Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

WMU-Cooley Law School alumna Katrina Hofstetter, who earned her undergrad degree in history, summa cum laude, from Ferris State University, spent 13 years as a legal assistant at Bossenbrook Williams PC in Lansing,  learning about the law, including the administrative and practical aspects, how to build lasting and trustworthy relationships with clients, and how to run a law practice.   

Starting a new law school from scratch is not a simple matter. WMU-Cooley Law School’s founder, Justice Thomas E. Brennan, had many concerns, large and small, to attend to, from hiring faculty to acquiring furniture. He devised the school’s innovative year-round schedule, created the Student Bar Association and Scholastic Review Board, composed the school’s motto, and designed its distinctive diplomas.  Another of Brennan’s concerns was that his students—also new, of course—achieve success at the new school. To that end he typed up a one-page list of suggestions he titled “Judge Brennan’s Ten Commandments for Law School.” For several years, Xerox copies were included in new-student welcome packets. In later years, some first-year professors attached copies to their course syllabus. But as far as is known, the “Ten Commandments” were never typeset or digitalized. . . until now. Here, preserved on the internet, is the handout that helped the first generations of WMU-Cooley law students achieve success.

Diversity and inclusion are essential, not just for groups who have traditionally been marginalized or negatively impacted by discrimination. They benefit everyone in the workplace. As a Black woman who happens to be a lawyer, I am in a group representing only 2.3% of the lawyers in the United States. That means when I go into several spaces: from the courtroom to the boardroom to the classroom, I do not look like the legal expert my audience expects. I've had to overcome that bias by making sure I am prepared and professional, and I go out of my way to be seen and known.

Professors Turn Focus to Practical Bar Passage Help As a way to assist Florida bar passage efforts, WMU-Cooley professors Paul Carrier and Matthew Marin, along with recent graduate Sara Marin (no relation) spent several years collaborating on a contract law project that teaches all MBE-tested subjects through the use of all-Florida cases.

WMU-Cooley Professor and Associate Dean Emeritus Nelson Miller shared his expertise with WalletHub.com (one of the leading outlets covering the personal finance industry) weighed in on the following answers to questions important to the car industry. 

With Halloween just a few dark and dreary days away, many individuals have begun sharing ghost stories among their friends and family. Some stories may include tales about a neighborhood home that is suspected of having paranormal activity. While many times these stories are just stories, in some instances a homeowner may believe their house is, indeed, haunted and questioning whether disclosing this information is a must before putting their home on the market.

My Contracts students know how much I revere Justice Benjamin Cardozo (1870-1938). Teaching his opinion in Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon has been a particular delight. And I have blogged about him here and here.

With campuses in Michigan and Florida, WMU-Cooley Law School professors are available to speak with members of the media regarding various issues facing the nation’s Nov. 3 elections. If you are interested in speaking with any of WMU-Cooley's legal experts, or securing their election night availability, please feel free to contact Tyler Lecceadone at SeyferthPR, the PR partner for WMU-Cooley Law School, at 616-776-3511 or email Lecceadone@seyferthpr.com

It has happened again. A candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court has declared, “It is incumbent upon our state’s highest court to enforce and not make the law.” I have written about this mischaracterization of the role of our state’s highest court before, but a reminder seems in order. Here is an abridged version of my op-ed column in the Detroit News several election cycles ago:

Blog author, Constitutional Law expert and WMU-Cooley Professor Brendan Beery gives his legal opinion on why the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg represents a death far beyond her loss as a human being. It may mean a death of her life's work. Professor Beery, a summa cum laude graduate of the law school, teaches Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure at WMU-Cooley Law School, and is a frequent legal expert in the media.