TAMPA, Fla. – Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Dec. 16.

Fifty-seven juris doctor degrees and master of laws degrees were presented to members of Cooley Law School’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Class and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Class.

Chosen by their peers, Paulina Lopera and Madison Mann gave the class farewell remarks. The Hon. Nick Nazaretian of Florida’s 13th Judicial Court delivered the keynote speech.

“To my fellow graduates, what a journey this has been – it has not been an easy feat,” Lopera said in her remarks. “We’ve tackled late-night sessions, countless cups of coffee and probably more breakdowns than we’d like to admit, but we persevered. We navigated highs and lows, balancing internships, part time jobs and personal commitments, all while holding onto our vision of success. Each of us took a unique path to get here. Some of us overcame personal struggles, some juggled full-time jobs and some raised families while doing it. Regardless of how you got here, what matters is that we made it. We are a testament of resilience, determination and grit.”

“Being a lawyer is more than a job, it’s a calling,” Mann said in his remarks. “A calling to serve others and to pursue justice even when that path is difficult. It’s about using the power of the law to uplift, protect and create positive change. Whether we are advocating for a client, drafting a policy, or working to make the system more equitable, our job has the potential to shape lives. And that is a huge responsibility, but it is also a privilege.”

In his keynote address, Judge Nazaretian spoke about his own experience at Cooley Law School, reflecting on his role at the school’s orientation and the opportunity to watch students grow. He also emphasized the importance of hard work and to always pursue personal growth, even after completing schooling.

“You leave here as lawyers – this chapter is done, well written by you all,” Judge Nazaretian advised the graduates. “Tomorrow’s next chapter needs to be written. Your pages are empty. We’ve given you a pen and I look forward to continue reading your stories. Go have a great time tonight, we’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time.”

Each Cooley Law School class is named for a distinguished member of the legal profession. The commencement ceremony for Cooley’s winter graduating class honored U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated from James Madison High School then attended Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in government, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and first of her class. She then went on to attend Harvard Law School for two years, before life circumstance necessitated and she transferred to Columbia Law School her final year. She won a two-year clerkship with U.S. District Judge Edmund L. Palmieri, then accepted a research position at Columbia that took her to Sweden. She taught at Rutgers University Law School from 1963-1972; and from 1972-1980, she taught at Columbia, where she became the school’s first female tenured professor. During the 1970s, she worked for the ACLU and eventually became director of its newly established Women’s Rights Project. In this role, she argued six cases before the Supreme Court, winning five of them. Ginsburg was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by President Carter in 1980. In 1983, President Clinton appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by Justice Byron White.

William Hubbs Rehnquist graduated from high school in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and attended Kenyon College in Ohio for a year before joining the Army Air Corp in 1943 and serving for the next three years as a weather observer in North Africa. After World War II, with the help of the GI Bill and by working a steady stream of part-time jobs, Rehnquist attended Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science. He then earned a master’s degree in government from Harvard before returning to Stanford where he earned his law degree, graduating first in his class in 1952. Rehnquist then clerked for Justice Robert H. Jackson, and wrote a memorandum for Justice Jackson as the court was considering Brown v. Board of Education (1954). In 1953, Rehnquist married Natalie Cornell and moved to Phoenix, Ariz., where Rehnquist practiced law until 1969. He was then appointed by President Richard Nixon to serve as deputy attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department. In October 1971, upon the retirement of Justice John Marshall Harlan, Nixon nominated Rehnquist to fill the vacancy of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1986, when Chief Justice Burger retired, Rehnquist was appointed chief justice.

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Dec. 16. Pictured from left to right are: Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath, Paulina Lopera, Madison Mann, and Cooley Board member Mustafa Ameen.
 

Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath speaks to graduates of the law school’s Tampa Bay campus during the commencement ceremony at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Dec. 16.

The Hon. Nick Nazaretian of Florida’s 13th Judicial Court delivers the keynote speech during Cooley Law School’s commencement ceremony at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Dec. 16.

 

 

Cooley Law School was founded on a mission of equal access to a legal education and offers admission to a diverse group of qualified applicants across the country. 

Since the law school's founding in 1972, Cooley has provided a modern legal education to more than 21,000 graduates, teaching the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. An independent, non-profit law school, accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Cooley holds classes year-round at its Michigan and Florida campuses.

LANSING, Mich. – Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at its MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on Dec. 14.

Fifty-seven juris doctor degrees and master of laws degrees were presented to members of Cooley Law School’s Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Class and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Class.

