Law Schools

Law Schools, Courts Close Ahead Of Hurricane That's Expected To Cause Catastrophic Damage

Yikes! The storm surge from Hurricane Florence could hit record levels of 15 to 20 feet or higher.

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Hurricane Florence (Photo by NASA via AP)

Justice may be blind, but she’s not stupid. Hurricane Florence is expected to ravage North and South Carolina, and in response, law schools and courts have announced closures in an effort to protect everyone as best they can from the Category 4 storm. We’re sure law firms have closed up shop at their offices as well, but we’ve not yet heard about any weather-related contingency plans from any of the major firms in the area.

According to the ABA Journal, courts in 40 North Carolina counties are closed or scheduled to close, and South Carolina courts and government offices may post closure announcements soon. Law.com discusses law school closures in the area:

The Charleston School of Law, which is located within South Carolina’s mandatory evacuation zone, has called off classes and closed campus for the remainder of the week, and plans to reopen on Monday. Further inland in Columbia, the University of South Carolina School of Law canceled classes Tuesday but as of midday Tuesday had yet to announce how long the campus will remain closed. …

None of North Carolina’s six law schools is located on the coast in that state’s evacuation zone, but some have also announced plans to close in preparation for Florence. Classes at the University of North Carolina School of Law are canceled starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday to allow for students to travel home. Classes are also canceled Wednesday through Friday at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Wake Forest University School of Law [will hold classes on Thursday and Friday, but that decision may be subject to change].

Charleston Law spokesman Andy Brack said the school “anticipates weather events, particularly in the fall, so we already have makeup days built into the schedule. The school plans for hurricanes.” For everyone’s safety, we hope the school really planned for Hurricane Florence, because local weather forecasters say the storm surge from Florence could hit record levels of 15 to 20 feet or higher.

Be prepared, be safe, and be kind to those who may need your help. Best of luck to everyone in the legal profession as they try to weather this literal storm.

How is your firm responding to Hurricane Florence? Feel free to email us at tips@abovethelaw.com or send a text message to (646) 820-8477. As always, we’ll keep your name strictly confidential. Thanks!

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Hurricane Florence Prompts Law School Closures in The Carolinas [Law.com]
Courts in dozens of North Carolina counties, law schools affected as Florence bears down [ABA Journal]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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