Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here.
BenchmarkColumn_Masthead_660_FINAL_darker

JULY 2021

Dear alumni and friends of WMU-Cooley,

Students, staff and faculty will be returning to in-person classes in both Lansing and Tampa Bay. The Grand Rapids campus will be closing at the end of August. We have been working hard to prepare for the transition. Please note that if you are using your Cooley email address, or logging into the Alumni Directory, we now require a Google 2-factor authentication process to secure our alumni accounts. Please contact me if you have any questions about setting up this process. Make sure to keep up with your fellow alumni by going to the Alumni Events and the Benchmark Magazine pages on the website.

Since its inception, the Cooley Innocence Project has screened over 5,800 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of seven men: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014); LeDura Watkins (2017), Kenneth Nixon (Feb. 18, 2021), and now in the past months we celebrate the release of Gilbert Poole (May 26, 2021) and Corey Quentin McCall (June 25, 2021). Read their stories below.

Sincerely, Helen Haessly, Acting Director of Alumni Relations (Cushing Class, 2000) 
Poole_INSTAGRAM

GILBERT POOLE FINALLY FREE AFTER 32 YEARS WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT

“I have to say that I didn’t understand what was happening back in 1988 when I came to court to be tried for a murder I didn’t commit. At 22 years old, and a thousand miles away from anyone I knew, I kicked and screamed and stomped my feet and said this is not right,” said Gilbert Poole during the hearing.
 
READ MORE

COREY QUENTIN MCCALL EXONERATED AFTER 16 YEARS 

On June 25, 2021, Berrien County Circuit Court Judge Angela M. Pasula set aside the conviction of Corey Quentin McCall, who was wrongfully convicted of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in 2005. “Mr. McCall was convicted despite evidence of an alibi. New evidence demonstrated that he is in fact innocent,” stated WMU-Cooley Innocence Project Director Tracey Brame. 
 
READ MORE
Corey-McCall_instagram

THANKS FOR GIVING
bar exam-2

We would like to thank everyone who generously supported our one-day fundraiser to the WMU-Cooley Bar Exam Fund this week. We raised nearly $5,000 dollars in one day. Our July 27 bar takers also thank you for the #CooleyGoodVibes.  If you haven't donated yet, there is still time, and there is still a great need. On
behalf of the entire Cooley family and the communities where our graduates will serve, we are grateful for you!
GIVE TO THE BAR EXAM FUND

CREATING CHANGE
Heather headshot2

Never tell Heather Silcott she can’t achieve success—whether in the legal field, hockey arena, or pageant world. A comment from an employer that she could “always be a legal assistant,” gave Silcott the impetus to apply to law school—and she is now a rising 3L at WMU-Cooley Law School with an exciting legal career in her sights.
READ MORE

nURISHA a. HARVEY 

A New Jersey native, and no stranger to hard work and advocacy, WMU-Cooley graduate Nurisha Azizi Harvey has worked tirelessly in the community to forge solidarity and to develop cooperative relations among people of all races, creed, and nationalities. It started as a young girl, with her parents' role in the furtherance of justice, equality, and equity worldwide, even getting to meet Nelson and Winnie Mandela whom her parents hosted in their home after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in South Africa. Harvey vows to continue her family's legacy by "serving and helping people that are in need."
READ ABOUT HER JOURNEY
Nurisha A. Harvey
CHELSEA REBECK

CHELSEA REBECK

The key to a successful adaptation in practice is the ability to anticipate and pivot with change and to be innovative, according to WMU-Cooley graduate Chelsea Rebeck. Co-founder of Rebeck & Allen, she primarily guides high-asset individuals with planning and strategy for maximizing their finances and assists clients in such areas as tax controversy, tax preparer penalties, IRS audits, and tax advice. 
READ HER STORY

kwame row

JUDGE KWAME ROWE

On Thursday, July 22, 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the appointment of OCBA member Kwame L. Rowe to the 6th Circuit Court of Oakland County. Rowe currently serves as an assistant prosecutor for Oakland County. In his current role, Rowe is a special assistant prosecuting attorney with the Trafficking Unit working on felony cases involving human trafficking, complex narcotics, and homicide.
READ HIS STORY

Community_Conversation_Heart_of_Gold_IMAGE

AT THE HEART OF GOLD 

Join this important fall kick-off WMU-Cooley Community Conversations event for a panel discussion to reflect upon the hard-hitting documentary At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal. This unflinching documentary unpacks the scandal, its cover-up, and the aftermath, while giving voice to the survivors. Sign up for the Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 event at noon. 
SIGN UP TO JOIN

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

We are always happy to share your incredible stories of determination and grit, whether it is your journey to lawyer or as one of our over 20,000 graduates worldwide. Please consider submitting your From Where I Stand story!
SUBMIT YOUR STORY

JOIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Join the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association and reap the benefits of a worldwide network of 20,000+ colleagues, experts and friends. Annual dues are $35, a three-year membership is $100, and a lifetime membership costs $350 and includes a specially crafted gold-enameled lapel pin.
JOIN TODAY

CONNECT WITH US