Living at Yale

Life at Yale Law School

Rules of Discipline
In 1970, the faculty and students first adopted a disciplinary code that describes the basic rights and duties of members of the Law School and provides a set of procedures governing alleged violations of the code. Copies of the current code are available in the registrar’s office. In addition, all students are admitted subject to the statutes and rules of the University.

Dormitories and Housing
The Law School dormitories reopened in the fall of 2000 after a complete renovation. Annual rentals in the Law School dormitories range from $4,410 to $5,733 for the academic year. Each room is fully furnished; students are required to supply their own towels, bed linens, blankets, pillows, and lamps. The rooms are assigned by lottery. Also included in the lottery are a few rooms elsewhere on the University campus.

The University seeks to assist in locating housing for students who cannot be accommodated in the dormitories. Such students should seek housing well before matriculation, since there is limited University housing for Law School students. The Graduate Housing Office has dormitory and apartment units for a small number of graduate and professional students. Students may access information about University accommodations outside the Law School on the Web at www.yale.edu/graduatehousing/. This site includes facility descriptions, floorplans, and rates. For further information on graduate apartments, contact Betsy Rosenthal at 203.432.8270, fax 203.432.0177, or betsy.rosenthal@yale.edu. For graduate dormitory information, contact Beverly Whitney at 203.432.2167, fax 203.432.4578, or beverly.whitney@yale.edu.

The University’s Off-Campus Housing service, limited to current or incoming members of the Yale community, may be accessed from any computer at Yale through the intranet at www.yale.edu/offcampushousing/. Call 203.432.9756 to obtain the necessary passwords to access the system from other areas.

Dining Hall
The newly renovated Law School Dining Hall opened in January 2001 with expanded hours and services. The dining hall offers a salad and sandwich bar, an expanded grill menu, pizza, hot food bar, daily specials, snacks, and beverages. Continental breakfast is offered at 8 a.m., lunch service begins at 11.30 a.m., and dinner service begins at 5.15 p.m. The servery is open for snacks and beverages until 10 p.m. The Law School offers an optional pre-purchased meal plan, or items may be purchased with cash or charged to a bursar account. The dining hall is closed on Saturday and Sunday; alternative facilities are available nearby on those days.

Computers
For student use, the Law School has a computer cluster with Windows 2000 computers and high-speed laser printers. The computers are networked and run a standard suite of software. Each student is allotted one thousand pages of printing on the laser printers per academic year, and may purchase additional pages.

E-mail and dial-in Internet accounts are established for each entering student. Students can access their e-mail from the computer cluster, from home with a computer equipped with a modem, and on-campus with a laptop computer equipped with an Ethernet card. More than 800 Ethernet jacks are available in the Law School’s classrooms and library for student use.

The computer services office assists students with questions and concerns about computer hardware or software. For information check the Information Technology Services Web page at www.law.yale.edu/its or contact Susan Monsen, director of Information Technology, at 203.432.4044.

Child Care
The YLS Early Learning Center is an independently operated childcare center run for the benefit of Yale Law School students, faculty, and staff. Open all day and year-round, it accepts children from three months through three years of age. Children of students, faculty, and staff of Yale Law School have priority in the assignment of spaces. For students on financial aid, the Law School makes loans available to cover the center’s tuition. For further information about the center, please contact the YLS Early Learning Center at 203.432.7640.

Security in the Law School
As in most urban institutions, security from fires, thefts, and personal attacks is a concern of the Law School. Security affairs are administered by a joint faculty-student committee working in conjunction with Yale security and fire prevention personnel.

Fire extinguishers are located on each floor of the dormitories, and a detector system activates a siren. Immediate evacuation of dormitories must commence whenever the siren is activated. Doors are locked using a system that discourages key duplication, and campus police regularly patrol the Law School area.

Special buses and, when requested, security personnel escorts are provided to promote safety throughout the campus during late evening hours.

Class Cancellations
The Law School ordinarily does not cancel classes because of adverse weather conditions. Individual classes may be canceled by instructors on occasion, and makeup classes are scheduled.

Special Events
Numerous lectures are given by distinguished visitors invited to the Law School by faculty and students (see Lecture Programs and Other Academic Opportunities). From time to time faculty members present informal talks on their current research interests. Lectures and other public events are described in the online Master Calendar of Events (www.law.yale.edu/calendar).

