toward your weekly maximum.

Printers and the scanner should be reserved (even if you have a concurrent seat reservation) and do not count toward your weekly seat reservation maximum.

Questions

Please email seat_reservations@law.duke.edu (for individual student spaces and library spaces) or events@law.duke.edu (for faculty/staff and student group spaces).

Students who have not purchased annual parking passes have the option of purchasing flexible daily passes through the University’s Parking Services website here. For those interested in accessing the Law lot during evening and weekend hours only, students may now obtain an after-hours pass at no charge. These passes will provide law students access to the Law School lot between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays or between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekends. Directions for obtaining the pass though the parking service website are below.

Obtaining the Permit:

To get an after-hours permit, you will need to do the following:

1. Log in to your parking account (link is external) with your Duke NetID and password. Have your vehicle make, year, and license plate number available.
2. From the Permit menu, select Get Permits.
3. This takes you to a “Purchase Permit” screen. Please select “next” here to take you to the screen to confirm your address, which is required for the permit.
4. On the Select Permit screen, select Afterhours 2021 Permit/Night 2021.
5. Complete the check-out process.
6. A link to the permit is provided; click to display the permit in your web browser.
7. Download and print the permit or store the QR code in your smart phone. (We recommend a printed copy if possible as the Law School gate sometimes has trouble reading QR codes on phones.)

You'll also receive an email confirmation with a link to the permit.

Yes, there will be office hours, in-person when possible, and online in other instances. Your professors will provide information about their plans, and will likely take different approaches depending on the type and nature of a given course. Please be flexible and understand that your professors are all committed to providing all of you, whether in Durham or elsewhere, with an opportunity to connect and ask questions.

We are committed to ensuring that any students otherwise eligible for Latin and graduation honors under Rule 2-7 will not precluded from consideration due to the threshold for grading credits, based solely on the effect of Spring 2020’s ungraded coursework. To that end, for the Class of 2021, all students will be granted a blanket allocation of 14 “graded” credits for purposes of honors eligibility. This allocation of 14 graded credits represents the closest to the average number of credits generally taken by second-year students during their spring semesters, and allows for some flexibility to account for dual-degree students and/or those who are “away” from the Law School this semester, either with Duke in DC, a faculty-mentored externship, or a study abroad program.**

Under this formulation, to meet the threshold for Latin honors, regular JD (including transfer) students need 27 graded credits of upper-level coursework (out of a total 56 upper-level credits); JD-LLM students need 37 graded credits in upper-level coursework (out of a total 70 upper-level credits); and all other dual-degree students need 17 graded credits in upper-level coursework (out of a total 44 upper-level credits) at the Law School. The determination for cutoffs for honors designations will remain unchanged under Rule 2-7.

** For students “away” from the Law School this semester, if your total number of planned graded credits falls below these revised thresholds, you will be deemed eligible for Latin honors if all of your Spring 2021 coursework at the Law School, totaling no fewer than a minimum of 12 credits, is graded. Any courses taken on a credit/no credit basis must be in excess of applicable degree requirements.

All students in the Class of 2022 will be deemed to have earned 31 graded credits for their first-year coursework, regardless of election of a grade for Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing, for purposes of honors eligibility. The requirements for upper-level graded coursework and determination of cut-offs will remain the same as those articulated in Rule 2-7. For dual-degree students in the Class of 2022, who took Constitutional Law during the Fall 2020 semester, that course will count as graded credits for purposes of honors eligibility.

As always, you should check with the bar examiners in the state where you plan to sit for the exam, but we have reviewed all 50 states and found that, with the exception of New York, shifting to remote learning and C/NC grading will not affect our JD graduates’ ability to sit for the bar exam. For LLM graduates taking bar exams in states other than New York, please contact Jabrina Robinson in the International Studies office.

The Law School has applied for, and received, a waiver of strict compliance with the distance education limitations of Section 520.3 and 520.6 of the Rules for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law for New York. Upon satisfying New York’s Rules in other respects, including proof of a degree from Duke Law, our JD and LLM graduates will be permitted to sit for the New York bar exam.

