News (4)

Cooley Innocence Project and Exoneree Gilbert Poole to Participate in Riverwalk Theatre Talkback with 'Exonerated' Cast

Cooley Law School’s Innocence Project will participate in Riverwalk Theatre’s Talkback events throughout the theater’s production of “The Exonerated.” Tracey Brame will lead the talkback discussion on Saturday, Feb. 17, while Marla Mitchell-Cichon will lead the discussion on Saturday, Feb. 24. Brame is the director of Cooley’s Innocence Project and associate dean of experiential learning and practice preparation, while Mitchell-Cichon is a distinguished professor emeritus, and counsel to the Cooley Law School Innocence Project. “The Exonerated,” by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, tells the stories of five men and a woman, all of whom were wrongly sentenced to death for murders that they did not commit. Between them, they spent over 100 years on death row watching their fellow inmates die in the electric chair, while awaiting their own imminent deaths. The show is directed by Alan Greenberg and runs Feb. 15-18 and 22-25 at Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Dr., Lansing. Brame (right) and Mitchell-Cichon (left) will lead the post-performance Talkback discussion on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24. The show will start at 8 p.m., with the talkback at about 9:30 and conclude at or shortly before 10 p.m. Cooley Innocence Project exoneree Gilbert Poole (center), who spent 32 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, will join the discussions for both performances. David Williams (back row) was a past student and attorney with the Cooley Innocence Project. 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 year wrongfully imprisoned. Additionally, the Cooley Innocence Project also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton, Ramon Ward, Terance Calhoun, and Crystal Mulherin. About Cooley Law School: 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. Feb 09 2024

Cooley Law School's International Law Moot Court Team Places in the Top 11 During Regional Competition

A team of Cooley Law School students competed in February against 36 other U.S. law school teams at the West Regional of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Portland, Oregon. On the strength of a 3-1 record in the preliminary oral argument rounds, the team qualified for the advanced rounds, earning a top 11 ranking at the competition. The Cooley team also earned a top ten award for the quality of its written pleadings, taking home the award for seventh best Memorials. The Jessup competition simulates a fictional case before the International Court of Justice on cutting edge issues of international law. This year’s Jessup problem involved the right of consular access for detained individuals, citizenship and the problem of statelessness, and the authority of the United Nations Security Council. Cooley’s team included Adriana Burga, Nicholas Davis, Carter Lewis, Norelle Miranda, and Frances Silney-Bah. The team was coached by Cooley Law School Professors Brad Charles and Dave Finnegan. “The team performed at an elite level,” said Professor Finnegan, who is a coach for the team. “I am particularly proud of the award the team received for their written memorials, reflecting the strength of their legal research and writing skills.” The Jessup competition is the largest inter-school moot court competition in the world. This year, around 700 law schools in 100 countries and territories participated in the competition. The International Law Students Association administers the Jessup competition each year. Cooley Law School’s International Moot Court team recently advanced to the octa-final round after compiling a 3-1 record in the preliminary rounds at the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition held in Portland, Oregon. Cooley Law School’s team included (L-R) Carter Lewis, Frances Silney-Bah, Norelle Miranda, Adriana Burga and Nicholas Davis. Mar 20 2024

Cooley Law School's Tampa Bay Campus Hosted an All-Women U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony

In celebration of National Women’s History Month, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services held an all-women naturalization ceremony at Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus on Friday, March 1. The ceremony included the Oath of Allegiance, the final step to citizenship for the 55 candidates originating from 30 different countries. Cooley Assistant Dean Katherine Gustafson provided opening remarks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine McEwen administered the oath. Presenting the Naturalization Certificates was Supervisory Immigration Services Officer Gerald Evans. “I think it’s so appropriate that we have this ceremony during National Women's History month,” said Gustafson. “Today is the first day of that month, and this month is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices, to honor the past, to inform the present, and to inspire the future. The strength of the women in this room sitting in front of us right now inspires all of us. In a lot of ways, I think the fact that you are a Naturalized citizen gives your citizenship a little extra meaning. You’re Americans by choice, not by accident. You had to earn the right to be here today.” When addressing the applicants Judge McEwen and Gustafson both spoke about the opportunities of becoming a citizen and their family’s personal experiences with immigration. To honor the beginning of National Women’s History month, Judge McEwen reiterated that the women are making history today. “You 55 women are making history in your own right today,” said Judge McEwen. “From today on, each one of you ladies will enjoy every right, every liberty, every opportunity that America gives to all of its citizens.” Mar 01 2024

Cooley Law School Hosts Expungement Fair in Partnership with Michigan Attorney General's Office

Cooley Law School, in collaboration with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and Safe & Just Michigan, held an expungement fair at the law school’s Lansing campus on Friday, Oct. 27. During the fair, volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys assisted 91 guests with their expungement paperwork. 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. 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. Cooley Law School, in collaboration with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and Safe & Just Michigan, held an expungement fair at the law school’s Lansing campus on Friday, Oct. 27. During the fair, volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys assisted 91 guests with their expungement paperwork. Oct 31 2023

Cooley Sixty Plus, Elderlaw Clinic to Partipate in AARP Event on Financial Security for Women