Life at Yale University

Cultural, Religious, and Athletic Resources
A calendar of events in the University is issued each week during the academic year in the Yale Bulletin & Calendar. The hours when special as well as permanent collections of the University may be seen are also recorded in this publication. The Bulletin & Calendar is available online at http://www.yale.edu/opa/current/ybcurrent.html.

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History contains collections in anthropology, mineralogy, oceanography, paleontology, and some aspects of geology.

The Yale University Art Gallery contains representative collections of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, Near and Far Eastern art, archaeological material from the University’s excavations, Pre-Columbian and African art, works of European and American masters from virtually every period, and a rich collection of modern art.

The Yale Center for British Art houses an extraordinary collection of British paintings, sculpture, drawings, and books given to the University by the late Paul Mellon, Yale Class of 1929.

There are more than eighty endowed lecture series held at Yale each year on subjects ranging from anatomy to theology, and including virtually all disciplines.

More than four hundred musical events take place at the University during the academic year. These include concerts presented by students and faculty of the School of Music, the Department of Music, the Yale Concert and Jazz bands, the Yale Glee Club, the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and other undergraduate singing and instrumental groups. In addition to graduate recitals and ensemble performances, the School of Music features the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale, the Chamber Music Society at Yale, the Duke Ellington Series, Great Organ Music at Yale, New Music New Haven, Yale Opera performances and public master classes, and the Faculty Artist Series. Among New Haven’s numerous performing organizations are Orchestra New England, the New Haven Chorale, and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

For theatergoers, Yale and New Haven offer a wide range of dramatic productions at the University Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, Yale Cabaret, Long Wharf Theatre, Palace Theater, and Shubert Performing Arts Center.

The religious resources of Yale University serve all students, faculty, and staff. These resources are the University Chaplaincy (located on the lower level of Bingham Hall on Old Campus); the Church of Christ in Yale University, an open and affirming member congregation of the United Church of Christ; and Yale Religious Ministry, the on-campus association of clergy and nonordained representatives of various religious faiths. The ministry includes the Chapel of St. Thomas More, the parish church for all Roman Catholic students at the University; the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, a religious and cultural center for students of the Jewish faith; several Protestant denomina?tional ministries and nondenominational groups; and religious groups such as the Baha’i Association, the New Haven Zen Center, and the Muslim Student Association. Additional information is available at http://www.yale.edu/chaplain/.

Established in 1949, the International Center of New Haven is a nonprofit community-úased organization. The Center’s programs are based on the idea that both the international community in Greater New Haven and the local community can benefit from each other. The Center is located at 442 Temple Street, and the office is open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. The work of the International Center is carried out by a small professional staff and by many volunteers in the community. The Center organizes lectures, trips, picnics, and special events, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, in addition to a number of programs including the International Host Friendship Program, ’Round The World Women, and the International Classroom Project. The International House, a large Tudor mansion located at 406 Prospect Street in New Haven, is the venue of most of the International Center’s activities and the home of sixteen students and scholars. Rooms are available for the academic year and summer. For more information on any of these programs, or on International House, telephone 203.432.6460, fax 203.432.6462, e-mail international.centernh@yale.edu, or visit the Web site at http://www.oiss.yale.edu/icnh/.

The Payne Whitney Gymnasium is an elaborate and extensive indoor athletic complex that includes the 3,100-seat John J. Lee Amphitheater, the site for many indoor varsity sports contests; the Robert J. H. Kiphuth Exhibition Pool; the Brady Squash Center, with fifteen international-style courts; the Adrian C. Israel Fitness Center, a state-of-the-art exercise and weight-training complex; the Brooks-Dwyer Varsity Strength and Conditioning Center; the Colonel William K. Lanman, Jr. Center, a 30,000-square-foot space for recreational/intramural play and varsity team practice; the Greenberg Brothers Track, an eighth-mile indoor jogging track; and other rooms devoted to fencing, gymnastics, rowing, wrestling, martial arts, general exercise, and dance. Numerous physical education classes in dance, martial arts, aerobic exercise, and sport skills are offered throughout the year. Graduate and undergraduate students may use the gym at no charge during the academic year and for a nominal fee during the summer term. Academic and summer memberships at reasonable fees are available for faculty, employees, postdoctoral and visiting fellows, and student spouses.