Chosen by their peers, Phillip Harwood and Autumn Loos gave the class farewell remarks. Ret. Brigadier General Michael C. H. McDaniel delivered the keynote speech.

“Many of us came to law school with a plan, and we stuck to that plan,” Harwood said in his remarks. “Others came to law school with a specific plan and that plan changed. And still, others are open to what that plan still is. I would like to encourage each one of us, myself included, to take a hard look at our plans and ask ourselves this one question: What purpose does our plan serve? Not for us, but for our clients, our community and the world around us. Why do we do what we do? What’s our purpose, what’s our mission? This is the most important part of our plan.”

“As we leave this chapter behind and step into the next, especially as we prepare for the bar, it’s important to remember that those moments of doubt – the ones that we wondered if we belonged – they’re part of the process,” Loos said in her remarks. “We may not always feel ready, but we are ready. We’re prepared to make an impact, to challenge the systems and to stand up for justice.”

In his keynote address, McDaniel spoke on his experience as a professor at Cooley Law School. He also offered advice to the graduating class to persist and push forward as the newest generation of lawyers.

“I know you were blessed to have had them, and now, we have given you those skills to serve others,” he advised the graduates. “To make your family’s lives, lives of others, your community, your part of the world bigger and better. Use those tools.”

Each Cooley Law School class is named for a distinguished member of the legal profession. The commencement ceremony for Cooley’s winter graduating classes honored U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated from James Madison High School then attended Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in government, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and first of her class. She then went on to attend Harvard Law School for two years, before life circumstance necessitated and she transferred to Columbia Law School her final year. She won a two-year clerkship with U.S. District Judge Edmund L. Palmieri, then accepted a research position at Columbia that took her to Sweden. She taught at Rutgers University Law School from 1963-1972; and from 1972-1980, she taught at Columbia, where she became the school’s first female tenured professor. During the 1970s, she worked for the ACLU and eventually became director of its newly established Women’s Rights Project. In this role, she argued six cases before the Supreme Court, winning five of them. Ginsburg was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by President Carter in 1980. In 1983, President Clinton appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by Justice Byron White.

William Hubbs Rehnquist graduated from high school in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and attended Kenyon College in Ohio for a year before joining the Army Air Corp in 1943 and serving for the next three years as a weather observer in North Africa. After World War II, with the help of the GI Bill and by working a steady stream of part-time jobs, Rehnquist attended Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science. He then earned a master’s degree in government from Harvard before returning to Stanford where he earned his law degree, graduating first in his class in 1952. Rehnquist then clerked for Justice Robert H. Jackson, and wrote a memorandum for Justice Jackson as the court was considering Brown v. Board of Education (1954). In 1953, Rehnquist married Natalie Cornell and moved to Phoenix, Ariz., where Rehnquist practiced law until 1969. He was then appointed by President Richard Nixon to serve as deputy attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department. In October 1971, upon the retirement of Justice John Marshall Harlan, Nixon nominated Rehnquist to fill the vacancy of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1986, when Chief Justice Burger retired, Rehnquist was appointed chief justice.

 

Ret. Brigadier General Michael C. H. McDaniel delivers the keynote speech during Cooley Law School’s commencement ceremony at the MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on Dec. 14.

Chosen by his peers, Phillip Harwood delivers the class farewell remarks during Cooley Law School’s commencement ceremony at MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on Dec. 14.

 

Chosen by her peers, Autumn Loos delivers the class farewell remarks during Cooley Law School’s commencement ceremony at MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on Dec. 14.

 

Cooley Law School was founded on a mission of equal access to a legal education and offers admission to a diverse group of qualified applicants across the country. 

Since the law school's founding in 1972, Cooley has provided a modern legal education to more than 21,000 graduates, teaching the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. An independent, non-profit law school, accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Cooley holds classes year-round at its Michigan and Florida campuses.

TAMPA, FL. and LANSING, MI. — On Jan. 15, Cooley Law School hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, featuring an online panel discussion, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy.”

The event brought together Cooley students and faculty to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and engage in meaningful dialogue about his vision for justice and equality.

The program included a viewing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech from the 1963 March on Washington, offering attendees the chance to experience his words' full power and relevance in today’s context.

“What's needed now more than ever is context – many Americans in their 20s and 30s have never listened to the entire ‘I Have a Dream Speech,’” said Cooley Law School Professor Joseline Hardrick, who moderated the panel discussion. “Thus, when they hear it quoted out of context, they don't understand the true meaning of Dr. King’s words. I encourage everyone to listen to the entire speech.”

