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OCTOBER 2022

DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

Dear Alumni and Friends,

In this edition of the Benchmark Column you’ll get a glimpse of some of the latest noteworthy people, accomplishments, and events within the Cooley community.Bill Arnold

Looking ahead, as we continue to celebrate the school’s 50th Anniversary, you can expect to see the next special edition issue of Benchmark Magazine arriving later this fall. There will also be more upcoming regional and online alumni events with faculty and staff. You may also find yourself on the receiving end of a phone call from a current student so you can hear firsthand what is new at the law school. 

For now, I invite you to enjoy this newsletter and encourage you to participate in one or both of the spotlighted upcoming events.

Very truly, Bill Arnold, Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations  

 
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JUDGE GREENLEAF MALDONADO TALKS INDIAN LAW CAREERS

Join Judge Allie Greenleaf Maldonado on Careers in Indian Law during a virtual presentation on Nov. 11, 2022 at noon hosted by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the Career and Professional Development Office.

Judge Maldonado is a nationally recognized expert on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).
JOIN THE EVENT HERE

MISSION NEXT: SERVICE MEMBERS TO CIVILIANS

Join the conversation with Dr. John Wojcik and Kimberlie England in honor of Veterans Day in a WMU-Cooley Community Conversations virtual event called Mission Next: Service Members to Civilians.

Sign up below for the Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 virtual event to get this on your calendar. 
SIGN UP TODAY
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VETERAN SPOTLIGHT
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Congratulations to WMU-Cooley Law School graduate and Adjunct Professor Zaneta Adams (2014, Thomas Todd Class) who was recently elected Junior Vice President of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.

As Junior Vice President, she is third in command at NASDVA and chairs the legislative committee, meaning she’ll play a vital role in determining what veteran-specific issues NASDVA will present before Congress.
READ MORE

DIVERSITY COUNCIL NETWORKING EVENT
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WMU-Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath joined deans from other Michigan law schools while attending The Michigan Diversity Council’s Legal Diversity Summit in Troy, Michigan, on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

The summit, “Moving Beyond Intent: DE&I in Action,” offered attendees a look into best practices and facilitated a robust exchange of insights, concepts, and strategies on the legal profession’s key diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges and solutions.
READ MORE

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: PAUL MILLENBACH LEADER IN THE LAW

Each year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly honors leaders in the law in Michigan for significant accomplishments or achievements, outstanding contributions to the practice of law, leadership in improving the justice system, seeking improvements to the legal community and their communities at large, and setting an example for other lawyers.

WMU-Cooley graduate Paul J. Millenbach, along with WMU-Cooley Associate Dean Erika Breitfeld, will be honored on Dec. 2 as members of the 2022 Class of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law.
MORE ON MILLENBACH
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AUTHOR FEATURE: MARGARET BROWN

WMU-Cooley Law School has talented writers and many book authors. 

Graduate (1988 Green Class) Margaret L. Brown shares her new book, "Essays from a Moonshiner's Daughter." The book is a compilation of stories from Brown's childhood in 1960s Detroit, her battles with cancer, and her sometimes laugh-out-loud adventures as a motherless child of a moonshiner, an activist, and an attorney.
FIND OUT MORE

GRATITUDE

WMU-COOLEY GRATITUDE MONTH

We invite Cooley alumni and friends to join us in celebrating Gratitude Month in the following ways:

  1. Send a message to Cooley faculty or staff who made a positive impact in your life. [Send Your Message]
  2. Make a gift to the WMU-Cooley annual giving campaign to support student scholarships, bar preparation, and other programs. [Make Your Gift]

Thank you for being a part of the WMU-Cooley community. We are grateful for all the ways in which you help to make Cooley special.
PLEASE GIVE TODAY

STUDENT PROFILE: rILEY STHEINER

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Riley Stheiner dreamed of becoming a lawyer as early as seventh grade, but after finishing her undergrad degree in legal studies and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University, she had second thoughts, but it didn't take long for her passion for the law was refueled.

The first in her family to attend law school, Stheiner says she is very thankful to have a supportive family that pushes her to be her best. Her father leads an engineering team at General Motors, while her older brother and sister-in-law also are engineers at GM, and her mother is part of the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center in Ann Arbor.

A native of Pinckney in Livingston County, Stheiner now makes her home in Lansing, where she has participated in two expungement clinics.
READ RILEY'S STORY

THANKS MENTORJET PARTICIPANTS

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Law students, recent graduates and newly admitted attorneys had the opportunity to meet judges and attorneys during the National Association of Women Judges 2022 MentorJet program at WMU-Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus. The speed mentoring format allowed those in attendance to meet with a variety of legal professionals and gain knowledge about working in the field of law. WMU-Cooley is especially grateful for the many mentors who participated in the event to share invaluable career advice and answer WMU-Cooley Law School student questions.
CAREER SERVICES

50TH ANNIVERSARY BENCHMARK ISSUE

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It's coming after Thanksgiving! We hope you enjoyed your copy of June's 50th Anniversary Special Edition of Benchmark Magazine. Your bookend issue is heading your way in December as we continue to celebrate our 50th Anniversary of Cooley Law School. Look for it.
BENCHMARK MAGAZINE

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