Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)Fall Law School classes to begin August 11 with Orientation for first-year students to begin on August 10. View the Academic Calendar.
Working with the University and Northwell Health, our partner in the medical and nursing schools, we have developed protocols that align with local, state and federal health and safety guidelines.
We have also invested in new technologies to keep classes flexible and accessible. Students who need to attend classes remotely due to health concerns (such as underlying conditions), illness, isolation requirements or travel restrictions, will be able to continue to participate in classes.
Our plans and policies are adaptable, and may change as the public health situation continues to evolve. Please review the latest details on our fall 2020 reopening plan outlined below.
Hofstra Law’s Fall 2020 Reopening Plan
The Basics
- You must wear a mask in all campus buildings, including residence halls, except for your own room, suite, or office. Masks will also be required outdoors when six feet of physical distance is not possible.
- Keep at least six feet between you and other people whenever possible. Classrooms and public spaces will be reconfigured to ensure distancing.
- All students and employees must answer a three-question screening via portal or smartphone app before coming to campus or attending class.
Visit Hofstra’s Safe Start website for more information on the University’s reopening plan.
Health and Wellness
- Daily Health Screenings: Students and employees will have to answer three questions before coming to campus or attending class. The online screening will be available via portal and a smartphone app.
- Testing and Tracing: Working with Northwell Health, our partner in the Zucker School of Medicine and the School of Nursing, the University has built an extensive COVID-19 testing program that goes beyond what the CDC has recommended for college campuses. Learn more about testing and tracing protocols.
- Student Health and Counseling services will be mostly by appointment only. Students seeking health services should call 516-463-6745 for telemedicine triage, during which they will be given further instructions and an appointment for in-person services if necessary. Appointments can also be made through the Hofstra portal.
In the Classroom
- All classes will be conducted under physical distancing guidelines. This means that all students must sit at least six feet apart, in every direction, and all students and faculty must wear face masks while in the Law School building.
- We have redesigned the course calendar so that all first-year courses will be delivered in-person with small sections of 40-45 students. Students will take all of their classes with the same section for the entire semester, which will help develop stronger connections with their fellow students and faculty. It will also limit their exposure to other students during class time.
- All first-year classes will be staggered in their start and end times so that no first-year class will start or end at the same time. This is intended to lessen hallway crowding and help students maintain social distancing outside of class.
- Upper-level classes will be a mixture of in-person and online classes, with classes of 25 students or less meeting in-person in most cases. This was determined based on room availability, as well as safety and physical distancing guidelines.
- If a student has an illness or health concerns that prevent them from attending a class in-person — including first-year classes — they will be permitted to attend class "remotely" via new lecture capture technology being installed in all of our Law School classrooms.
Hofstra Law Attendance Policy
and Final Exams
Please note that the Law School requires attendance for all classes as outlined in our policy in the Student Handbook. You are required to attend classes regularly whether you are participating in-person or remotely. Attendance credit will not be given for students who fail to attend the live class session (either remotely or in-person), even if that student reviews a recording of that class session.
Please also keep in mind that remote attendance of a class does not allow you to take the exam for that class remotely as well. All exams will be administered in person between November 12-25.
Law Library
- The law library will only be open to members of the Hofstra community.
- Study spaces will be reconfigured to comply with physical distancing guidelines.
- We are also working on creating space in the library for students who need to take their online classes in the Law School.
- The University will be building an outdoor tent close to the Law School that can be used for studying and taking classes online.
- The law library will be closed every night from 3-7 a.m. for cleaning.
Safety and Cleaning
- The Law School classrooms and building spaces will be reconfigured to comply with physical distancing guidelines.
- The building, including classrooms, will be cleaned each night from midnight-8 a.m. using electro-static disinfectant sprayers.
- Custodial staff will clean high-touch areas throughout the day. The Custodial Operations staff uses disinfectant wipes and sprays that are approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill the COVID-19 virus.
- Each classroom will have disinfectant wipes available so that individuals can clean their area.
- Plexiglass barriers to separate faculty and students will be available for the classroom.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be added throughout the Law School building, and at each building entrance.
