Sounding Board

Dear Law Students:

Confidential Sounding Board: Professor Stephen Cook

We believe there is a need for someone to serve as a sounding board by providing another source of confidential, multi-faceted advice to all students. Professor Stephen Cook will be available to hear your concerns, whatever they may be, and to provide absolutely confidential advice, to all students, on a multitude of areas/issues.

Sounding Board areas/issues include: bar exam application assistance (what you must disclose and why), character and fitness issues (what issues you need to address in order to pass your character and fitness interview), dependency issues (alcohol/drug matters), ethical matters (situations that may put you at odds with the Honor Code), the unauthorized practice of law (what you can and cannot advise as a law student), peer problems (problems/situations with other students), stress (how to approach and deal with it), how to start you own practice (practical tips), life balance issues (how to balance health, family and relationships), mental health matters (common-sense advice on dealing with stress, self-image and non-clinical depression), or just a sounding board (someone to listen, or “bounce” something off of).

With very few exceptions, Professor Cook is not required to disclose any information involving a student meeting. All meetings are held in strictest confidence.

Starting Tuesday (8/28) and Thursday (8/30), Professor Cook will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday during the Fall 2012 Semester for any interested students. To set up a meeting, email Prof. Cook at scook@uakron.edu, and he will arrange a time that is convenient for you. Part-time, evening students may also email Professor Cook and he will set up a time that is convenient to the evening schedule.  Professor Cook’s office is Room 232 above the Atrium. His home phone is 330-264-0425, cell 330-464-9106 and personal email avocat@bright.net if you need to reach him. Try school email first.

This Confidential Sounding Board represents a part of our continuing commitment to meet the varied needs of our students.

Best wishes,

Bill Jordan
Associate Dean and  C. Blake McDowell Professor of Law

Lauri S Thorpe
Assistant Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid and Student Affairs