There’s
a
natural
push
and
pull
between
students
and
the
administration
of
a
law
school.
Each
group
has
different
goals
and
needs,
and
the
most
successful
institutions
balance
those
competing
interests.
But,
according
to
a
student
petition
at
the
University
of
Chicago
Law,
the
administration
there
is
striking
a
terrible
balance.
This
year,
the
law
school
announced
a
new
policy
regarding
the
recordings
of
classes.
Students
can
only
get
recordings
in
the
following
circumstances:
(1)
observance
of
religious
holidays,
(2)
approved
disability
accommodations,
(3)
approved
Title
IX
accommodations,
and
(4)
when
two
make-up
classes
are
scheduled
at
the
same
time.
The
open
letter
—
signed
by
over
100
students
—
seeks
to
change
that
policy.
They’d
like
some
additional
exceptions
to
the
law
school’s
rather
strict
policy.
The
signatories
are
specifically
seeking
access
to
recorded
classes
(1)
during
medical
emergencies
and
illnesses,
(2)
during
extraordinary
personal
or
family
circumstances,
and
(3)
when
students
are
taking
mandatory
professional
examinations.
That
seems…
entirely
reasonable.
Listen,
I
am
incredibly
sympathetic
to
institutions
trying
to
prioritize
the
intangible
benefits
of
in-person
education/work/life
in
general.
But
this
strikes
me
as
a
bridge
too
far.
After
all,
the
ubiquity
of
recorded
classes
became
a
reality
because
of
the
COVID
pandemic.
Now
at
UChicago
Law
someone
who
has
COVID
cannot
access
the
recordings
of
the
classes
they
miss
because
of
the
disease.
Which,
in
turn,
encourages
high
achieving
students
(which
they
have
plenty
of
at
UChicago)
to
go
to
school
sick
and
spread
the
illness.
From
the
petition:
Already
this
year,
students
have
been
denied
access
to
class
recordings
after
contracting
COVID-19
or
other
illnesses,
and
one
student
was
denied
recordings
after
missing
a
week
of
class
due
to
emergency
surgery.
Failing
to
provide
recordings
for
medical
illness
unfairly
penalizes
students
for
missing
classes
due
to
circumstances
beyond
their
control,
and
places
undue
stress
on
students
when
their
focus
should
be
on
recovery.
This
policy
also
puts
the
larger
Law
School
community
at
risk
by
incentivizing
students
to
come
to
campus
while
sick
and
spreading
their
illness
to
others.
Students
should
not
be
forced
to
choose
between
keeping
themselves
and
the
Law
School
community
safe,
or
keeping
their
grades
up.
This
feels
very
through
the
looking
glass.
If
law
schools
didn’t
understand
the
benefits
of
limiting
COVID
exposures
there
wouldn’t
be
classroom
recordings.
This
should
be
a
no-brainer.
Honestly,
so
are
the
other
exceptions
students
are
seeking.
Why
shouldn’t
someone
dealing
with
a
family
emergency
or
taking
the
MPRE
be
able
to
listen
to
a
class
recording?
It
doesn’t
diminish
the
quality
of
a
law
school’s
legal
education
to
show
the
bare
minimum
of
compassion
for
their
students.
Something
the
petition
notes
many
of
UChicago
Law’s
peer
school
do.
The
Law
School
has
insisted
on
maintaining
a
strict
recording
policy,
despite
the
fact
that
its
peer
institutions
have
rejected
such
an
unforgiving,
regressive
approach.
Harvard
Law
School
explicitly
allows
access
to
class
recordings
for
all
of
the
reasons
stated
in
this
letter:
severe
illness
and
medical
emergencies,
personal
emergencies,
and
professional
examinations.
Columbia
Law
School
directs
instructors
to
support
sick
students,
including
by
providing
access
to
recordings.
UC
Berkeley
School
of
Law
allows
class
recordings
to
be
created
“[d]uring
emergencies
and
disasters.”
Northwestern
Pritzker
School
of
Law
tells
students
to
listen
to
course
recordings
if
they
“miss
class
for
a
legitimate
reason.”
And
several
other
law
schools
(including
Yale
Law
School,
Stanford
Law
School,
and
Duke
School
of
Law)
permit
professors
to
record
classes
when
requested
by
students.
This
seems
like
a
pretty
easy
way
to
support
students.
It’s
hard
to
understand
why
the
law
school
is
dragging
its
heels.
Above
the
Law
reached
out
to
UChicago
Law
for
comment,
but
they
did
not
immediately
provide
one.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].