Dear 3L Class:
I wish we could offer you a more personal farewell and congratulations as you commence your last week of law school classes. We are keenly aware of the stress that you are under because of COVID-19 and the attendant uncertainties regarding the bar exam and employment. We share your disappointment that our scheduled May commencement will not take place as planned. The unsettled and unsettling effects of the pandemic have hit everyone in the Law School hard, but you folks most of all.
We know that you have heard from CSO about job search resources and the Bridge to Practice program. Please be sure to send them your contact information for this summer so that we can stay in touch with you about matters such as returning your possessions and rescheduling commencement. This email will discuss exams, graduation, the bar exam, retrieval of your belongings, and community matters.
Your fellow students, your faculty, and the staff of the IU Maurer School of Law have had multiple opportunities to appreciate your professionalism, resilience, good humor, and grace. Thanks for all your kindness in this tough time. We wish you the best and really miss seeing you.
Exam Reminders
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Exams will be on their scheduled days, with morning exams beginning at 12:00 noon EDT and afternoon exams beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Final exams will be administered remotely through Canvas. You will find your exam in the assignments section of your class’s canvas page. Your professor will give you exact instructions; please follow them and maintain your anonymity. Exam numbers are available in CareerNet. Find your exam number before your exams begin.
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As you know, exams will be graded Satisfactory/Fail/Incomplete. Any exam that would have received a grade of C or above will receive a grade of Satisfactory.
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If you run into accessibility problems or have any special accommodations or requests (special provisions are being made for those students taking exams outside North America), please do not discuss your personal exam needs with your professors. All issues regarding the timing of exams, illness, or accommodations should go to exam2020@indiana.edu and will be handled by Alexis Lanham.
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Small logistical problems often arise with exams—and this semester we may see more because of illness or connectivity issues. If you encounter difficulties before or during the exam, please do not get stressed. We will help you. Contact exam2020@indiana.edu, and we will address your concerns as soon as possible.
Graduation
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For bar exam and all other purposes, your official graduation date will be Friday, May 8.
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As you know, because of a campus-wide decision, our normal commencement celebration and recognition ceremony have been canceled. After considering many different alternatives, we are looking at a tentative commencement ceremony date of December 19, 2020, which is currently the university’s winter commencement date. This date is unfortunately not certain until we hear from the main university. We understand that not everyone would be able to make it back to Bloomington, but we have tentatively selected this date or one close to it—rather than one earlier in the fall— because of conflicts with possible dates for the bar exam and uncertainty concerning when we can gather in large groups. Our hope is that our live, on-campus graduation ceremony will give those students who can attend the opportunity to walk across the stage in full regalia.
We appreciated and benefited from all the input we received from individual students and via the questionnaire created and distributed by the SBA. It was apparent to us that for a clear majority of the 3L class, neither going fully virtual nor joining the ceremony of the Class of 2021 were popular options. Obviously, because future public health requirements are unpredictable, and because the university’s plans are still uncertain, ours must remain tentative.
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On May 9—the day you should have been walking across the stage to the thunderous applause of family and friends—we will mark the occasion with a brief online video containing special messages to our graduates and announcing various awards and other recognition. Look for social media celebrations to follow throughout the month of May.
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You will be asked to conduct your final vote for graduation awards this week. You will also have one more chance to view the graduation composite photograph to ensure your photograph and name are correct. Watch for an email from Director Beck on both of these items in the next few days.
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Please start collecting photographs of your three years at the Law School. We will assemble a slide show and will solicit your photos and messages soon.
Cap and Gown; Other Graduation Paraphernalia
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Please communicate directly with Herff Jones (the company through which graduation regalia and packages are ordered) about your cap and gown. Herff Jones will ship regalia to an address that you designate. Students will need to return the hood and gown (there will be a pre-paid return envelope), but you can keep the cap and tassel. Your options are:
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Cancel your order and request a refund. Call customer service at 1-800-837-4235.
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Ask the company to ship the regalia directly to you now, so you can have your regalia for photographs and receive your cap and tassel sooner. Check a prior email from Herff Jones with a link to provide your shipping info. You may keep your hood and gown until the December ceremony and ship it back to the company afterwards. Shipping will be free both ways.
