Duke Law Bedeviled by Swine Flu
Swine flu has struck firms. It has struck a district attorney’s office. Even though it’s summer, the nasty virus has now invaded at least one law school.
This year, a few Duke University Law School students are summer camp counselors instead of summer associates. Spending the summer with little kids instead of the BigLaw boys, and raking in four figures instead of five, must hurt a little. On top of that, these legal Blue Devils now have to deal with swine flu. From the Charlotte Observer:
There are 14 confirmed flu cases among campers and camp counselors at Duke University, campus officials say. Those 14 cases are probably the H1N1, or swine flu virus, officials said. More than a dozen other people have cases that are not yet confirmed.
It looks like a Duke Law student might be to blame for the outbreak. From a tipster:
A number of law students that are RAing for professors over the summer are working as supervisors of the [Talent Identification Program] and also teaching classes on the criminal justice system to the TIP students.
We received this email today:
“Dear All, I write to inform you that a Law School student was seen by Duke Student Health Services this morning with symptoms that closely match those experienced by individuals with H1N1 Flu. An actual diagnosis will not be available until Monday, at the earliest. The student is at home recuperating from his symptoms and following recommended isolation procedures for those with H1N1-like symptoms.We have contacted all individuals who were in a class with this student to alert them to a possible H1N1 exposure…”
Read the full e-mail after the jump. And an UPDATE (12:25 p.m.) on patient zero.
Here’s an update on the carrier Blue Devil, from a tipster:
The student that was referenced in the email as being tested came back positive, and the poor guy has been under quarantine in his house for the last week because they don’t want him to spread it. Luckily, I haven’t heard of any other law students catching it.
At least he has more time to prepare for the upcoming OCI season. Hopefully, next summer will offer better job prospects and less pandemic disease.
E-MAIL FROM DUKE LAW ASSOCIATE DEAN GAEL HALLENBECK
From: Gael Hallenbeck
Date: Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Subject: Law School H1N1 Update
To:
Dear All,
I write to inform you that a Law School student was seen by Duke Student Health Services this morning with symptoms that closely match those experienced by individuals with H1N1 Flu. An actual diagnosis will not be available until Monday, at the earliest. The student is at home recuperating from his symptoms and following recommended isolation procedures for those with H1N1-like symptoms.
We have contacted all individuals who were in a class with this student to alert them to a possible H1N1 exposure. We have been told that the H1N1 virus only survives on a surface for 2-8 hours. However, as a precautionary measure, we are also disinfecting surfaces in the classroom where the class was held and nearby bathrooms.
To repeat what has been said before, if you experience flu-like symptoms— fever with cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue— you may wish to contact your health care provider, or on evenings or the weekend, Duke Urgent Care on Hillandale Road and follow their advice regarding treatment and precautions.
If you are healthy, please take the following precautions:
-Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel.
-Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If a tissue is not available, cough into your shirt sleeve.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
-Wash your hands before eating.
-Do not share your food or drink with others.
-Avoid close contact with sick people.
As a side note, earlier this spring, anti-viral drugs, such as Tamiflu, were mentioned as possible prophylactic measures for those exposed to flu, including H1N1. The current thinking is that Tamiflu should only be administered only to exposed individuals who have some underlying condition that may compromise their immune system, such as some types of asthma. Of course, you should consult your own health care provider for advice on this matter.
Additional information about H1N1 flu and Dukes response to the H1N1 flu is available on a special website at: http://www.duke.edu/flu2009
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions or concerns. Gael
Gael A. Hallenbeck
Associate Dean for Finance & Administration
Duke University School of Law
PO Box 90362
Durham, NC 27708
14 flu cases at Duke Univ. summer camps [Charlotte Observer]
Earlier: Swine Flu in the Bronx D.A.’s Office
Breaking: Swine Flu at Mayer Brown (Chicago)
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Comments
Flee, save yourselves, all is lost
first to say dook is a miserable place
3 kids at a UNC summer camp were also confirmed to have the mexican pig flu. I would just avoid NC altogether.
"This year, a few Duke University Law School students are summer camp counselors instead of summer associates."
This is totally inconsistent with the e-mail, which indicates that some students (1Ls?) are RAing or teaching classes, and doing camp counseling on the side.
Kash, Elie, stop sensationalizing the bad news. Post a real story for once.
It's actually not a big deal. Bar classes are going on as usual.
Those afflicted with swine flu while in law school, take this as a sign of divine intervention. Leave law school now while you are not that deep in debt. The last thing you want is to wind up like the entertainer I met at Rick's Cabaret last Friday. She was about 28, had a law degree from UPenn and learned she made more money as an entertainer than a lawyer. This gal had a good attitude for someone that acknowledges that she was swindled for $150K in exchange for a worthless law degree. She works out everyday to keep her body fine tuned and she earns over $800 a night tax free (I hope for her sake that Obama doesn't target the adult entertainment industry). The moral of the story: If you are an attractive woman considering a legal career and money is what motivates you, there are more cost effective alternatives than leveraging yourself for a worthless degree.
