WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus held an honors convocation on July 13. The convocation recognizes students enrolled in the law school’s summer term for their achievements.

 

Christina Sabella, who is from Tampa and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, was presented with the Leadership Achievement Award. Sabella was recognized for consistently, comprehensively, and effectively providing leadership in a variety of capacities.

She has served as a member of Cooley’s Florida Association for Women Lawyers Student Chapter, Student Bar Association senator, and public relations director for the Student Bar Association.

Zhanna Mendolia, who was originally from the Russian Federation, was presented with the Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award. The award is given to selected graduating students based on academic accomplishments, professionalism and ethics, demonstrated leadership at WMU-Cooley, meaningful extracurricular activities, and post-graduation plans.

The recipients are selected by the past presidents and executive committee of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association. The recipients were presented with a diploma frame from the law school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Mark Cooney, chair of Cooley Law School’s Research and Writing Department, and University of Arizona College of Law Professor Diana Simon, a prolific author and veteran writing professor, have coauthored a legal-writing casebook titled “The Case for Effective Legal Writing: Court Opinions, Commentary, and Exercises.” Published by Carolina Academic Press, the book collects and comments on court cases in which writing technique determined the outcome, or was otherwise significant.

“This appears to be the first of its kind,” said Cooney. “The casebook format brings the courthouse to the legal-writing classroom, connecting writing technique to real-world consequences.” 

The book project allowed the authors to explore their shared fascination with the practical implications of writing style and technique. The text touches on ethics, civility, plain language, legalese, verbosity, and even grammar and punctuation.

Cooney said that he was confident in the idea’s promise from the outset. “When Professor Simon approached me with the idea, I took to it immediately. We’d worked together before, and I’d authored an article ten years earlier that was fashioned as a miniature casebook. It all fell together seamlessly.”

Professors Cooney and Simon will give more insight on the book in an upcoming Law School Lounge podcast, presented by Carolina Academic Press. 

 

Ann M. Garant, Cooley Law School Innocence Project managing attorney, and Marla Mitchell-Cichon, distinguished professor emeritus and counsel to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project, were asked to present at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 2024 Spring Symposium on April 4. They spoke with Robyn Frankel, director of the Michigan Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit; and Kia Hayes and Taylor Migliori from the Quattrone Center about collaborations between Innocence Organizations and Conviction Integrity Units.

The Cooley Innocence Project is part of the Innocence Network which has been credited with the release of over 375 wrongfully convicted prisoners, mainly through the use of DNA testing. It is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in Michigan. Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of nine individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), Corey Quentin McCall (2021), George DeJesus (2022), and most recently, Louis Wright (2023), who spent 35 years being wrongfully imprisoned. Additionally, the Cooley Innocence Project also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton, Ramon Ward, Terance Calhoun, and Crystal Mulherin.

Photo: Pictured from left to right: Garant, Frankel, Migliori, Hayes, and Mitchel-Cichon at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 2024 Spring Symposium on April 4.

Cooley Law School’s Innocence Project partnered with Alpena Community College on April 11 to host a panel discussion, “The Impact of Wrongful Conviction: An Exoneree Panel Discussion.” The panel featured exonerees Eric Anderson, Marvin Cotton, Ken Nixon, and Gilbert Poole.

Those in attendance were able to hear first-hand accounts of flaws within Michigan’s criminal justice system, which led to the four men’s wrongful convictions and imprisonment and their difficult roads to exonerations. Ann Garant, managing attorney for the Cooley Law School Innocence Project, facilitated the event.

“Growing up I was tricked, that our criminal legal system was perfect, that America was perfect, and that when individuals stand before a court, they’re guilty and they deserve whatever punishment comes to them,” said Anderson. “However, we’ve experienced that that’s not the truth. I’m a victim of it, and I was sick of being the victim, so that motivated me to fight it.”

A major topic covered in the panel were the causes of wrongful conviction, many of which could be attributed to the exonerees’ cases. The issues include government misconduct, faulty or lack of forensic testing, ineffective assistance of counsel, and false confessions.

“We stepped into a world where the Michigan legal system treats you better if you were guilty and on parole than if you were innocent,” said Nixon. “People on parole had access to resources that the government had to provide. They had to provide you access to certain things in order for you to stay out of trouble and be successful on the road. Well, we didn’t fit that stigma.”

Nixon pointed out that without government support, it’s near impossible for exonerees to receive proper documentation and reenter society. This led to the creation of the Organization of Exonerees, whose purpose is to make the reintegration process easier and create a bridge between resources.

“We’ve been able to build up a lot of resources from our own experiences. We can speak from experience when we walk into a room and explain to someone why having access to a birth certificate is extremely important,” said Nixon, who is president of the organization. “It’s a bit different, and I think with the Organization of Exonerees, it has built a camaraderie amongst us.

