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JULY  2019

Welcome to the July 2019 summer issue of Benchmark Column. As alumni of the law school, the Alumni Outreach Committee and the school want to keep you informed and to share the latest news with you. New President and Dean James McGrath took the helm on July 1, 2019. Please take a moment to read President McGrath's update below. With the goal of making sure our law school becomes a leader in modern legal education, his vision and energy is contagious. I know President McGrath is especially looking forward to meeting alumni and hearing from you. Take a moment to get caught up in this issue of Benchmark Column. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Sincerely, Sheila Lake, Alumni Outreach Committee Chair 
WMU-Cooley President and Dean James McGrath

PRESIDENT update  

It is my great honor to be asked to serve as the leader of this venerable school as we begin a new chapter in our history. Certainly, we face many challenges – but as I tell my students, you need to embrace your challenges as opportunities. I am going to seize upon our opportunities to restore WMU-Cooley’s reputation as a leader in using proven methods to prepare practice-ready, ethical lawyers. 
 
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summer benchmark

The theme of the June 2019 Benchmark Alumni Magazine is the Changing Face of Law. Included are stories about President McGrath, as well as three of our newest board members, Mustafa Ameen, Aaron Burrell, and Christina Corl. President McGrath brings to us a new perspective and energy that will help us continue to change for the better, while staying true to our mission.  McGrath is committed to the school’s traditions of access, academic rigor, and instruction in the law and how to practice it competently. Find out more by reading the online issue.
 
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Benchmark Alumni Magazine

courtroom skills 
WMU-Cooley graduate Brandon Ayers

Brandon Ayers always wanted to go to law school. He took a somewhat winding path to get there, but once he did, he jumped in with both feet, earned his J.D. degree in just a fraction over two years, and passed the bar a month after graduation. As swiftly as Ayers went through law school, he took the time to participate in a moot court competition, which turned out to be one of his most highly valued experiences in law school.
BRANDON AYERS STORY

BEYOND CLASSROOM
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Student standout Shanda Vander Ark is excelling in the classroom and in her courtroom competitions, but it's the caring faculty and loving community that have made her very happy with her decision to attend WMU-Cooley. She also gives great thanks to her service dogs, Aslan and Gemini, who have allowed her the freedom to attend law school. 
SHANDA VANDER ARK STORY

ENHANCE YOUR LEGAL WRITING SKILLS 

The Kimble Center for Legal Drafting is now offering its first public seminar for practicing lawyers—with all funds going to the center and its operations — on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. Three legal-drafting experts will present the four-hour program, which will be highly useful to all attorneys who draft legal documents (rules, wills and trusts, business and real-estate documents, bylaws, etc.).
REGISTER FOR SEMINAR
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ENTHUSIASM KEY IN SOLO PRACTICE

Professor Gary Bauer recognizes there are many characteristics of successful solo practitioners. With over 20 years of teaching experience at WMU-Cooley and decades of business and marketing experience, he talks about how natural enthusiasm is one characteristic necessary to succeed in solo practice. Bauer explains how, although enthusiasm may appear to be natural, it is really the product of many things, including hard work.
NATURAL OR ENTHUSIASTIC

DIPLOMAT TALKS CAREERS 

The Asian Pacific American Law Students Association at WMU-Cooley’s Lansing campus recently hosted Diplomat in Residence Lou Fintor. He spoke with law students about careers with the U.S. State Department Foreign Service Office, both in the Civil Service, serving at home, and in the Foreign Service Office, serving abroad.
CAREERS ABROAD

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

read our official blog

Want to read more stories about your fellow graduates? We share your stories on the official law school blog page. 
VISIT THE BLOG

the latest news

Keep up with all the news coming out of WMU-Cooley by visiting the law school's What's New page on our website! 
WHAT'S NEW

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