The Thomas J. Meskill Law Library at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford. Photo: Peter Morenus/UConn

As institutions of higher learning throughout the country are deciding on plans for reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, law school deans in Connecticut are responding to a report outlining recommendations for a planned phased reopening of universities in the Nutmeg State.

The dean of the University of Connecticut School of Law said his law school plans on following the recommended guidelines via a report educators put forth and which Gov. Ned Lamont announced May 6. And he said the school might even go farther.

"We expect that every school, including ours, will apply stricter protections for certain areas, activities or individuals," Dean Timothy Fisher said. If all goes as planned, Fisher said, the law school will begin classes in person Aug. 31, with remote learning as a backup plan.

The Connecticut plan, which former Yale University president Rick Levin and former Yale University vice president of global and strategic initiatives Linda Lorimer put together, calls for several criteria to be met before a university can open.

Each university is required to file plans to reopen with the state's Department of Public Health and outline the following: how they plan to repopulate the campus in a phased-in way; how they plan to monitor health conditions to detect infected students or staff; how they plan to contain the spread of the disease when someone contracts it; and how they will shut down the campus if necessary.

Fisher said unlike many universities, the University of Connecticut "has the benefit of the considerable public health resources that UConn has assembled to guide us and the rest of the university. … Our reopening plan will have many variables related to working space and classroom space, as well as adjustments to accommodate the health conditions of individuals."

Fisher said many of the faculty and the law school's 530 students have had a hard time coping with the current COVID-19 reality.

"Our students, faculty and staff pivoted quickly to online learning, teaching and telecommuting," Fisher said. "For some, the adjustment includes learning new technology, homeschooling children and managing times differently. For others, it means isolation, anxiety and grief."

Fisher continued: "The impact on families and communities is one of the hardest parts of the pandemic. The inability to sit with a family member while they die, to watch multiple relatives suffer from the virus, and wondering if those you love will be lucky enough to survive, are situations most of us never imagined."

While there is no guarantee the law school will open for in-person classes Aug. 31, Fisher said, "The trajectory and impact of the pandemic is difficult to predict. Assuming it is safe to do so, we are optimistic that we will be able to conduct a phased reopening along the lines of the task force report."

There are three law schools in Connecticut. In addition to the University of Connecticut School of Law, the state's other law schools are Quinnipiac University School of Law and Yale Law School.

In a statement, Quinnipiac said, "We anticipate returning to in-classroom instruction and on-campus activities this fall, but our final plans will ultimately be shaped by guidelines from government and health officials to facilitate the safe return to school. The university has established four planning groups that are examining a range of options and contingencies as our top priorities remain our community's health and safety and continuing to deliver high-quality academics."

No one from Yale Law School responded to a request for comment for this report.

Related stories

UConn School of Law Dean Timothy Fisher Talks Coronavirus, Pro Bono Work and Bar Exams

A Little Less Pressure with Law School Final Exams Amid COVID-19

Yale Law Clinic Students Help Small Businesses Navigate COVID-19 Pandemic