We can speak about things amongst each other that no one else completely understands.”

The Cooley Innocence Project is part of the Innocence Network which has been credited with the release of over 375 wrongfully convicted prisoners, mainly through the use of DNA testing.

It is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in Michigan. Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of nine individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), Corey Quentin McCall (2021), George DeJesus (2022), and most recently, Louis Wright (2023), who spent 35 years being wrongfully imprisoned. 

Additionally, the Cooley Innocence Project also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton, Ramon Ward, Terance Calhoun, and Crystal Mulherin. Anderson was exonerated on April 30, 2019, after nine years in prison. Cotton was exonerated on Oct. 1, 2020, after 20 years in prison. Nixon was exonerated on Feb. 18, 2021, after 15 years in prison. Poole was exonerated on May 26, 2021, after 32 years in prison.

“I wanted to reach out to communities to spread awareness to people who might not know about this,” Garant told those attending the panel. “It’s not just a Detroit issue. It’s not just a larger-city issue. There are wrongful convictions everywhere that happen every day.”

From left to right, Marvin Cotton, Kenneth Nixon, Ann Garant, Eric Anderson, and Gilbert Poole
 

Cooley Law School will celebrate Law Day 2024 with a webinar at noon on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, featuring U.S. Immigration Court Judge Tania Nemer, a Cooley Law School graduate.

Law Day, is a national day to celebrate the rule of law. Held annually on May 1, Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all U.S. citizens share.

On Law Day, Cooley students and staff will join others throughout the country in advancing the legal profession as a “Voice of Democracy” and demonstrate that Cooley is committed to being an agent for positive change in our communities and the legal profession.

U.S. Immigration Court Judge Tania Nemer, a Cooley alumna, is the featured speaker for the event. She will share her perspective on this year’s Law Day theme, Voices of Democracy, and its importance in the legal community. Cooley Law School Professor Ret. Brigadier General Michael C.H. McDaniel will serve as moderator. 

Members of the public may join the webinar @ https://www.cooley.edu/lawday

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at its Campus Auditorium on April 19.
 
Twenty-seven juris doctor degrees and master of laws degrees were presented to members of Cooley Law School’s Justice Antonin Scalia class.

Chosen by their peers, Vivian Katwaroo and Ahmad Saifi gave the class farewell remarks. The Hon. Jalal A. Harb of Florida’s 10th Judicial Court delivered the keynote speech.

“Today, as we stand on the brink of a new chapter in our lives, let us embrace the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead with determination and enthusiasm,” Katwaroo said in her remarks. “Let us treasure this moment, celebrate our achievements, and look forward to the limitless possibilities that await us. This may be the end of our law school experience as students, but this is not the end of our journey to becoming excellent legal professionals. There is no doubt that each and every one of you will greatly impact and make our marks on the legal field no matter where our careers take us.”

“Many of us have aspirations that allowed us to go to law school. Whether it be the change in the system, defending your religion or race and/or being the voice of those who want to be heard, I implore you to never lose track of that because that’s what separates a good lawyer from an amazing lawyer,” Saifi said in his remarks. “The job isn’t done, it’s just getting started.”

In his keynote address, Judge Harb spoke on his own experience at Cooley Law School, sharing how Cooley taught him to be prepared, transparent and disclose to instructors if you’re not ready for assignments. He also explained that lawyers must be prepared, be civil and profession, and maintain integrity.

“Good lawyers prepare their cases – you must be prepared. If you’re not prepared, your client is going to see it – your opponent is going to see that. If you’re in a jury trial, the jury is going to see that. And if you are before the court, the judge is going to see that. Do your research,” he advised the graduates. “Dear graduates, you have made a significant accomplishment. We are proud of you. Go out there and make your family and friends proud. Go out there and make Cooley proud. Dear graduates, I hope to see you in court.”

Each Cooley Law School class is named for a distinguished member of the legal profession. The commencement ceremony for Cooley’s spring graduating class honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Antonin Scalia, who graduated valedictorian three times (high school, Georgetown University, and Harvard Law School), worked as a commercial law attorney for six years before becoming an administrative law professor at the University of Virginia in 1967. Four years later, he was appointed as general counsel for the Office of Telecommunications Policy by President Richard Nixon, where he served as chairman for the U.S. Administration Conference from 1972-1974.

Nixon then nominated Scalia for assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel. Following Nixon’s resignation, President Gerald Ford sustained the nomination and Scalia was confirmed by Senate vote in August 1974. Three years later, Scalia returned to teaching and joined the faculty at University of Chicago Law School. He taught at Chicago until 1982 when President Ronald Reagan nominated him for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he served from 1982-1986. Scalia joined the U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 26, 1986, filling a vacancy left by Justice William Rehnquist, and served for 30 years.

