The deadline for reporting pro bono and community service hours for May 2020 graduates has been extended to May 1. If you have completed your required hours already, please try to log them as soon as possible so that we may continue graduation clearance. If you have any questions, please contact Asst. Dean O’Brien or Prof. Joann Sahl. Thank you.

Dear Akron Law students, faculty, and staff,

In order to implement President Miller’s recent announcement regarding campus operations during the COVID-19 outbreak, the School of Law is taking the following steps:

• All courses will be taught in online format through the end of the spring semester.  Final exams will be administered on a take-home basis during the revised exam period (May 7-15).  While the exact format and timing of exams will differ by course, students should assume for now that their exams will take place at the date and time provided in the revised exam schedule, which is posted on Brightspace.  We will work with faculty to plan and administer exams as fairly and efficiently as possible.  More information will follow.

• Beginning Wednesday, March 18^th, building access will be limited to essential personnel and activities only.  Students, faculty, and most administrators and staff will not have access to the building absent a compelling reason.  If you have any items you need to retrieve from the building to facilitate your working or studying remotely, please retrieve them no later than 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 17^th.  You will need your swipe card or key to access the building after 5:00 pm today (Monday, March 16^th).  After 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 17^th, swipe cards will not work and access will be limited to essential personnel.  If you think you have a compelling reason to access the building after Tuesday, March 17^th, please send an email to Dean Janoski-Haehlen (ejanoskihaehlen@uakron.edu), Assistant Dean Bobbs (bobbs@uakron.edu), and me (cpeters1@uakron.edu) explaining when you would need building access and the reason for the access.

• Class registration will open on Monday, March 30^th at noon.  The mandatory advising session will be made available on Brightspace.

• Faculty, administrators, and staff will continue to be available for students during this period.  Students should not hesitate to contact the appropriate person to request a meeting by phone or Webex.  Faculty email addresses are here, adjunct faculty emails are here, administrators’ emails are here, and staff emails are here.

We also have received questions from students scheduled to graduate in May.  We understand your concern about whether the commencement ceremony will take place as scheduled on May 17^th.  As of now, the University has not decided whether any of the commencement ceremonies will go forward as planned.  (That is a University decision, not a School of Law decision.)  It remains possible that our commencement will go forward on May 17^th, or that it could be rescheduled for a later date.  We will let you know as soon as we have any additional relevant information.

I know these ongoing events have added more stress to what is already a stressful time of the semester.  While the circumstances are hardly ideal, we have a plan in place that will allow every student to finish the semester and (where applicable) graduate and sit for the bar on time.  We are committed to our students’ success and to giving our students the support they will need to achieve it.

We also are committed to the health and safety of every member of the Akron Law family.  Please monitor the University’s COVID-19 updates page and carefully follow expert recommendations regarding hygiene and social distancing, which can be found on the Ohio Department of Health website.

Stay well,

Christopher J. (C.J.) Peters │ Dean

The deadline for reporting pro bono and community service hours for May 2020 graduates is being extended to May 1. If you have completed your required hours already, please try to log them by April 1 if possible so that we may continue graduation clearance. If you have any questions, please contact Asst. Dean O’Brien or Prof. Joann Sahl. Thank you.

Diemert and Associates in Mayfield Hts. is seeking a part-time law clerk to research, update, and edit a policy manual for one of their municipal clients. This would be a temporary position and the law clerk would solely be working on this manual. The project would be wrapped up by early summer. If you are interested, please email your resume to Asst. Dean O’Brien: ab139@uakron.edu.

The trial competition sponsored by Tzangas Plakas Mannos Ltd. is looking for volunteers to act as jurors or witnesses for teams on Saturday, April 18, 2020. Get into the mindset of a juror as your peers put on their case or get in on the action and become a witness who will be directed and cross examined. Volunteers as jurors will be needed from 9am until 1pm and will receive free lunch. Volunteers as witnesses will be paired with teams requesting witnesses on a rolling basis and may need to meet with their teams beforehand. Witnesses will receive free lunch and a quarter-zip. Earn community service hours and network!

If interested, please email Jeananne Wickham at jwickham@lawlion.com by March 20, 2020.