The David S. Ingalls Rink, the Sailing Center in Branford, the Outdoor Education Center (OEC), the tennis courts, and the golf course are open to faculty, students, and employees of the University at established fees.

Approximately thirty-five club sports and outdoor activities come under the jurisdiction of the Office of Outdoor Education and Club Sports. Many of the activities, both purely recreational and instructional, are open to graduate and undergraduate students. Faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as groups, may use the Outdoor Education Center (OEC). The center consists of two thousand acres in East Lyme, Connecticut, and includes cabins, campsites, pavilion, dining hall, swimming, boating, canoeing, and picnic groves beside a mile-long lake. Hiking trails surround a wildlife marsh. The OEC season extends from the third weekend in June through Labor Day and September weekends. For more information, telephone 203.432.2492 or visit the Web page at http://www.yale.edu/athletics/ (click on Sport and Rec, then on Outdoor Education).

Throughout the year, Yale University graduate and professional students have the opportunity to participate in numerous intramural sports activities. These seasonal, team-oriented activities include volleyball, soccer, and softball in the fall; basketball and volleyball in the winter; softball, soccer, and volleyball in the spring; and softball in the summer. With few exceptions, all academic-year graduate-professional student sports activities are scheduled on weekends, and most sports activities are open to competitive, recreational, and coeducational teams. More information is available from the Intramurals Office in Payne Whitney Gymnasium, 203.432.2487, or at http://www.yale.edu/athletics/.

Health Services for Law School Students
Yale University Health Services (YUHS) is located on campus at 17 Hillhouse Avenue. YUHS offers a wide variety of health care services for students and other members of the Yale community. Services include student medicine, internal medicine, gynecology, mental hygiene, pediatrics, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, a twenty-three-bed inpatient care facility (ICF), a round-the-clock urgent care clinic, and such specialty services as allergy, dermatology, orthopedics, and a travel clinic. YUHS also includes the Yale Health Plan (YHP), a health coverage option that coordinates and provides payment for the services outlined above, as well as for emergency treatment, off-site specialty services, inpatient hospital care, and other ancillary services. YUHS’s services are detailed in the YHP Student Handbook, available through the YHP Member Services Department, 203.432.0246.

eligibility for services
All full-time Yale degree-candidate students who are paying at least half tuition are enrolled automatically for YHP Basic Coverage. YHP Basic Coverage is offered at no charge and includes preventive health and medical services in the departments of Student Medicine, Internal Medicine, Gynecology, Health Education, and Mental Hygiene. In addition, treatment for urgent medical problems can be obtained twenty-four hours a day through Urgent Care.

Students on leave of absence or on extended study and paying less than half tuition are not eligible for YHP Basic Coverage but may enroll in YHP Student Affiliate Coverage. Students enrolled in the Division of Special Registration as nondegree special students or visiting scholars are not eligible for YHP Basic Coverage but may enroll in the YHP Billed Associates Plan and pay a monthly premium fee. Associates must enroll for a minimum of one term within the first thirty days of affiliation with the University.

Students not eligible for YHP Basic Coverage may also use the services on a fee-for-service basis. Students who wish to be seen fee-for-service must enroll with the YHP Member Services Department. Enrollment applications for the YHP Student Affiliate Coverage, Billed Associates Plan, or Fee-for-Service Program are available from the YHP Member Services Department.

All students are welcome to use specialty and ancillary services at YUHS. Upon referral, YHP will cover the cost of these services if the student is a member of YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Care Coverage (see below). If the student has an alternate insurance plan, YHP will assist in submitting the claims for specialty and ancillary services to the other plan and will bill through the Office of Student Financial Services for noncovered charges and services.

Health Coverage Enrollment
The University also requires all students eligible for YHP Basic Coverage to have adequate hospital insurance coverage. Students may choose YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage or elect to waive the plan if they have other hospitalization coverage, such as coverage through a spouse or parent. The waiver must be renewed annually, and it is the student’s responsibility to confirm receipt of the waiver form by the University’s deadlines noted below.

YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage
Students are automatically enrolled and charged a fee each term on their Student Financial Services bill for YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Students with no break in coverage who are enrolled during both the fall and spring terms are billed each term and are covered from September 1 through August 31. For students entering Yale for the first time, readmitted students, and students returning from a leave of absence who have not been covered during their leave, YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage begins on the day the dormitories officially open. A student who is enrolled for the fall term only is covered for services through January 31; a student enrolled for the spring term only is covered for services through August 31.

