Cultural norms often dictate that the college experience—with its dorms, clubs, sports and activities—is more than just taking classes and receiving a degree. It’s a defining life journey. But do institutions of higher learning technically owe their students a so-called life experience? A wave of litigation sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic presents this question.
Since early April, dozens of class action lawsuits have been filed against universities and colleges on behalf of students who claim they are overpaying for tuition while receiving a lesser educational experience due to COVID-19 restrictions. Some of the most prestigious schools in the country have been swept up in this current wave of litigation and are turning to major law firms, including Cooley; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.