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Postpone your order until closer to December. Call customer service at 1-800-837-4235.
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The Office of Student Affairs will assemble graduate packages from the Law School for each student containing a composite picture of the class, and any Latin honor cords. We will distribute these packages in person at the Law School as soon as we are able. We will arrange to mail these packages to those who have no other way of getting them.
Updates about the Bar Exam
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As you undoubtedly know, the timing of the bar exam is still up in the air.
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Most states are still hoping to test in July and are adopting a wait-and-see approach. Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Illinois are all awaiting decisions by the National Conference of Bar Examiners in early May as to whether an exam will be made available.
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The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order on April 8 amending the time limitations of its graduate legal intern rule. The order allows anyone who graduated from law school after November 2019 to potentially serve as a graduate legal intern until the February 2021 bar exam, provided they have not failed any exam prior to that date. The exam is still currently scheduled for July 28-29.
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New York and some other East Coast states have already canceled the July bar exam. New York has moved its bar to early September.
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So far, Utah is alone in issuing a proposed order offering a license based on a diploma privilege, which IU students will generally qualify for.
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Up-to-date information for individual jurisdictions can be found here.
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All bar forms are filled out by the Office of Student Affairs. You can send them to lawosa@indiana.edu. Currently, we cannot certify character and fitness because we cannot access individual student files. We are confident that this will change before the bar exam deadlines. Please send the materials and we will take care of them as soon as we can.
Your Books and Other Belongings
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Your Lockers: The business office will be storing your locker contents for as long as needed. As things get back to normal, you will be able to pick up those items.
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Library Books:
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The Law Library is happy to renew any books you currently have checked out until the end of the semester. Email lawcirc@indiana.edu for assistance.
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Any library books you left in your locker or on your study carrel will be returned automatically.
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When you are ready to return your library materials, if you are still in Bloomington, you may currently return them using the book drops in front of Wells Library.
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If you took your library materials home with you and are no longer in Bloomington, email Ashley Ahlbrand, aaahlbra@indiana.edu, to discuss how to proceed with your return.
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The library will pack up students’ belongings from their carrels and store as long as necessary.
A Reminder about Social Distancing and Limits on Travel
Everyone is going a little stir crazy, and it is particularly hard for those of us sheltering-in-place alone. Please do not give into the temptation of breaching the Governor’s stay at-home-order, which has been extended until May 1 and limits travel only to essential trips. For now, for our own safety and for the safety of our most vulnerable citizens, we must strictly abide by current social distancing and travel rules. Soon—very soon—you will be officers of the court and key players in our justice system. I urge you to exercise the professionalism and fortitude you will be called upon to exhibit in your careers.
Caring for Yourself and Others
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Please let us know if you are sick.
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Please let us know soon if you are facing food scarcity, housing problems, or other emergent needs. We have information about food resources and funds available from the Leonard D. Fromm Memorial Fund. In addition, please note that final loan requests must be submitted by Friday, April 24. Contact Paul Leopold by phone at 812-855-7746 (preferred) or via email at iulawfa@indiana.edu to discuss financial matters. It is trickier to help you financially after you graduate, so please let us know if you foresee financial troubles. Let us know if you know of any other student who could use our help, financially, personally, or otherwise.
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CAPS has half-hour virtual counseling sessions for current students. This will be available to you until early May. The number to set up an appointment is 812-855-7688.
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JLAP offers group and individual appointments by Zoom. The groups include one for law students to discuss current challenges posed by the pandemic. JLAP can serve you even after you graduate and even if you’ve left the state. The number to call is 317-833-0370.
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Director Beck and I are always happy to talk with you on any subject you wish—even if there’s nothing concrete we can do, it sometimes helps to talk and know that you’re not alone. Please email at katbeck@indiana.edu or aorenste@indiana.edu to set a time to Zoom or talk by phone. If you reached out to us and haven’t received a response in three days, please resend your email (sometimes an email can get lost despite our best efforts).
Wishing you and everyone you love good health, safety, and peace. I hope you have found some meaning in these challenging days. I know that I will emerge from this struggle with an even deeper appreciation for our Law School community and for all the privileges and freedoms I have taken for granted.
Aviva Orenstein
cc: Law School faculty and staff |