Thank you for your dedication to the School and continuing your legal education during these extraordinary circumstances. The School and faculty appreciated your willingness to adapt your routine. A few updates as we learn more and plan ahead:

• The school building is closed to everyone except faculty and staff on an as-required basis.
• At this point, expect the remainder of this year’s classes to be conducted through online recordings.
• Exams will be held as scheduled, but may include alternatives for taking them.  More information will be shared soon.
• Trials for clinical and trial practice classes will be rescheduled for a later date. If you are enrolled in one of those classes, more detailed information will be sent directly to you.
• If the current situation has affected your ability to pay tuition on time, please contact the office to make alternate arrangements.

Specifically for 4L students:

• The Board of Law Examiners has updated information on their website regarding bar exam registration. At this time, the NCBE has not made any changes regarding administration of the bar exam.
• Please order your caps and gowns by the April 10 deadline.
• The School does not plan to cancel graduation. However, if the School is unable to hold graduation as scheduled, an alternate date for the graduation ceremony will be announced.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has created uncertainty for all of us and has prompted Nashville School of Law to take important measures.  We want to keep you informed about the School’s decisions to keep our School community and the larger community safe.

We have not been informed of any confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our School community.  However, based on the recent proclamations issued by Governor Bill Lee and Mayor John Cooper, as well as the Interim Guidance for Coronavirus Disease issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 15, 2020, NSL will take the following steps:

            (1)       Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, we are suspending in-person classes and moving to remote learning for the classes that can be appropriately adapted for remote learning.  This will continue until at least Monday, April 13, 2020. 

            (2)       Different arrangements may be made for Criminal Trial Practice, Domestic Trial Practice, Juvenile Clinic, and Wills Clinic to accommodate previously scheduled trials or other proceedings.  Trials may be limited to the students involved directly in the trial as a counsel or a witness.  You will receive more specific information from your professors.

            (3)       We will make arrangements for the professors whose classes can be delivered remotely to record and upload their lectures.  For each course provided remotely, students will be required to send an email to the School certifying that they viewed the entire class.  You will be informed when your classes are available for viewing.

            (4)       The first examination is currently scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2020.  We are considering modifying the exam schedule and locations to improve social distancing for students in the exam.  Information regarding any revisions to the exam schedule will be provided in the near future.

            (5)       The library will remain open with regular hours.  However, if necessary, the librarians will limit the number of users to promote social distancing.

            (6)       The School’s office will continue to be open from 8:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

We are fully aware that these disruptions to the regular schedule are bound to cause frustrations, inconveniences, and sacrifices on our students and their families.  However, these steps are required to help curb this public health crisis.  We ask your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we move through this time together.  Throughout these temporary changes, we remain committed to providing our diverse and highly motivated student body with an outstanding legal education.

Please take note:  Given the evolving nature of the spread of COVID-19, changes to this newly revised schedule – while not desired – are possible.  Please remain as flexible as you can between now and the end of the school year and continue to check for updates.

Four Nashville School of Law students who are members of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Diversity Leadership Institute visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis recently.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has recognized the following attorneys and recent graduates for providing more than 50 hours of pro bono service. Attorneys completed the service in one year and the 2019 graduates, named “Law Students for Justice,” completed the hours during the course of their studies at Nashville School of Law.