Yes. We recognize that even in the best of times law students need all types of support in planning your careers and academic schedules and that this support will be even more important during this time of uncertainty. Most of the Law School’s usual support systems and services will continue to be available to all students regardless of whether you are in Durham and whether you engage in in-person offerings at the Law School. The level of access to University services such as the Student Health Center and DuWell may vary depending on your location, but a number of remote services will be available. If you have questions about your ability to access services, please contact Associate Dean Bill Hoye (william.hoye@duke.law.edu).

Our expectation continues to be that, with few exceptions, students will participate in synchronous class sessions, with classes set to record as the default option and a link available if needed for students who are unable to attend. There may be some instances when, for reasons related principally to speakers and confidentiality or specific class pedagogy, faculty may determine that recording is infeasible for a specific class; course syllabi will provide more detail about these situations. When the semester begins, please contact your faculty member if you are unable to find a class recording; for technical issues, please contact the Help Desk. The Student Suggestion Box remains open for feedback about Zoom.

The University has directed students to contact keeplearning@duke.edu with questions about access to electronic devices and/or internet beyond Duke’s campus.

If this applies to you, please also contact Student Affairs so that we can determine the scope of the problem and adjust our response accordingly. One possible solution for those eligible for federal loans is to contact the Financial Aid Office to request a budget increase to permit you to borrow additional loan funds in order to establish better internet service at home. If you are ineligible to borrow federal loans, please still contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss other options.

Please visit the University’s dedicated Coronavirus Response site. Please also check your email often and read all emails from the University, law school, and your professors in their entirety.

Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. Please refer to the CDC site for more detailed information.

This fall, students who will be coming to the Law School building will be required to do daily symptom monitoring via a system developed by the University, with clear instructions about next steps to follow if they are experiencing any of the above symptoms, or more common symptoms such as a headache, sore throat, or runny nose.

If you are in Durham and ill with the symptoms outlined above, you will be directed to contact Student Health at 919-681-9355, option 2 and ask to speak to a triage nurse. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact Student Health and Dean Gustafson (gustafson@law.duke.edu or 919-613-7229) so that Duke may take appropriate measures to safeguard the University community and provide you any support you may need.

Before the start of the Fall 2020 semester, we will provide additional, more detailed guidance about the safety protocols to follow for symptom monitoring, possible exposure, quarantine requirements, and other measures to keep our community safe for those who are in Durham.

If you are elsewhere, please contact your primary care provider or the local public health authorities for additional guidance.

Make sure you follow the guidance for protecting yourself and staying healthy issued by the University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both pages are updated frequently with the latest information.

Physical distancing and other mitigation strategies to reduce exposure, slow the spread, and minimize the transmission of COVID-19 remain important—and yes, please follow the tips to wear a mask, maintain distance between yourself and others who aren’t members of your household, and to avoid shaking hands or close physical contact with anyone displaying symptoms. Follow the guidance to wash your hands, and avoid touching your face. These measures are important to follow not just if you want to access the Law School, but all the time, regardless of where you are. Please continue to remain vigilant and play your part in keeping yourself, your loved ones, your colleagues, and your community healthy.

And, stay in touch! In Durham or elsewhere, we hope that we can continue to maintain the sense of community that makes Duke Law special. Your mental health is just as important as your physical wellness, and being in contact with us and each other is a critical part of staying healthy. Continue to connect via your GroupMe and WhatsApp groups, set up regular (even if remote!) study sessions, get outside and away from a screen as much as you’re able, check in on each other by phone, text, and e-mail, and please contact Student Affairs, faculty, or other administrators if you learn of a friend or classmate who needs our help. This continues to be an uncertain time, and we can do a lot to ease each other’s stress and anxiety simply by continuing to be present for each other, even in new or different ways.

If there are academic advising questions we have not addressed, please contact Dean Lacoff or James Lambert to ask about your particular situation.