Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

This opinion blog piece was written by WMU-Cooley Law School Assistant Dean Victoria V. Vuletich. Professor Vuletich has expertise in legal ethics, the regulation of the legal profession and drafting and proposing administrative rules relating to the legal profession. She also has expertise in the restructuring of the legal profession and its implications for the profession and the public. You can listen to Professor Vuletich on Michigan's Big Show. 

Here at WMU-Cooley fall classes are beginning. New students will quickly learn that first-term courses do not include Vocabulary 101. Rather, students are expected to master the law’s terminology on their own, by looking up every word in their assigned cases that they don’t understand.

Every year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly accepts nominations of worthy attorneys to be considered as Michigan Leaders in the Law. Based on their accomplishments, service and experience, they select 20 to 30 attorneys to be designated Michigan's Leaders in the Law. Those nominees then select from among themselves the one attorney that truly epitomizes leadership, that personifies the qualities that all of us aspire to demonstrate, the ideals that compelled all of us to attend law school. Think of it: 30 alpha dogs that all want to be recognized as the leader of the pack.

WMU-Cooley Law School Constitutional Law expert Professor Brendan Beery shares in an op-ed analysis below that he outlined for the media to answer their questions concerning Presidential immunity. 

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.