Duke - ENORMOUS TTT.
Last night I thought I had swine flu. Now it turns that it is Erica Fine's lecturing that makes me sick.
i wish that mask was a ball gag on that cute girl
Why Taking an Offer From Latham is Retarded, Unless it's Your Only Offer
given latham's behavior in the 90s and their behavior now, they've demonstrated that they'll fuck you over at the first sign of trouble. peer firms are biting the bullet instead of laying people off. so, do you want to be at a firm that fucks over first years at the first sign of trouble, or do you want a firm that's going to honor its commitment to you? NY cleared out 45% of associates accross all class levels. they by no means needed to do that to survive.
that said, if latham is all you can get, take it. but if you can go to gibson, or any good firm that doesn't screw over its associates, then do that.
and don't think you're safe just because they've cleaned house alread. this financial mess could take years to unwind and that could mean more layoffs down the line. just ask any junior associate at Latham NY or LA how safe they feel right now. that should answer your question.
hth.
William and Mary has swine flu cases as well.
10 = Desperate 3L hoping that some spots open up at Latham...
First we had avian flu.
Now we have swine flu.
My personal thoughts - kill all the birds before one mates with a pig and we allow the creation of Avian Swine Flu.
Apparently the saying, "When pigs fly" is most properly followed by a reference to human extinction.
Durham is easily the worst place i've ever been to....
I need moar swine.
First to predict that Elie will disgrace himself after he is elected to the NY state senate.
To Patient Zero: You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You!
Elie, when you get nervous, do your moobs sweat?
srsly csw is firing ppl
6 - you should take your own advice and drop out of law school, if you haven't done so already.
Cahill layoffs, MysTTTal. Get on it. The compensation committee just met.
*csm firing...
This comment is addressed to post no. 20.
You are 42 years late on your suggestion. If I were a miserable cretin in law school today, you bet I would drop out. Fortunately, I went to law school at a time when it made sense and cost a couple of thousand dollars per year to attend. I thank you for your concern nonetheless.
12 = head of latham recruiting
Nobody cares about a couple sick kids in Appalachia.
PE, it's good to have you back. Where have you been lately? Europe? Golf tournament? I've missed you. Keep up the great comments!
I am a jobless rising 3L at Michigan and I want to kill myself.
Latham to V200!
BLAAAARF!
PE- Please for the love of god stop posting.
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40560_20090506.pdf
This comment is addressed to post no. 30.
How dare you commit blasphemy! Please refrain from using words such as love. It is obvious no one loves you and that you are incapable of loving anything except yourself.
I might kill the next person around me who freaks out about swine flu.
It has a LOWER mortality rate than other, "normal" strains of the flu virus.
Its symptoms are MILDER and OF SHORTER DURATION than those of other, "normal" strains of the flu virus.
It's pretty much only dangerous for people who already have a compromised immune system, JUST LIKE OTHER STRAINS OF THE FLU.
Christ people. No wonder we don't send people to the moon anymore.
32: You tried to do schtick on a suicide. Disappear.
Even with Swine Flu, Duke Law kicks everyone's ass. Tucker Max went there.
Even with Swine Flu, Duke Law kicks everyone's ass. Tucker Max went there.
Even with swine flu, Duke Law kicks everyone's ass. Tucker Max went there.
Even with swine flu, Duke Law kicks everyone's ass. Tucker Max went there.
Even with swine flu, Duke Law kicks everyone's ass. Tucker Max went there.
PE is the man. Ballllllin'!
MOAR BAREBACK
The Duke Law student in question was not a counselor for the high school students in the summer program--although he has been spotted "canoodling" with several high school aged girls at TGI Friday's.
40 = PE
The (lack of) editing on this site is terrible. That article is from the News & Observer of Raleigh and has been republished on the Charlotte Observer's website.
As if Charlotte would right about something in Durham ...
Tucker Max is a giant turd. Even bigger than Bono, just no one ever submitted him to EFSM.
What are people's general thoughts and impressions of Duke Law?
I went there and had a good experience, and I'm a little surprised about the negative comments about the school - but maybe I'm just out of the loop.
46: Duke in general (not just the law school) is a miserable place with miserable people.
47: Well, you'd be miserable too if you had the swine flu.
The comments about "summer camp" are off-target. The Duke talent program, like the Johns Hopkins CTY program, is a highly selective program providing educational opportunities to exceptionally capable students. Duke law students might be better off meeting some of those summer students than working for run of the mill partners at some foundering BigLaw firm -- the kids will amount to more in the long run than the partners will.
14: Seriously? You must live a charmed life if you have never been to a worse place than Durham. That, or you are a sheltered twit.
I love Duke and I love Durham.
A Vanderbilt 2L had a confirmed case of H1N1 in late June, but the school refuses to issue any sort of advisory.