Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

Kishnee Theus figured out that she was going to go to law school during her sophomore year of undergraduate studies. It was at that time that there was a devastating earthquake in Haiti. As a Haitian-American, this affected her personally. She had two aunts who were in Haiti, one an American citizen and the other not.

Students often tell WMU-Cooley Professor Barbara Kalinowski that they are bad writers or they say, "It's just not my thing." Those kinds of comments don't wash for Kalinowski, especially in the classroom.  

It was a law book Alexis Morris picked up in grade school that started her interest in the law. After something occurred in the classroom, she remembers her teacher pulling out an education law book from her shelf and then starting to read from it to the students. She then went to look at the book closer after class. 

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, speaking at a vigil one week after the horrific attacks on New Zealand Muslim worshippers, said, "According to Muslim faith, the Prophet Mohammed, Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam, said 'Believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When any part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain.'

As a former U.S. Marine Staff Sgt., Victor Flores knows the meaning of commitment. As a WMU-Cooley Law School graduate and practicing attorney, he also thoroughly understands what it means to dedicate yourself to your goals. Now he offers advice to students, veterans and others considering law school and a legal career. 

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. In our final episode, we discuss a series of study aids that’s structurally similar to the “Big Three” we talked about at the start of this series – 1) Understanding, 2) Examples and Explanations, and 3) Nutshell – but is geared more for MBE Bar preparation rather than law school courses; specifically: Emanuel’s Bootcamp for the MBE series.

As long as Sheila Lake can remember she always wanted to be an attorney and a champion for the underdog.

Lawyers are trained to be expert communicators. Yet speaking before a group can be an intimidating prospect for some, whether it’s a civic club luncheon, trade association meeting, or bar association CLE program. Rejoice if you are invited to make a speaking presentation, as there are many ways it can benefit your practice. Here are some tips for making your presentation an effective and impressive one.

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. In episode No. 9, we're giving a quick nod to a basic study aid that might help those inclined towards audio rather than print: the Sum and Substance series.

Starting law school can be thrilling, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming when you are trying to establish good study habits and learning how to make the most of every minute you have in learning the law. Ashley Heidemann, with JD Advising, a Michigan-based firm that advises law students about how to succeed in law school and pass the bar exam, shared advice based on her experience as a student and advisor.