The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana did not respond to an inquiry from the Indiana Lawyer.

Although it has no plans at this time to cancel or postpone any hearings or trials, the Southern Indiana District Court said it is developing an alternative format for its naturalization ceremonies. Also, the federal court is reviewing its Continuity of Operations Plan and is following the guidance regarding the COVID-19 virus provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local health departments.

The Southern Indiana District Court has protective equipment, such as facemasks, which it said it will distribute only to case participants, including jurors, showing signs of respiratory illness. Hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes are available to court staff.

Likewise, the 7^th Circuit has not made any changes to its operations, according to the appellate court. However, it is monitoring the outbreak and said it will take whatever steps are necessary as the situation evolves.

Law schools

Valparaiso University has announced it will be conducting all classes online starting Monday and plans to resume in-person classes April 13. Also, the university is limiting on-campus gatherings to no more than 100 people but is still planning to hold the law school commemoration April 24.

Indiana University announced Tuesday that it would be suspending all in-person classes on all campuses from March 23 to April 5. For those two weeks following the university’s spring break, classes and coursework will continue online.

The suspension includes both IU Maurer and Robert H. McKinney schools of law. They join a growing list of law schools, including Harvard, Stanford University, Columbia University, The Ohio State University, New York University and University of California Berkley, that have cancelled in-person classes or closed completely, according to the ABA Journal.

The University of Notre Dame, including Notre Dame Law School, announced Wednesday it would be canceling classes next week, March 16-20, and then begin online instruction March 23 through at least April 13.

The American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar issued a memo in February giving guidance to law schools for dealing with emergencies or disasters. As to moving classes online, the ABA advised that law schools must consider not only whether the course is appropriate for being taught via the internet but also whether faculty members have the experience and training and the school has the technological capacity to deliver distance education.

“Simply moving a classroom-based course to a video conference call or to a school’s learning management system that supports other courses may be relatively easy, but … may not be an appropriate accommodation compared to, for example, adding extra days to the term when a regular schedule can be resumed,” the memo stated.

Law firms

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath reopened most of its offices Wednesday, the firm said in a statement, though its Washington offices remained closed for monitoring.

“On Tuesday, March 10, Faegre Drinker asked colleagues across all offices to work remotely after learning of a guest who visited our Washington, D.C. office on 1500 K Street on March 3 and was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus. We then learned of an additional guest in our Washington, D.C. office on March 2 who was also diagnosed with coronavirus following their visit to the firm. Because the scope of each guest’s contact with firm colleagues was not readily known, and because our attorneys, consultants and professionals have been traveling cross-office to support firm integration efforts, we chose to exercise caution while our leadership team evaluated the situation,” the firm said in announcing the reopening of most offices.

“The health and safety of Faegre Drinker’s colleagues, clients, visitors and their loved ones is a top priority. The firm’s executive leadership team acted quickly to protect those we care about, making time to gather key facts, assess risk and determine appropriate next steps. We received helpful advice from a board-certified infectious disease expert with specialized knowledge in communicable diseases, including coronavirus, and consulted with internal specialists. Additionally, we took the precautionary measure of engaging a specialized service to clean and disinfect each office prior to our colleagues returning,” the firm’s Wednesday statement said.

“The coronavirus condition is an ongoing and fluid situation across the globe, and our leadership team will continue to make decisions in real time to ensure the health and safety of our colleagues, clients, visitors and their loved ones. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by the virus, and with the health care providers working to combat this global health issue.”

Bookmark this page or click here for continuing Indiana Lawyer updates on coronavirus prevention and preparedness efforts.