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at its Campus Auditorium on April 19. Pictured from left to right: Cooley President and Dean James McGrath, Ahmad Saifi of Cooley’s Antonin Scalia class, Cooley Professor Christine Church, Vivian Katwaroo of Cooley’s Antonin Scalia class, and the Hon. Jalal A. Harb of Florida’s 10th Judicial Court.

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at its Campus Auditorium on April 19.

 

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at its Campus Auditorium on April 19. Pictured from left to right: Ahmad Saifi of Cooley’s Antonin Scalia class, Cooley Professor Christine Church, and Vivian Katwaroo of Cooley’s Antonin Scalia class.

Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath provides the welcome address during the university’s Tampa Bay campus spring commencement ceremony at its Campus Auditorium on April 19.

Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing on April 22.

Forty-four juris degrees and master of laws degrees were presented to members of Cooley Law School’s Justice Antonin Scalia class.

Chosen by his peers, Adam Kimball gave the class farewell remarks. Professor and Associate Dean Tonya Krause-Phelan delivered the keynote speech.

“We’re all so fortunate to have the competitive, yet inclusive and community-centered atmosphere that we nourished at Cooley,” Kimball said in his farewell address. “By the end, I think we all would agree, we, through the instruction we received and through our collective efforts, learned to be skilled and passionate lawyers. My classmates and I are going to exhibit integrity in everything we do. We’re going to be compassionate lawyers in our communities, wherever we may roam. We’re going to be seekers of justice and professionals who overcome the impossible for the people we care about. And we are always going to carry the memories from Cooley – the place that encouraged us to work together, stay true to ourselves, and create whatever reality we want in our legal pursuits.”

In his welcome address, Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath told the gradates: “It’s fitting on this day, your graduation day, to recognize that we’re not just graduates of law, but we’re stewards of justice and advocates for change. As future lawyers, you have the unique opportunity and a profound duty to leverage your skills and knowledge to advocate for justice. You can use your legal skills in many ways to create a better world. The legal profession is more than just a career. It’s a calling. A calling to serve as a guardian of justice, a champion of equality, and advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. As you embark on your journey as legal professionals, I urge you to embrace this calling with a deep sense of purpose and commitment.”

During the commencement address, Cooley Law School Professor and Associate Dean Tonya Krause-Phelan shared how the students are graduating at a time when the legal profession is evolving at a daily pace, which will present them with great opportunities and challenges.  

“You are not just students, but you are the torchbearers of this noble legal profession,” she told the graduates. “Today, as you step in the world with your degree, we pass the torch to each of you. We entrust you with the responsibility to uphold the values and principles of our beloved legal profession. It’s been an honor to witness your growth and your accomplishments and we look forward to seeing the great things that you will achieve in the future. Now go out there and make history.”

Each Cooley Law School class is named for a distinguished member of the legal profession. The commencement ceremony for Cooley’s spring graduating class honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Antonin Scalia, who graduated valedictorian three times (high school, Georgetown University, and Harvard Law School), worked as a commercial law attorney for six years before becoming an administrative law professor at the University of Virginia in 1967. Four years later, he was appointed as general counsel for the Office of Telecommunications Policy by President Richard Nixon, where he served as chairman for the U.S. Administration Conference from 1972-1974. Nixon then nominated Scalia for assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel. Following Nixon’s resignation, President Gerald Ford sustained the nomination and Scalia was confirmed by Senate vote in August 1974. Three years later, Scalia returned to teaching and joined the faculty at University of Chicago Law School. He taught at Chicago until 1982 when President Ronald Reagan nominated him for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he served from 1982-1986. Scalia joined the U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 26, 1986, filling a vacancy left by Justice William Rehnquist, and served for 30 years.

Pictured from left to right: Cooley Professor and Associate Dean Tonya Krause-Phelan, graduate Adam Kimball, and Cooley President and Dean James McGrath.  Chosen by his peers, Adam Kimball gives the class farewell remarks during Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus commencement ceremony at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing.

Cooley Professor and Associate Dean Tonya Krause-Phelan delivers the commencement address during the university’s Lansing campus commencement ceremony.

On Wednesday, May 1, Cooley Law School celebrated Law Day 2024 with a virtual event, featuring Colin Maguire, a Cooley Law School adjunct professor and assistant chief counsel with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Maguire, who was the keynote speaker for Cooley’s event, shared his perspective on this year’s Law Day theme, Voices of Democracy. Maguire noted that he attended the event in his personal capacity and as an adjunct professor, explaining the views expressed in his remarks were his own and not those of the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are almost singularly unique in our First Amendment protections, which protect the voices of our democracy,” said Maguire. “When someone says I'm in favor of free speech, but … That should really raise the haunches of our American spirit of democracy.

