To:          All Law Students
From:    Markeisha Miner, Dean of Students
Re:         Help in Troubling Situations
Date:     Fall 2022

This memo is a reminder of some of the resources available to you as a law student at Cornell. In case you find yourself in any of the following hypothetical situations, we pass this information along. Helpful contacts and resources are listed at the end of this memo and may also be found at Cornell’s Student & Campus Well-being website.

1. You feel that you have been harassed by a member of the university community. Where can you go to discuss the situation or report the incident? You may wish to contact me directly, Assistant Dean for Graduate Legal Studies, Aimée Houghton if you are an LL.M. or J.S.D. student, or Assistant Dean Fouad Saleet if you are an Exchange student and we promise a full discussion of your options, which include: 

a. Title IX & Sexual Harassment and Assault – Response and Education (SHARE). Cornell is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning, living, and working environment. To this end, Cornell will not tolerate sexual and related misconduct. Through Cornell University Policy 6.4, on Prohibited Discrimination, Protected Status (Including Sexual) Harassment, and Bias Activity and the applicable procedures for students, staff, and faculty, the university provides means to address sexual and related misconduct, including sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation. 

 We encourage every student to seek help if they or someone they know has experienced sexual misconduct. Any student with a concern or who wishes to file a report can do so by contacting the Title IX office or the Cornell University Police.  Learn about Cornell’s procedures, reporting options, and resources, including Confidential Resources on the Title IX website. The SHARE website  is a resource for support, education and advocacy. 

b. Consensual Relationships. Please carefully review University Policy 6.3 regarding prohibited consensual relationships between students and faculty or others who hold positions of authority over students. Policy 6.3 is distinct from, but related to Policy 6.4, referenced above. The Law School faculty adopted a stricter interpretation of Policy 6.3 in spring 2019. That interpretation states that: 

Faculty members, post-doctoral associates, and temporary employees who have teaching obligations within the Law School may not engage in or knowingly pursue a sexual or romantic relationship with any person currently enrolled in a course offered by the Law School. Individual professors and administrators may, and are encouraged to, impose similar restrictions on their student employees and student teaching assistants. 

The University’s Office for Institutional Equity and Title IX is responsible for administering Policies 6.3 and 6.4. 

c. Local police authorities.  If you feel that you are the victim of any crime, including harassment, you should consider reporting the matter to the local police. There are a number of police agencies in the area, including the Cornell Police, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Ithaca City Police and the Cayuga Heights Police Department.  For on-campus incidents, the appropriate police agency is the Cornell Police. The emergency number is 911. The non-emergency number is 1-607-255-1111.

d. The Law School Director of Human Resources 1-607-255-2101, Room G58d Myron Taylor Hall. Liz Flint, Director of Human Resources, is the designated harassment advisor for Cornell Law School.

e. Counseling.  Therapists at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) through Cornell Health are trained to help students cope with harassment situations, 1-607-255-5155. Or you could talk to a therapist through the Let’s (Tele) Talk Program, visit their website to see their fall 2022 schedule.

f. Advocacy.  The Victim Advocate Program assists any member of the Cornell community who has been the victim of a crime or serious incident, regardless of location. For more information, call 1-607-255-1212.

g. Anonymous reporting.  To report bias incidents or related concerns, use the online reporting form or send an email to report_bias@cornell.edu.

h. Resource Centers. 
a. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center is available to all students. The contact information is: 626 Thurston Ave, Ithaca, NY, 1-607-254-4987.

b. The Women’s Resource Center fosters a more vibrant campus community by supporting the full and active participation of women-identified students in both their personal and educational pursuits at Cornell. They can be reached at 209 Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca, NY, 1-607-255-0015.

2. In an on-campus job interview, an interviewer asks you a question that you believe is offensive or illegal. Please discuss the matter with Associate Dean for Career Development Akua Akyea or Dean Houghton. Or, if you simply wish to report the incident, direct an email to  report_bias@cornell.edu.  

3. You have evidence that a classmate has plagiarized a paper, cheated on an exam, or misrepresented his/her academic record to an employer. Academic misconduct is covered by the law school’s Code of Academic Integrity. You can make an appointment to speak to me, to Dean Houghton, or to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Chantal Thomas (law.academic-affairs@cornell.edu). You may also submit a written statement describing the conduct to one of us, or to the Law School Registrar. A copy of the Code can be found online under Law School Policies or in the Law School Student Handbook. The results of charges under the Code are posted on the bulletin board across from the Registrar’s Office (Room 160) with the name removed. 

4. You feel lonely, alienated, or depressed. Think law school may not be “right” for you? A number of students come to see me or Dean Houghton, but others choose to go to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) 1-607-255-5155, Cornell Health. If you feel that your life is in crisis, don’t hesitate to label your situation an emergency.  It provides materials describing campus resources that support the health and safety of our community. 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Cornell University Dean of Students Office sponsor numerous workshops and programs on such topics as stress management, alcohol and drug abuse, and interpersonal relationships. We attempt to list relevant programs in Scoops, and the Cornell Daily Sun has complete listings. 

6. You or a classmate is considering committing suicide. Suicide prevention and crisis services are available through Lifeline network, providing 24-hour free and confidential crisis counseling: 1-607-272-1616 or 1-800-273-8255; and free text crisis counseling at “The Chat” Monday through Friday from 6-9 p.m. 1-607-269-4500.