Confidential Sounding Board: Professor Stephen Cook

Dear Law Students:

Confidential Sounding Board: Professor Stephen Cook

We have asked Prof. Cook to serve as a sounding board by providing another source of confidential, multi-faceted advice to all students. He 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 (1/15/13) and Thursday (1/17/13), Professor Cook will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday during the Spring 2013 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 your evening schedule. Professor Cook’s office is Room 232 above the Atrium. His cell phone is 330-464-9106 and personal email avocat@bright.net if you need to reach him. Try school email first.

Best wishes,

Bill Jordan                                                                                                                   Lauri S. Thorpe
Associate Dean and                                                                                                   Assistant Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid
C. Blake McDowell Professor of Law                                                                                     and Student Affairs

Great internship opportunity in Cleveland with the US Department of Justice – Executive Office for Immigration Review

Cleveland Immigration Court

Summer Internship in Immigration Law

The United States Department of Justice has an opening for at least one legal intern with the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Cleveland Immigration Court for Summer 2013 (mid-May through mid-August). The Court is located at the Carl B. Stokes United States Courthouse in downtown Cleveland. Current first- and second-year law students are eligible to apply. Applicants must be United States citizens. Prior knowledge of immigration law is helpful but not necessary. Strong research and writing skills are required. Interns must work a minimum of 20 hours per week.

The projects assigned will vary depending upon the court’s needs. Past interns have:

Performed in-depth research and analysis of novel legal issues

Prepared bench memoranda
Drafted judicial decisions and orders

The internship provides students with an excellent opportunity to develop their research, writing, and analytical skills, and increase their knowledge of immigration law. The interns will be able to observe removal hearings and work on cases involving several forms of relief including asylum, adjustment of status, and cancellation of removal. The interns will work directly under the supervision of the attorney advisor and will also work with the court’s immigration judges.

The internship is unpaid. Students who are interested must submit an application packet as described below. Applications must be received no later than Wednesday, February 28, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. A background check and clearance are required to work at the court; completion of the background check may take eight weeks. Students who are interested and eligible to receive academic credit may arrange to receive credit with their respective law schools. Applications may be sent through postal mail or e-mail. Please ensure to enclose the following: cover letter, résumé, current law school transcript, and a maximum ten-page writing sample not substantially edited by others. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please submit the package to:

United States Department of Justice

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Attn: Jason Claude, Attorney Advisor

801 W Superior Ave, Ste 13-100

Cleveland, OH 44113

E-mail: jason.a.claude@usdoj.gov

One more volunteer needed for Law, Love & Chocolate – community service opportunity!

One more student volunteer is needed for Law, Love & Chocolate, an event sponsored by the Akron Law Alumni Association and the Stark County Bar Association, to sell raffle tickets at this fun event. Earn community service hours and meet members of the Stark County Bar Association! The event will be held on February 7, 2013 from 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM at the Canton Club in downtown Canton. If you are interested in voluntering, please email Ms. Lia Evans at lme18@uakron.edu.

SALDF ‘Cutest Pet’ Contest

SALDF is holding a “cutest pet” contest and we need photos of your cutest pets! Winner receives bragging rights and their pet’s photo in a bulletin board area in the law school.

Please submit photos by January 18, 2013, to sdj11@zips.uakron.edu or place photos in Mailbox #273 (Sara Justice) in the law school. Students will vote on the photos by making donations toward the pet in the cafeteria area once all photos are collected and prepared.

SALDF reserves the right to create categories (faculty, students, etc) based upon the number of photos submitted. Please submit photos that are of good print quality.

This is a fund raiser for SALDF- we intend to use funding to support Puppy Day, local animal welfare projects, and speaking events.

ATTENTION May 2013 GRADUATES

Are you taking the July Ohio Bar Exam?*
If yes, then here is your opportunity to begin to prepare.

Akron Law is offering a free workshop called ESSENTIAL LEGAL CONCEPTS (ELC) to help prepare you for the upcoming July bar exam. The workshop is available to students not currently taking Advanced Legal Applications. The workshop will focus on your understanding of the bar exam and provide you with essential skills needed to effectively study for the Ohio Bar exam. Akron Law strongly encourages your enrollment in this workshop, although it is not designed to replace any bar exam preparation course you are taking, but rather to be a supplement.

The workshop will be held Saturdays, February 2, 16, and 23, and March 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. at the Law School (Rm: TBA)

Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis and open to the first 25 current students to enroll. Any past students wishing to take the workshop are also welcome to enroll, but their request to enroll will be placed on a waiting list and considered only after current student enrollment has occurred.

*If you are a current student and not taking the Ohio bar, the course may not be catered to your specific bar exam, but you are still welcome to participate.

ENROLLMENT:
To enroll, please contact Misty Franklin at misty@uakron.edu no later than Monday, January 21, 2013. Please provide Misty with your name, which state’s bar exam you are taking and when, and whether you are a current student. Please indicate that you wish to enroll in the Spring ELC course taught by Prof. Walsh. Please register even if you might have to miss one session. You will still benefit from attending as many of the classes as possible.

If you contact Misty seeking to enroll, we will advise you no later than Friday, January 25, 2013, as to whether we can accommodate you in the workshop.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions regarding the workshop in general, please contact Adjunct Professor Michael Walsh, walsh@uakron.edu.