TL;DR - If there is enough room to accommodate all in-person students with physical distancing, classes will be held in a single classroom, with simultaneous virtual access for remote students. If there is not enough space, classes will be divided into two groups that alternate between attending in person and remotely. All classes will be broadcast via Zoom.
All classrooms have been altered to reduce seating to promote physical distancing. They are equipped with disinfectant stations (hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes) that everyone should use on their hands and seating/desk area when entering the classroom.
Masks are required in all classrooms and people should be seated at least 6 feet apart while in the classroom.
Introduction to Lawyering, Simulation, and upper level courses with low enrollment, will be held in large enough spaces for all students to attend while maintaining proper physical distance.
For courses in which enrollment exceeds the physical distancing capacity, students will be divided into two groups by last name and will alternate between attending classes in person and attending remotely.
TL;DR - Yes.
We are asking members of the law school community to notify their intention of selecting the remote option by July 15, if possible, for planning purposes.
During the semester, anyone who wants or needs to change from in-person learning or teaching to remote can do so. Individuals can also switch from remote to in-person if they choose, send notice to the Registrar’s Office to ensure space is available for physical distancing.
TL;DR - Yes.
We are asking members of the law school community to notify their intention of selecting a fully remote option by July 15, if possible, for planning purposes.
But the plan is flexible, and allows individuals to switch between in-person and remote attendance as needed. During the semester, anyone who wants or needs to change from in-person learning or teaching to remote can do so. Individuals can also switch from remote to in-person if they choose.
Please communicate decisions or the need to participate remotely with the Registrar’s Office (students) or Human Services (faculty and staff) as soon as possible.
TL;DR – Yes.
Any student may attend any or all of their classes remotely or in person during the fall 2020 semester. Please make sure to communicate to all relevant parties (your professors and the Registrar’s Office, for example) if your plans change at all.
If you are sure that you would like to attend class remotely for the entire semester please notify the Registrar’s Office of your intent by July 15 for planning purposes.
If you need accommodations for remote learning please contact the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible.
TL;DR - Yes.
Any student may attend any or all of their classes remotely or in person during the fall 2020 semester.
If you are sure that you would like to teach or attend class remotely for the entire semester please notify the Registrar’s Office of your intent by July 15 for planning purposes.
If you need accommodations for remote learning please contact the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible.
TL;DR - Yes.
All fall classes will be recorded via Zoom.
The faculty member or the faculty member’s legal assistant will ensure that all classes are automatically recorded or the faculty member will assign a TA or student to ensure that the faculty member is reminded to record each class.
To address concerns about client confidentiality and attorney-client privilege, the recording of clinical classes will be handled manually.
Academic recordings will be stored by the IT department.
TL;DR - Yes, mostly online.
Faculty are encouraged to hold office hours by Zoom.
Any in-person office hours must be held in accordance with expectations of a physical distance of 6 feet.
TL;DR - For the most up-to-date information it is best to contact the individual clinic leaders. However, for the most part, teaching components of clinic work will be mostly in-person with a remote option, and in-person practice components will be limited with digital options filling in as needed.
Immigration Law Clinic
Sarah Rogerson -
sroge@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - In-person seminars when possible with remote attendance available.
Practice - In-person meetings, except for client meetings, will be limited. Team meetings held when and where safe distancing possible, otherwise on Zoom.
Health Law Clinic
Joe Connors -
jconn@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - In-person seminars when possible with remote attendance available.
Practice - In-person meetings, except for client meetings, will be limited. Team meetings held when and where safe distancing possible, otherwise on Zoom.
Options will be explored for remote client access and the office will be prepared for federal and state court electronic filing and appearances, including Skype Business platforms and PACER/ECF.
A policy for students who do not want to work with assigned clients due to health risks to themselves or clients will be adopted.
Family Violence Litigation Clinic
Jaya Connors -
jlconn@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - In-person seminars when possible with remote attendance available.
Practice - In-person meetings, except for client meetings, will be limited. Team meetings held when and where safe distancing possible, otherwise on Zoom.
For representation in court the FVLC director will represent clients.
Mock court appearances will be utilized to teach oral argument skills.
Interns may physically appear in court, but if they chose not to that will not be applied negatively for grading purposes.
Community Economic Development Clinic
Ted De Barbieri -
edeba@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - In-person seminars when possible with remote attendance available.
Practice - Mostly remote-work. Some document work will be in-person.
