The University of Virginia School of Law is adapting to a rapidly evolving situation in the wake of the national coronavirus outbreak.
On Wednesday, the University of Virginia announced it was moving classes online and urged students to stay home or return home. The University and Law School will start online classes Thursday after an extended spring break. Events at the Law School are canceled for the foreseeable future, and the University will make a decision about commencement exercises by April 15.
“Right now, our focus is on effectively implementing our online delivery of classes and maintaining the high quality of teaching that is core to who we are,” Dean Risa Goluboff wrote to the community Wednesday. “People with expertise of every imaginable kind — at the Law School and across Grounds — are working literally around the clock to answer outstanding questions and to continue to guide the University through this still-evolving situation.”
On Friday the Law School launched a website, law.virginia.edu/coronavirus, with information for students, faculty and staff as they adapt to online teaching and offsite communication. Emails from administrators offering additional guidance are also collected on the site. Information and updates from the University about its response are available at www.virginia.edu/coronavirus.
Goluboff said she knows the changes are disruptive and unsettling, especially for students expecting to graduate in May.
“I know you understand that our paramount goal is to protect everyone in our community, especially those who are most vulnerable to this disease,” she wrote. “Thank you for the patience, kindness, creativity, and determination you will undoubtedly display in the coming days. We are lucky to live, learn, and work in a community filled with people who care for each other and who work together toward the greater good. Even when we are not all together in Charlottesville, our ties to one another remain strong. I have no doubt that, wherever we all may be, the generosity of spirit that makes the UVA Law community so special will carry us through.”
Goluboff said the school will continue to work with the University to monitor the situation and address remaining questions.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
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