“The First Amendment to me was designed to protect difficult speech,” Maguire continued. “It is divisive – the First Amendment is more important than ever in a divisive world, and that we are able to express ourselves, and it is used as an outlet for us to engage in civil discussion in a civil society.

"It's very important that people can express their views, and that people have a release valve to be able to express themselves, even if that speech is offensive to someone else.”

Law Day, is a national day to celebrate the rule of law. Held annually on May 1, Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all U.S. citizens share. 

During Law Day, Cooley students and staff joined others throughout the country in advancing the legal profession as a “Voice of Democracy” and demonstrate that Cooley is committed to being an agent for positive change in our communities and the legal profession.

Cooley Law School will host Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Lineman William Gholston and Running Back Rachaad White during the 13th annual Howard Soifer Memorial Lecture in Sports and Entertainment Law at its Tampa Bay campus on May 21. The free event will take place from 12:30-2:00 p.m.; guests are encouraged to REGISTER HERE. 

Gholston, a former All-Big Ten Player for Michigan State University, and White, who played football at Arizona State University, will join Steven Fantetti, Cooley Law School graduate and president and founder of Athlete Empowerment Agency LLC and owner of Fantetti Legal LLC, as featured speakers who will discuss, “Athlete Empowerment and the Ever-Changing Landscape of the Intersection of Business and Sports.”

The Howard Soifer Memorial Lecture is held annually to celebrate the memory of Howard Soifer, a 1977 graduate of Cooley Law School, along with his passion for sports and his legacy as an outstanding attorney, educator, mentor, and colleague. The event is held in collaboration with the Sports And Entertainment Law Society.

Previous Soifer Memorial Lecture speakers include T.J. Duckett, former running back in the National Football League; Tom Izzo, Michigan State University men’s basketball coach; Kevin Poston, president and CEO of Detroit-area based DEAL Elite Athletic Management; Steve Smith, broadcaster and former NBA all-star basketball player; and Steve Garvey, former Major League Baseball all-star and MVP.    

Soifer (1949–2003) was an avid sports fan and represented several prominent professional athletes during his career as a shareholder with Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting, P.C. Soifer was grateful for his legal education at Cooley Law School and his family, friends and partners endowed the lecture series in his memory.

The event is free. However, guests are encouraged to pre-register here: 

REGISTRATION:  The event is free. However, guests are encouraged to PRE-REGISTER HERE. 
WHEN:  Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 12:30-2:00 p.m.

WHERE:  Cooley Law School – Tampa Bay Campus, 9445 Camden Field Pkwy, Riverview, FL 33578

Steven Fantetti, Cooley Law School graduate and president and founder of Athlete Empowerment Agency LLC and owner of Fantetti Legal LLC.

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Defensive Lineman William Gholston.

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Running Back Rachaad White.

Cooley Law School has finalized plans to move its Tampa Bay campus to the Tampa Oaks area of Temple Terrace, Florida, close to downtown Tampa. Cooley’s campus will occupy part of the first floor and the entire second floor of the Tampa Oaks II building located at 12906 Tampa Oaks Blvd., which is near the University of South Florida, other higher education institutions, and the I-75 corridor between Fletcher and Fowler Avenues.

Earlier this year, Cooley entered into an agreement to sell its current campus to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Cooley is leasing back the current campus at 9445 Camden Field Pkwy, in Riverview, until construction at Tampa Oaks II is complete.

 

Cooley’s new Tampa Bay campus is in close proximity to two apartment complexes and a Hilton Garden Inn providing attractive housing options for the school’s diverse mix of full and part-time students.  Construction within the Tampa Oaks II building is expected to start soon. Renovations are expected to be completed in time for the start of the law school’s January 2025 semester.

“As Cooley Law School looks ahead to the future, we want to make sure our campus fits the needs of our students and faculty,” said Cooley President and Dean James McGrath. “As part of our mission of being a law school of access, it was important to find a location that is accessible and functional for the students we serve. We have worked with students, faculty, and staff to identify aspects important for a law school campus as Cooley continues to educate lawyers who are future ready.”

In addition to classrooms, the new campus will provide improved student- and faculty-focused amenities, such as appellate and trial courtrooms, a law library, and space for the law school’s law clinics. Once built out, the facility will include study rooms and ample study space, a welcome center, student lounge, student organization offices, faculty and staff offices and on-site parking.

Lisa Coulter and Lee Winter with JLL, Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate and investment management services provider, represented Cooley with the sale of the current campus and the  lease at Tampa Oaks II.

“After careful search and inspection of other campus options, we were delighted to find the perfect location, size and layout for Cooley Law School’s new campus at Tampa Oaks II,” said Coulter.

Cooley will lease the new campus from ESF Properties 22-01, LLC. Additional tenants of the Tampa Oaks Professional Park include HomeRiver Group, Fieldstone A&E and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.