Field Placement Program
Nancy Maurer -
nmaur@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - There will be a combination of in-person and remote classes and meetings. Orientation will be held remotely, but early semester classes will be held in person to create community (remote attendance is possible). Individual student meetings will be held via Zoom.
Practice - Will vary by placement. Remote supervisor training and/or individual meetings will be held along with summer Zoom meetings with supervising attorneys.
Domestic Violence Prosecution Hybrid Clinic
Mary Lynch -
mlync@albanylaw.edu
Teaching - There will be a combination of in-person and remote classes, meetings, and simulations.
Practice - In-person and remote field opportunities are possible depending on allowances and procedures of District Attorneys’ Offices and the courts.
TL;DR - Large classes that cannot be accommodated in one classroom with physical distancing will be divided into A and B groups to allow groups to rotate between in-person and remote attendance days. The groups will be assigned by alphabetical order across the student body, not class by class, to avoid, to the extent possible, a student having two different modalities in a single day.
Details about the specific plans for large classes will be released as soon as possible.
Where necessary to accommodate physical distancing, larger classes will be divided into two (2) groups by last name.
These two groups will be determined by alphabetical order across the student body, not class by class to avoid, to the extent possible, a student having two different modalities in a single day.
The groups will be designated as “A Group” and “B Group” and will attend in person as set out below:
- If the class meets twice per week:
- Students in the A Group will attend in person the first class of the week;
- Students in the B Group will attend in person the second class of the week.
- If the class meets once per week, students will alternate weeks.
TL;DR - Please notify those affected by your change in schedule (your professors, students, or supervisors) and the Office of Student Affairs (for students) or the Office of Human Resources (for faculty or staff).
For the Office of Students Affairs contact:
For the Office of Human Resources contact:
TL;DR - The faculty member may teach remotely or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will find another faculty member to take over the course.
After the proper notifications, sanitizations, and screenings are carried out, if a faculty member is unable to teach in person for reasons related to COVID-19, the faculty member will be given the option of teaching remotely.
If the faculty member is unable to teach remotely, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will find another faculty member to take over the course.
TL;DR - The traditional grading system will be used.
Grading is a faculty-determined policy at Albany Law School.
The summer semester has been graded on a traditional grading system, and that system will continue into the fall semester.
However, if there is an emergency that necessitates a campus closure, the faculty reserves its right to reconsider grading policy for the fall semester.
For class participation as part of grading:
If either attendance or class participation is part of the student’s grade, faculty will be asked to make adjustments for students who are remote or quarantined (either mandatory or self-isolated), or are in any other way prevented from participating in class interaction (e.g., poor internet quality).
Faculty who desire to count class participation should consult with the Director of Instructional Design regarding alternative methods for grading class participation.
Faculty should include clearly articulated class participation policies in syllabi.
A temporary attendance policy that addresses student and faculty concerns will be adopted.
TL;DR - All finals will be administered remotely.
After the Thanksgiving break there will be no further in-person classes or tests at Albany Law School this fall.
All fall final exams will be online.
The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Registrar, and the Director of Instructional Design will review products that might be used to allow for closed-book exams.
TL;DR - Unfortunately, no.
We are exploring options for remote proctoring of exams, and it is unlikely we will be able to complete testing of remote-proctoring products before classes begin.
TL;DR - The library is creating its own policies, which will take these concerns into account. It is possible that for the period between the start of in-person classes this fall and the administration of the bar exam the entire library will be a quiet space, with no discussion allowed. Stay tuned for details.
TL;DR - Yes.
During the semester, anyone who wants or needs to change from in-person learning/teaching/working to remote can. People can also switch from remote to in-person if they choose.
Please communicate with anyone that would be affected by this decision and the Office of Student Affairs (students) or Human Services (faculty and staff) as soon as possible.
TL;DR - Yes, but we want you to be healthy!
Please don’t push yourself to come to campus just for the sake of coming back!
Take care of yourself and make sure that you fully recover. There are many accommodations that the law school can make for those who face illness (COVID-19 or otherwise) or other challenges. Please just let us know your situation and we will work with you.
After you do recover from COVID-19, if you do want to come back to campus, you will need to provide a negative test, and do the daily screenings in order to keep the rest of the law school community safe. After classes begin, you can get a no-cost test at the Albany College of Health Sciences testing facility.
TL;DR - No.
The New York Court of Appeals has granted a variance allowing applicants to count courses taught online for COVID-related reasons as in-person courses for purposes of meeting admission requirements.
