Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

On Friday, Feb. 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in order to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Following President Trump’s announcement, Constitutional professors from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School responded by releasing a joint statement about the National Securities Act and an analysis of what our Constitution says and what it means for our democracy. 

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. Episode No. 7 touches on The American Law Reports (ALR). The ALR is a legal periodical maintained by a succession of publishers (currently West) that commissions and prints extremely deep articles exploring narrow legal topics.

Judge E. Thomas Fitzgerald of Owosso, Michigan, passed away December 27, 2018, at age 79. He was a trial lawyer for 24 years before his election to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1990. He served on the court for another 24 years before retiring in 2014.

Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School Associate Dean and Ret. Brigadier General Michael C.H. McDaniel offered insight into the legal ramifications if President Donald Trump invokes the National Emergency Act in order to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. We're veering away from the sort of mainstream law school study guides we’ve talked about so far in this series to discuss a type of resource that might already be familiar to you in a larger, non-legal context and can help you get a basic answer to nearly any legal question you might encounter: The Encyclopedia.

Getting students ready to pass the Bar Exam is something Professor Emily Horvath takes very seriously. As the director of academic services with the law school, not only does she work to create solid curriculum and programming, she puts in an effort that begins day one, the minute a student steps into the classroom. 

Mohamed Hammoud was always fascinated by the criminal justice system, and always wanted a legal career, but was afraid the demands and cost were too much for him. That was until his first son was born, Mohamed Ali, was born in 2015.

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. 5, we’re discussing a few of the Sample Question guides available in the library, and what to look for from each.

According to Commander Michael Shea, the director of Saint Michael’s Legal Center, "there are a lot of people in our society who just can't afford a lawyer." The clinic, which is housed at WMU-Cooley Law School's Tampa Bay campus, helps to bridge that financial gap, a crevice that is over 50 percent in the family law area.

One of Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School’s oldest and finest traditions is presentation of the Distinguished Brief Awards. Since 1985, Distinguished Brief Awards have been given in recognition of the most scholarly briefs filed in the Michigan Supreme Court, as selected by a panel of eminent lawyers, judges, and faculty members. Two or three briefs are chosen annually and are printed in their entirely in the WMU-Cooley Law Review. The award reflects the law school’s longstanding commitment to teaching and celebrating effective legal writing.