Category: General Announcements

We are excited to share that the announcements for our Summer Legal Program and our Honors Program are open for applications and will close on September 30, 2020. You can find the links for the application for both programs and the eligibility criteria here:

Summer Legal Program – https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/575185200    
Honors Program –  https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/575185600    

We encourage you to forward these announcements to your students, student associations, affinity groups, and tax professors. Students may visit our website to learn more about our office structure and legal divisions at www.jobs.irs.gov/counsel.

If students are interested in speaking with our attorneys about our office, they can reach out to alumni from their school who are currently attorneys with the Office of Chief Counsel, by reviewing our Ambassadors Program List, available on our web site here: Ambassadors Program. Students may e-mail anyone on the list as they see fit.

The deadline to apply for May 2021 graduation is October 1, 2020. To apply for graduation, log into My Akron and follow these instructions.

Peer mentorship promotes a sense of community at the School of Law and fosters student development through communication, support, and guidance to law school resources. First-year students are matched with upper-division Peer Mentors in advance of their first semester. Each Peer Mentor is an upper-level law student who volunteers to support new law students and to welcome them to the Akron Law family.

First-year law students meet their Peer Mentors during Orientation, and throughout the school year, Peer Mentors check-in with their mentees regularly by phone, text, or email, and face-to-face (as permitted) at least once per month.

The primary goals of the Peer Mentor Program are to:

• Support first-year law students as they acclimate to law school;
• Help first-year law students navigate law school and make the most of the many opportunities;
• Foster a sense of community and engagement throughout the first-year class;
• Answer questions regarding courses, degree requirements, academic support services, career services, student organizations, law review, and competition teams; and
• Provide information about professional opportunities and academic pursuits outside of the classroom.

In pairing mentees with mentors, the program coordinators review student surveys and consider:

• Background and experience
• Academic interests
• Legal Interests
• Other points of commonality (i.e. race, gender, hometown, undergrad institution, etc.)

Upper-division students interested in serving as a mentor should complete this survey: https://akron.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eevUEBhm1qhjU6p

Governor DeWine issued a travel advisory for those traveling to Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15% or higher. Travelers from such states are advised to self-quarantine for fourteen days. Currently, these states are at or above the 15% threshold: Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Idaho, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. The list will be updated on Wednesday of each week. You can read more about the advisory here: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/families-and-individuals/covid-19-travel-advisory/covid-19-travel-advisory

If you are returning to Ohio from a state that is on the advisory list, we strongly encourage you to heed the advice to self-quarantine. And please factor this quarantine period into your plans to return so that you are prepared to attend classes. During a self-quarantine:

• Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever, as well as other symptoms including cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
  • If fever and/or symptoms develop, call your medical provider.
• Remain at home and avoid all in-person activities. This includes work, grocery stores and pharmacies, public events, and public places.
• If you live in a home with other people who did not travel with you, stay in a separate room. If this is not possible, wear a face mask when you are in the same room and stay at least six feet away from others.
• Do not leave home except to seek medical care. If you need to see a provider for reasons other than a medical emergency, please call in advance and discuss the care you need.
• In the event of a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. Indicate that you are in home quarantine for novel coronavirus exposure. Keep a face mask on until you are asked by a health care provider to remove it.
• Do not have visitors in your home.
• Do not use public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares.

We understand that this will pose an inconvenience but it’s important that we think of the health and safety of our colleagues, friends, and family and do what we can to ensure everyone’s safety. We all hope this pandemic ends soon, and perhaps things like complying with this advisory will help.