For a detailed explanation of this plan, see the YHP Student Handbook.

Waiving the YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage: Students are permitted to waive YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage by completing a waiver form that demonstrates proof of alternate coverage. Waiver forms are available from the YHP Member Services Department. It is the student’s responsibility to report any changes in alternate insurance coverage to the YHP Member Services Department. Students are encouraged to review their present coverage and compare its benefits to those available under the YHP. The waiver form must be filed annually and must be received by September 15 for the full year or fall term or by January 31 for the spring term only.

Revoking the Waiver: Students who waive YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage but later wish to be covered must complete and send a form voiding their waiver to the YHP Member Services Department by September 15 for the full year or fall term, or by January 31 for the spring term only. Students who wish to revoke their waiver during the term may do so, provided they show proof of loss of the alternate insurance plan and enroll within thirty days of the loss of this coverage. YHP premiums will not be prorated.

YHP Student Two-Person and Family Plans
A student may enroll his or her lawfully married spouse or same-sex domestic partner and/or legally dependent child(ren) under the age of nineteen in one of two student dependent plans: the Two-Person Plan or the Student Family Plan. These plans include coverage for YHP Basic Coverage and for coverage under YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. YHP Prescription Plus Coverage may be added at an additional cost. Coverage is not automatic and enrollment is by application. Applications are available from the YHP Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the YUHS Web site (http://www.yale.edu/uhs/) and must be renewed annually. Applications must be received by September 15 for full-year or fall-term coverage, or by January 31 for spring-term coverage only.

YHP Student Affiliate Coverage
Students on leave of absence or extended study or students paying less than half tuition may enroll in YHP Student Affiliate Coverage, which includes coverage for YHP Basic and for the benefits offered under YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Prescription Plus Coverage may also be added for an additional cost. Applications are available from the YHP Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the YUHS Web site (http://www.yale.edu/uhs/) and must be received by September 15 for full-year or fall-term coverage, or by January 31 for spring-term coverage only.

YHP Prescription Plus Coverage
This plan has been designed for Yale students who purchase YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage and student dependents who are enrolled in either the Two-Person Plan, the Student Family Plan, or Student Affiliate Coverage. YHP Prescription Plus Coverage provides protection for some types of medical expenses not covered under YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Students are billed for this plan and may waive this coverage. The waiver form must be filed annually and must be received by September 15 for the full year or fall term or by January 31 for the spring term only. For a detailed explanation, please refer to the YHP Student Handbook.

Eligibility Changes
Withdrawal: A student who withdraws from the University during the first ten days of the term will be refunded the premium fee paid for YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage and/or YHP Prescription Plus Coverage. The student will not be eligible for any YHP benefits, and the student’s YHP membership will be terminated retroactive to the beginning of the term. The medical record will be reviewed, and any services rendered and/or claims paid will be billed to the student on a fee-for-service basis. At all other times, a student who withdraws from the University will be covered by YHP for thirty days following the date of withdrawal or to the last day of the term, whichever comes first. Premiums will not be prorated. Students who withdraw are not eligible to enroll in YHP Student Affiliate Coverage.

Leaves of Absence: Students who are granted leaves of absence are eligible to purchase YHP Student Affiliate Coverage during the term(s) of the leave. If the leave occurs during the term, YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage will end on the date the leave is granted and students may enroll in YHP Student Affiliate Coverage. Students must enroll in Affiliate Coverage prior to the beginning of the term during which the leave is taken or within thirty days of the start of the leave. Coverage is not automatic and enrollment forms are available at the YHP Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the YUHS Web site (http://www.yale.edu/uhs/).

Extended Study or Reduced Tuition: Students who are granted extended study status or pay less than half tuition are not eligible for YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage and YHP/Prescription Plus Coverage. They may purchase YHP Student Affiliate Coverage during the term(s) of extended study. This plan includes coverage for YHP Basic and for the benefits offered under YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage is not automatic and enrollment forms are available at the YHP Member Services Department or can be downloaded from the YUHS Web site (http://www.yale.edu/uhs/). Students must complete an enrollment application for the plan prior to the start of the term.