- Ventilation units will be running 24/7 and will circulate air from the outside. Ventilation has also been upgraded with MERV 13 filters, which are used in hospitals.
Learn more about Hofstra’s enhanced cleaning protocols on the Safe Start website.
New York State COVID-19 Travel Advisory
If you have traveled from within one of the designated states listed on the website, New York law requires you to quarantine when you enter New York for 14 days. The site also includes guidance on how to travel and quarantine safely. All students must comply with these guidelines for your own safety and for the safety of everyone in our Hofstra Law community.
You will be able to attend classes remotely if you need to comply with the travel advisory.
Learn more about the New York State COVID-19 Travel Advisory.
Fall 2020 FAQ
- Important Links
- Why did Hofstra Law change the start-date for classes?
Subject to approval from New York State, we will now begin all classes on Tuesday, August 11. This earlier start date will minimize travel to and from campus, and help to keep the community safe, which is our top priority. It also allows the Law School to complete all classes by November 11, and to administer all exams in-person and on campus before the Thanksgiving holiday.
- When can I move into the Hofstra dorms?
This new calendar, and the need for physical distancing, will require students to move in by appointment, prior to classes beginning. Students will be given further details about move-in during the next few weeks.
- Why has Hofstra Law decided to hold some classes in person and some online?
Our top priority is your safety. We will comply with all the requirements of New York State and the local Department of Health, and best practices for public health, such as mask wearing, social distancing, and occupancy rules. This creates limitations on classroom space imposed by social distancing guidelines, and the need for certain classes to be taught remotely.
We anticipate being able to offer all first-year students a fully in-person classroom experience for all of their courses, and many in-person upper-level classes as well.
Students will receive more information regarding class schedules in the next few weeks.
- What is Hofstra Law doing to ensure its online courses will provide a high-quality learning experience?
Hofstra Law’s faculty has been working hard to build upon its experiences during the past semester to improve online teaching in the legal context. In addition to internal faculty workshops over the summer where ideas for improving online teaching techniques have been shared and developed, the faculty has also developed “best practices” to guide its members in teaching next semester and beyond.
- Will I be able to participate in my clinic during the fall 2020 semester?
We expect all clinics to operate during the fall 2020 semester with a mix of in-person and remote work.
- Will there be any adjustments to the grading policy?
Grading for the fall 2020 semester will follow the Law School’s standing grading policy, which can be found in the Hofstra Law Student Handbook (PDF).
- What is Hofstra Law doing to ensure the building is safe to return?
We will comply with all the requirements of New York State and the local Department of Health, and best practices for public health, such as mask wearing, social distancing, and occupancy rules. We have convened a task force on reopening to ensure the Law School building is as safe as possible when you return this fall. Visit Hofstra University’s Safe Start website to learn more about cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
- What happens if I am not able to return to campus in time for the new start date of August 11?
We are installing "lecture capture" technology in all Law School classrooms that will enable students to participate remotely in any class that is being taught "in-person" on campus. Students who attend "remotely" in this way will be counted as "present" for the purposes of our attendance policy.
If you are taking the MPRE on August 11 or 12, your absence on those dates will be treated as excused (upon verification with the Office of Student Affairs) and all faculty have been asked to make class recordings or slides available for those dates.
- How will I know which classes will be fully online and which classes will be held "in-person"?
We will release a schedule with this information as soon as possible. It depends in part on New York State guidelines and other requirements that may be imposed by the University to ensure health, safety, and social distancing.
Please be aware, however, that whether or not your classes are online, the Law School is planning to administer all examinations, including midterms, in-person and on-campus. All students should ensure that they are able to be on-campus for those examinations, even if their course is otherwise being taught online. Final examinations will begin on November 12, 2020. A full revised exam schedule will be released as soon as practicable.
- Will I be able to enter the Law School building if my classes are online?
Although seat capacity in the Law School will be reduced due to New York State health guidelines, we do expect that there will be enough seats for some students to use the Law School building to study or even, in some cases, to take online classes.
- Does Hofstra Law expect to be in person in the spring?
Our goal is to resume all on-campus classes and academic programs as soon as it is safely possible. We will make a decision on the winter term and spring semester later this year.