Resources:
  • STUDENTS
  • ALUMNI
  • FACULTY
  • STAFF
  • LIBRARY
Cooley Law School - Transparent Logo
MENU
  • APPLY
  • J.D.
      • J.D. Program
      • Prospective Students
      • Apply Now
      • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
      • FAQ
      • Contact Admissions
      • Campus Locations
      • Course Catalog
      • Schedule Options
      • Study Abroad
      • Our Student Body
      • Academic Calendar
      • U.S. Legal Studies for Foreign Attorneys
  • EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
      • Social Justice Clinics
      • Community Service Clinics
      • Externships
      • Simulation Courses
      • Competitions
  • MAKE A GIFT
      • Giving Tuesday 2021
      • Annual Fund
      • DEI Champions
      • Merit Scholarship Fund
      • Planned Giving
      • Cooley Society Membership
      • Donor Honor Roll
  • ABOUT
      • Mission, Values, and Vision
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Home of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium
      • Commitment to Social Justice and Access
      • Leadership & Administration
      • Blog
      • Campus Locations
      • Title IX and Campus Safety
      • Media Requests
      • Consumer Information
      • Jobs

Search

Tammy Allison: Only you can know what is or isn't possible

Attorney and Cooley graduate Tammy Allison worked for the U.S. Department of Justice for a decade, spanning three presidential administrations, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, when she decided to launch the first-ever black owned Federal Executive Clemency law firm. She is only the third attorney in the United States who has worked at the Office of the Pardon Attorney (OPA) to own a firm dedicated to federal executive clemency.

"Public service has always been something that spoke to me," shared Allison. " I would say that many of my childhood experiences and traumas truly impacted my decision to serve others, especially in the criminal justice system. My one goal is to give a voice for the voiceless, but I also knew that I would need to be in a position of power to make that happen often nuanced and misunderstood process. I knew I could bring my culture and personal experiences to the table in order to bring change and hope to those who may not know how to fight for themselves. 

Even though Allison didn't know what she wanted to do in law school, she used her time at Cooley to figure it out, and now gives her mentees the same that advice. 

"I tell people you don't need to feel the pressure of knowing exactly what you want to do in law school. You can use law school to focus on required courses, take fun electives, and intern at in as many different areas as possible. It's through all of these experiences that you will be able to determine what you like, and don't like to do. Once you know where your strengths and passions fall, you can transition your skills into a rewarding career as an attorney."

Allison now has over 10 years of extensive experience in all phases of the criminal justice system. She has prosecuted cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C., and has done everything from identifying legal issues within the Federal Bureau of Prisons to evaluating petitions for commutations and pardons at the Office of the Pardon Attorney. It is through her work experience that she noticed that there was a need for much more work in the area of federal executive clemency in the criminal justice system. She decided she was going to do something about it by launching The Pardon Attorney™ in November 2020, in her home state of Texas, where she is very excited about her future to give voice to voiceless. 

"I believe strongly that it is hard work and your ability to listen to your own heart that should be your guide for life success," stated Allison. "You can't allow others to tell you what is or isn't possible. That is for you alone to determine."

Submit Your Testimonial

Tags: Cooley Alumni, From Where I Stand
Back to Blog
  • Tweet

Related Articles

What does the Constitution say is a national emergency? Con Law profs explain 'what is' and 'what isn't.'

On Friday, Feb. 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in order to fund a wall...
Read More

A Hunt for Treasure Becomes a Treasured Hunt

Going on a hunt for real treasure is something most of us will only ever do through a book...
Read More

You can do anything; it all comes down to what you want

To say Victoria McCormick is dedicated to her country, her legal studies, and to service is to...
Read More

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

  • Cooley Faculty (125)
  • Cooley Alumni (121)
  • Legal Education (78)
  • Cooley Students (71)
  • Faculty Experts (56)
  • Tampa Bay Campus (25)
  • Diversity (23)
  • From Where I Stand (18)
  • Awards (13)
  • Military Students (11)
  • Study Abroad (11)
  • Dean's Fellow (10)
  • Innocence Project (10)
  • Plain language (10)
  • Multicultural Lawyering (9)
  • Cooley Law School History (5)
  • Lansing Campus (5)
  • Library Blog Series (5)
  • Weekend Program (5)
  • Equal Access to Justice (4)
  • Legal Ethics (4)
  • Bar Exam Advice (3)
  • Externships (3)
  • International Law Faculty Experts (3)
  • Kimberly O'Leary (3)
  • Resiliency (3)
  • Continuous Improvement (2)
  • Service & Integrity (2)
  • online learning (2)
  • Cooley Career Office (1)
  • Cooley Law School Students (1)
  • Cooley Mission (1)
  • Homeland & National Security Law Review (1)
  • LL.M. (1)
  • LSAT Prep (1)
see all
Cooley Law School - Transparent Logo-1

CONTACT
Cooley Law School
300 South Capitol Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48933 
(517) 371-5140

Contact Us

Contact Admissions

Read Our Blog

Full Sitemap

Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

Consumer Information

In corde hominum est anima legis.

Cooley Law School is an independent, private, non-profit educational institution accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission. 

Read non-discrimination policy

If you encounter accessibility barriers while on our website, please notify our Accessibility Office using the Inaccessible Content Notification Form.

© 2023 Cooley Law School
Designed By InVerve Marketing