February 22, 2026
Dear Members of the HLS Community,
In conjunction with Harvard University officials, Harvard Law School has been closely monitoring major snowstorm that is expected to arrive in the Greater Boston area this evening and continue throughout the day tomorrow.
As Harvard’s Executive Vice President, Meredith Weenick, noted in her message earlier this afternoon, a blizzard warning has been issued for all of Massachusetts, with an estimated 18 to 24 inches of snow expected in greater Boston, with heavy rates of snowfall and high winds. Although accurate forecasts in these conditions are challenging, the Monday morning and evening commutes throughout the region will likely be significantly affected, and Governor Maura Healey has urged that the public stay off the roads during the snowstorm period.
To support the safety of our community, Harvard Law School will be shifting to remote operations on Monday.
Accordingly, please note the following important changes in our operations tomorrow:
- Classes scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) will be shifted to Zoom, although some faculty may instead choose to schedule a makeup class during the Law School’s makeup teaching block. Deans Claypoole, Burns, and Plunkett will be following up shortly with additional information for instructors and students should be on the lookout for follow-on communications directly from their instructors.
- Managers will be in touch with essential on-campus staff regarding their work schedules.
- Nonessential staff should plan to work remotely if they are able to do so or they should refer to the Inclement Weather Policy to take an excused absence if their work cannot be performed remotely. If they cannot work remotely due to other circumstances, they should contact their managers about taking paid time off (vacation or personal day).
- Clinical instructors are encouraged to contact their students to provide direction on clinical supervision, court appearances, client meetings, or other clinical practice engagement tomorrow.
- Event organizers should shift to a remote format or reschedule their events for an alternate day.
- Although Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) will significantly curtail their operations at HLS tomorrow, some food services will be maintained to support residents of HLS housing and essential staff who will be on campus. Only the Harkness Dining Room will be open for breakfast and lunch tomorrow from 7:30 am – 2:30 pm. No HUDS outlets will be open for dinner. Please plan accordingly.
- ITS will be available to provide remote technical support and will be reachable via phone (617-495-0722) or through the ServiceNow platform. The on-campus ITS service desk will be closed tomorrow.
- HLS Library Services will be closed on Monday; however, law students will have access to the Langdell Library’s 2nd floor for studying.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we shift to and implement remote operations tomorrow. Please watch for any additional communications from HLS and the University and stay safe during the storm!
Best,
Tracee
L. Tracee Whitley
Dean for Administration
Harvard Law School