For a full description of the services and benefits provided by YHP, please refer to the YHP Student Handbook, available from the YHP Member Services Department, 203.432.0246, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, PO Box 208237, New Haven CT 06520-8237.

Required Immunizations
Measles (Rubeola) and German Measles: All students who were born after December 31, 1956, are required to provide proof of immunization against measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella). Connecticut state law requires two doses of measles vaccine. The first dose must have been given after January 1, 1969, and after the student’s first birthday. The second dose must have been given after January 1, 1980. These doses must be at least 30 days apart. Connecticut state law requires proof of one dose of rubella vaccine administered after January 1, 1969, and after the student’s first birthday. The law applies to all students unless they present (a) a certificate from a physician stating that such immunization is contraindicated, (b) a statement that such immunization would be contrary to the student’s religious beliefs, or (c) documentation of a positive blood titer for measles and rubella.

Meningococcus (Meningitis): All students living in on-campus housing must be vaccinated against Meningococcal disease. The law goes into effect in September 2002, meaning that all returning students who plan to live in University housing must be immunized or show proof of immunization within the last five years. Students who are not compliant with this law will not be permitted to register for classes or move into the dormitories for the fall term, 2002. Please note that the State of Connecticut does not require this vaccine for students who intend to reside off campus.

Students who have not met these requirements prior to arrival at Yale University must receive the immunizations from YHP and will be charged accordingly.

Resource Office on Disabilities
The Resource Office on Disabilities facilitates accommodations for undergraduate and graduate and professional school students with disabilities who register with and have appropriate documentation on file in the Resource Office. Early planning is critical. Documentation may be submitted to the Resource Office even though a specific accommodation request is not anticipated at the time of registration. It is recommended that matriculating students in need of disability-related accommodations at Yale University contact the Resource Office by June 1. Returning students must contact the Resource Office at the beginning of each term to arrange for course and exam accommodations.

The Resource Office also provides assistance to students with temporary disabilities. General informational inquiries are welcome from students and members of the Yale community and from the public. The mailing address is Resource Office on Disabilities, Yale University, PO Box 208305, New Haven CT 06520-8305. The Resource Office is located in William L. Harkness Hall (WLH), Rooms 102 and 103. Access to the Resource Office is through the College Street entrance to WLH. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voice callers may reach staff at 203.432.2324; TTY/TDD callers at 203.432.8250. The Resource Office may also be reached by e-mail (judith.york@yale.edu) or through its Web site (http://www.yale.edu/rod/).

The Office of International Students and Scholars
The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) coordinates services and support to Yale’s international students, faculty, staff, and their dependents. OISS assists members of the Yale international community with all matters of special concern to them and serves as a source of referral to other university offices and departments. OISS staff can provide assistance with employment, immigration, personal and cultural adjustment, and family and financial matters, as well as serve as a source of general information about living at Yale and in New Haven. In addition, as Yale University’s representative for immigration concerns, OISS provides information and assistance to students, staff, and faculty on how to obtain and maintain legal status in the United States. OISS issues the visa documents needed to request entry into the United States under Yale’s immigration sponsorship and processes requests for extensions of authorized periods of stay in the United States, school transfers, and employment authorization. All international students and scholars must register with OISS as soon as they arrive at Yale, at which time OISS will provide information about orientation activities for newly arrived students, scholars, and family members. OISS programs, like the monthly international coffee hours, English conversation programs, and orientation receptions for newly arrived graduate students and postdocs, provide an opportunity to meet members of Yale’s international community and become acquainted with the many resources of Yale University and New Haven.

OISS maintains an extensive Web site (http://www.oiss.yale.edu/) with useful information for students and scholars prior to and upon arrival in New Haven. As U.S. immigration regulations are complex and change rather frequently, we urge international students and scholars to visit the office and check the Web site for the most recent updates. International graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars can get connected with OISS by subscribing to one or both of the OISS e-mail lists. OISS-L is the electronic newsletter with important information for Yale’s international community. YaleInternational E-Group is an interactive list through which almost 800 international students and scholars keep each other informed about events in the area. Check the Web site for more information. To subscribe to either, send a message to oiss@yale.edu.

Spouses and partners of international students and scholars will want to know about ISPY—International Spouses and Partners at Yale. Information about ISPY and other OISS programs can be found on the OISS Web site.

The Office of International Students and Scholars, located at 246 Church Street, Suite 201, is open Monday through Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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