Seton Hall law school to offer course on COVID-19

Seton Hall University’s School of Law will soon offer a course on the legality of various measures related to COVID-19.

The course, titled COVID-19: Current Topics in Pandemic Law and Policy, is meant to prepare students to face the legal questions surrounding various restrictions imposed amid the pandemic.

“The spread of the novel coronavirus has created legal and policy challenges that are largely unprecedented in the United States — many of which will likely play out in American courts and legislatures for years to come,” said Professor Jennifer Oliva, who designed and will instruct the course. “This course will examine the biomedical and epidemiological evidence regarding SARS-CoV-2 against the backdrop of the myriad law and policy issues implicated by the pandemic.”

Among others, the course will examine the legality of stay-at-home orders and compulsory virus testing and scrutinize privacy concerns related to widespread contact tracing.

The university will offer the course during its summer session.

“Seton Hall Law School has always been about innovation and producing practice ready graduates,” Seton Hall law school dean Kathleen Boozang said. “This new class will prepare our students for what has become a rapidly evolving legal response to a pandemic that has had implications for almost every aspect of our lives. Our students will be prepared to serve their clients well, whether they are working in the private sector, public service, or public interest.”