Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

Remembering John W. Fitzgerald  July 7th marks the 14th anniversary of the passing of Justice John W. Fitzgerald (1924-2006). He was the favorite son of Grand Ledge MI who rose to become Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court while playing an instrumental role in the life of WMU-Cooley Law School.

WMU-Cooley Professor Tonya Krause-Phelan is frequently tapped as a criminal law expert by the media. She has appeared as a commentator on numerous radio, television, print, and internet media sources regarding criminal law and procedure issues and teaches Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Defending Battered Women, Criminal Sentencing, and Ethics in Criminal Cases. 

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense Strategy and retired Brigadier General Michael C.H. McDaniel, associate dean at WMU-Cooley Law School, was sought out by the media to explain how President Donald Trump can use the Insurrection Act to help control riots.

Tracey Brame, associate dean of WMU-Cooley’s Grand Rapids campus, Renalia DuBose, a WMU-Cooley professor in Tampa, Florida, and Criminal Law Professor Tonya Krause-Phelan, have been called upon to speak about racial injustices happening throughout the country and the legal ramifications following the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia. 

Social-distancing policies have forced states to rethink the July bar exam. One state has decided to shorten it to one day. Another is going open-book. A third is eliminating the multiple-choice portion and using short-answer questions instead. All three plan to administer their exams remotely (on-line). ABAJournal.com has the story. And now Michigan has decided to go with a one-day, on-line, all-essay test in July.

Blog contributor Otto Stockmeyer is a WMU-Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus. This is another in his series of posts offering a fresh look at famous cases. 

The subject of Restitution was once a mainstay of the first-year law school curriculum, but has become sorely neglected in the past half-century. This could explain why one professional responsibility expert believes that overlooking a restitution claim is the most common form of legal malpractice. If you are sheltering in place with an internet connection and time on your hands, now would be a good time to acquaint yourself with this important subject.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense Strategy and retired Brigadier General Michael C.H. McDaniel, who serves as director of WMU-Cooley Law School’s Master of Laws Program in Homeland and National Security, has experience in leading multiple government agencies in times of disaster. He held his post with the Pentagon during the H1N1 epidemic and most recently led Michigan’s response to the Flint water crisis. McDaniel often provides support to government agencies during times of crisis.

WMU-Cooley’s Research & Writing Department is about to unveil an updated online writing lab using Canvas technology. The online lab is an interactive site that makes writing instruction, examples, and self-assessment quizzes available to every student throughout their law-school careers.

WMU-Cooley Professor Gary Bauer, a legal expert in the area of estate planning and elderlaw, spells out specific ways attorneys can start, at any point in their career, to optimize the quality of their retirement through planning. Professor Bauer also extends his services to any WMU-Cooley graduate who would like to schedule a presentation in their hometown. You can contact Professor Bauer at bauerg@cooley.edu.