In addition to Hardrick, panelists who shared in the conversation about what MLK's legacy means to us today, included: Professor Brendan Beery, Associate Dean and Professor Tracey Brame, Professor Mable Martin-Scott, and Jacqueline Freeman, senior director and special advisor for engagement, civil rights, and Title IX.

 

Photo: Cooley Law School faculty who participated in the MLK Day panel discussion, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy,” included: Professor Mable Martin-Scott (top left), Associate Dean and Professor Tracey Brame (top right), Jacqueline Freeman, senior director and special advisor for engagement, civil rights, and Title IX (bottom left); and Professor Brendan Beery (bottom right). Cooley Law School Professor Joseline Hardrick, who moderated the panel discussion, is pictured on the bottom of the photo’s top row.

Registration is encouraged and available online for those wishing to have convictions expunged.

Cooley Law School will host an Expungement Fair from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 21, in the law school’s lobby. Volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys will assist with their expungement paperwork. Cooley Law School has hosted several Expungement Fairs since 2023, which has resulted in hundreds of individuals being able to have their criminal records expunged.

The event is being held in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Legal Services of South Central Michigan. Registration is open online for those wishing to have their convictions expunged. Limited walk-in appointments will be accepted on the day of the event.

Expungement removes arrests and convictions from a person’s public criminal record. Criminal offenses that have been expunged are no longer accessible to employers or landlords. Michigan law has always allowed for expungements, but the “Clean Slate” legislation enacted in 2020 made more individuals and offenses eligible for expungement. This process became available to the public in 2021. On April 11, 2023, the automatic expungement provisions went into effect, allowing for the automatic expungement of some felonies and misdemeanors. Under the new law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and any number of misdemeanors can have their records expunged. Certain traffic violations and first-time operating while intoxicated offenses can be expunged. Additionally, misdemeanor marijuana convictions that would not have been considered crimes after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan can be expunged.

WHEN: Friday, March 21, 2025, Noon-4 p.m.  
WHERE: Cooley Law School - Lobby, 300 S. Capital Ave., Lansing, MI 48933
Register Online: https://bit.ly/sjm25_cooley

On March 17, Cooley Law School hosted "Careers that Serve with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel" for law students and faculty in the lobby of its Lansing campus. 

During the event, Nessel answered students’ questions about public service careers at the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s office. Students also met with various representatives from six divisions within the Attorney General’s office to learn about future internships, summer/post-grad, and career opportunities.

“It was exciting to have Attorney General Dana Nessel speak to the Cooley community about what she and other state attorney generals are doing to address political issues that impact the state's citizens,” said Karen M. Poole, Cooley Law School director of Career & Professional Development.

 

 

 

Cooley Law School will host several Meet & Greet Information Sessions for prospective students throughout the country in March. Those who pre-register online and attend a Meet & Greet and are later accepted to Cooley will receive a scholarship of over $14,000, and all entrance fees will be waived. The law school will hold sessions in New York, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Florida and Toronto, Canada.

Each event will start at 6:30 p.m. with a brief informational presentation from the Cooley Law School Admissions Office, followed by a question-and-answer session to ask questions about law school, student life, and what to expect as a Cooley student. Attendees will learn about the law school admissions process, scholarships/financial aid, scheduling options, Cooley’s campuses in Lansing, Mich., and Tampa, Fla., and the variety of resources available to Cooley's student community.

Registration is required: https://info.cooley.edu/meet-and-greet-2025-registration.

Meet & Greet Dates & Locations:

• March 11: Buffalo/Amherst, NY - Reikart House, 5000 Main St, Amherst, NY 14226
• March 13: Toronto, ON - Courtyard Toronto Downtown, 475 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y 1X7, Canada
• March 13: Detroit, MI - Westin Southfield Detroit, 1500 Town Center, Southfield, MI 48075
• March 18: Orlando, FL - Marriott Orlando Downtown, 400 W Livingston St, Orlando, FL 32801
• March 19: Miami, FL - AC Hotel Miami Wynwood, 3400 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33137 
• March 20: Chicago, IL - Courtyard Chicago Downtown/River North, 30 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60611
• March 20: Grand Rapids, MI - Hilton Garden Inn Grand Rapids East, 2321 E. Beltline SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 
• March 24: Houston, TX - Houston Marriott Energy Corridor, 16011 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77094
• March 26: Northern New Jersey, NJ - Residence Inn West Orange, 107 Prospect Ave, West Orange, NJ 07052
• March 27: Long Island, NY - Residence Inn Garden City Long Island, 700 Garden City Plaza, Garden City, NY 11530