Building and Grounds Usage

For questions or concerns, contact Student Affairs if you are a student, and contact the Dean’s Office if you are not a student.

Animals

Animals are not permitted in the Law School building (including courtyards such as Spies Garden and Purcell Garden), except for service animals. 

Building Access

The Law School building’s exterior doors are locked at all times, except for the Clay Hall main entrance. Law School students and employees may access the building via access control readers using a University ID card or mobile ID wallet. There are entrances with readers located on every side of the building. Visitors must enter the Law School through the Clay Hall main entrance (see Visitors below).

You may exit the building at any time. Some doors are marked “Emergency Exit Only — Alarm Will Sound.” Exiting these doors will trigger an audible alarm.

If you lose your University ID card, please contact the Cavalier Card Office to report it lost. If you forget your University ID card and need to access the building between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, go to the Clay Hall Visitor Desk for assistance (see Visitors below).

The Law School employs a security guard at all times. Note that the security guard or the police might ask you for identification as they conduct their patrols, so please keep your University ID card or mobile ID wallet on hand. If you need to contact the security guard, call the UVA Police Department main line at 434-924-7166, and the dispatcher will assist you. In case of an emergency, call 911 directly.

In keeping with University policy SEC-034, the Law School uses security cameras, both indoors and outdoors. Your image may be recorded.

Building Accommodations

The Law School has wheelchair-accessible entrances at the front, side and back entrances (map). Elevators offer access to the first floor (from the basement), and second and third floors of Slaughter and Walter Brown Halls. To access the third floor of the library, seek assistance from the first floor Circulation Desk or the second-floor Reference Desk. For general help navigating the building, check in with the reception desk of the Admissions Office, where visitor parking passes are distributed.

Chalkboards and Whiteboards

Writing on chalkboards and whiteboards is reserved for faculty during class sessions and for event sponsors during events for which they have a valid space reservation.

Common Areas

The Law School provides a variety of common areas open to students, employees, and authorized visitors. All furniture and resources in common areas are shared resources. Unless a common area has been reserved through the Law School’s space reservation system, use of these areas is on a first-come, first-served basis each day. Common areas, including furniture and resources therein, cannot be held with personal items. Items taking up otherwise available space or excluding use by other people may be removed by Law School staff. The Law School is not responsible for personal items.  

Electric Bicycles and Motorized Scooters

Per University policy SEC-043, electric bicycles and motorized scooters must be parked outside, using a bicycle rack or at a designated parking area. They should not be secured to a non-bicycle rack (e.g., a tree or a handrail) or parked in such a way that blocks sidewalks or building access. For safety reasons, University policy also prohibits the charging of electric bicycles and motorized scooters inside University facilities, including the Law School.

Events and Activities

Students and employees may use the Law School building and grounds for Law School-related activities (e.g., classes, student organization meetings and events, work meetings, and academic center and program events). Such uses must conform with Law School and University policies (see, e.g., The Free Exchange of Ideas at UVA Law) and Space Reservation Terms and Conditions.

Absent express authorization from the Dean’s Office, the Law School building and grounds may not be used for activities unrelated to the Law School. Such activities include, but are not limited to, weddings, memorial services, and meetings of non-Law-School groups, regardless of whether the meeting or group happens to include students, employees, or alumni. 

Sleeping

Overnight sleeping at the Law School, whether indoors or outdoors, is prohibited. 

Smoking and Vaping

Per University policy SEC-028, smoking and vaping are prohibited inside the Law School building, within 25 feet of any entrance to the building, and in Spies and Purcell Gardens. 

Solicitation

Law School and University policies (e.g., University policy PRM-017) prohibit direct advertising, sales, and commercial solicitation in the Law School building and grounds in order to preserve the educational mission and focus, provide a secure environment, protect students and employees from exploitation, respect the aesthetic qualities of Grounds, and promote fair business practices.

Limited exceptions include (1) student organizations engaged in fundraising activities that comply with relevant policies, (2) vendors engaged in activity permitted by their contractual relationship with the Law School or University, and (3) bar exam prep companies engaged in activity permitted by the Law School’s Bar Exam Prep Company Solicitation Policy.

Speech and Posting Policies

Expressive activity at the Law School is governed by a variety of Law School and University policies. For details, see The Free Exchange of Ideas at UVA Law.

Structures and Displays

In accordance with Law School and University policies, the Law School may utilize structures and displays for Law School activities, including outdoor events. Other structures and displays at the Law School, whether indoors or outdoors, are prohibited unless permitted by the Posting Policy. Structures and displays include, but are not limited to, tents, forts, or buildings; chairs, hammocks, or other furniture; and signage, posters, images, art, or banners planted in the ground or affixed to the building, hardscapes, or flagpoles. 

Visitors

Use of the building is reserved for Law School students, employees and authorized visitors. No trespassing is allowed. Visitors must enter the Law School through the Clay Hall main entrance, register at the Visitor Desk, and show either University ID (for current UVA students and employees) or government ID (for visitors who are not current UVA students or employees). The Visitor Desk is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except when the Law School is closed for holidays or other reasons. Absent an approved exception, visitors who are not current UVA students or employees are not allowed to be in the Law School building while the Visitor Desk is closed. For more details (including maps and directions), see Visiting the Law School.