Cooley Law School Sixty Plus, Elderlaw Clinic Director Dustin S. Foster will present on financial security for women during a “MI Sisters & Friends: Show Me the Money!” virtual event hosted by AARP on March 7. The March 7th event is from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET During the event, Foster will share information about wills and trusts, powers of attorney (medical and financial), non-probate transfers, financial exploitation, the importance of savings, and how to save. Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton of Michigan State University College of Education will be the host of the event, and Therese Bacon, financial educator with MSU Federal Credit Union, will share tips on financials savings. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions following the presentations. “Sixty Plus provides educational presentations to communities on estate-planning topics,” said Foster. “Partnering with AARP for this event is an opportunity to support women who want to know more about estate planning and financial security as they age.” GO HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT The Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic (Sixty Plus) is Cooley Law School’s live-client estate planning clinic. The Sixty Plus clinical experience enables students, called student attorneys, to interview, counsel, represent and draft estate planning documents for actual clients, all of whom are age 60 and older. Student attorneys, who are closely supervised by the clinical faculty, proceed on behalf of clients drafting a variety of estate planning documents, including wills, power of attorney for health care, durable power of attorney for finances, and enhanced life estate deeds. Feb 15 2024

Cooley Law School Hosts Judge Kwamé Rowe

Cooley Law School’s Criminal Law Society and Black Law Student Association joined the Organization of Women Law Students to host an event on July 15, featuring Cooley graduate, the Hon. Kwamé L. Rowe. Judge Rowe, the second African American male and the youngest judge to serve on the Sixth Circuit Court bench, spoke about his life's journey as an attorney and how he came to be the youngest judge in Michigan. Donations from the event were made to the Oakland County Bar Association Foundation's DEI Scholarship Fund. Jul 26 2023

WMU-Cooley Law School Holds Black History Month Discussion

Wayne County, Michigan, Circuit Court Administrator Zenell Brown, Esq., led WMU-Cooley Law School’s Black History Month virtual discussion on Thursday, Feb. 23, as part of the law school’s Community Conversation series. The author of Coffee and Conversations: Inclusion and Belonging, Brown is one of the legal profession’s most sought-out speakers and trainers of leadership and inclusion. She is a champion of justice for all through diversity, equity, and inclusion, and melds her court leadership, crucial conversation, dispute resolution skills, and diversity skills. During the conversation, Brown spoke about her time working in the courts and some of the people she has met, learned about, and the history of black contributions in the court system. She recently wrote an article about black individuals who were leaders in the court system, which was published in Michigan Lawyers Weekly. While sharing about Macon Bolling Allen, who is believed to have been the first African American to become an attorney, Brown said, “he was not accepted as a lawyer. He actually had to leave where he passed the bar and made to go practice elsewhere.” From Allen’s experiences as a lawyer, Brown asked if today “are we really a welcoming practice to diverse populations and how do we make sure that we do have adequate pipelines and are building bridges, so those who don’t look traditionally what we think lawyers should look like have access and opportunity to practice law?” Speaking about Charlotte E. Ray, who was the first black American woman lawyer, Brown said that Ray “enrolled at Howard University under the name C.E. Ray so nobody would know her gender.” While sharing some of Ray’s accomplishments, Brown said, “when we think about suffrage we don’t think about black women in the role they play. Start asking yourselves, how do we lift each other up.” While working in the courts, Brown saw the merger of the Detroit Recorders Court, which handled crimes that happened inside the city of Detroit with the Third Circuit Court in 1998. “Because of the demographics in Detroit, you had a lot of judges who were in recorders court who were African American. When the two courts merged, those judges not only had to run for election in the city of Detroit, but they had to run for the election county wide,” said Brown. “Over the years you would see the percentage of African American judges sort of dwindle once that merger came about.” Brown noted that she was fortunate to work with chief judges who noticed the lack of African American representation on the bench was an issue. “They would send information to the governor and say ‘are you paying attention to this as you make appointments that our bench needs to represent the community that we’re serving.’” As the leader of Michigan’s Third Circuit Court administrative operations and member of National Association of Women Judges, Brown has 20 years of experience and a daily practice in the arts of court leadership and inclusion. In 2022, Brown was awarded the American Bar Association’s Robert B. Yegge Award for outstanding contribution in judicial administration, and the National Association of Court Management’s Perkins Award for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty to make behind-the-scenes contributions in court administration. The full conversation with Brown can viewed on WMU-Cooley’s YouTube channel. WMU-Cooley’s Community Conversation series events take a deep dive into the most current topics impacting society and world. Feb 27 2023

WMU-Cooley Expungement Fair Serves Over 400 Michigan Residents

WMU-Cooley Law School served 402 individuals during its “Michigan’s New Expungement Policies – Know Your Rights” Expungement Fair on Friday, April 28. Of those 402 who were screened for eligibility prior to and during the event, 151 individuals were eligible to have their records expunged under the current guidelines, including 77 walk-ins on the day of the event. “At WMU-Cooley’s Expungement Fair, the people we served were grateful for the assistance we were able to provide. We were proud to work with the local legal community to help those whose lives may have been disrupted by poor decisions of the past that resulted in a felony or misdemeanor conviction,” said WMU-Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath. “Often people are passed over for employment or housing opportunities due to prior convictions. It is our hope that the people we served and educated during our expungement fair are no longer held back from achieving their goals. We want to make sure that they are recognized for the people they have become - and not for some poor choices they made years ago.” “WMU-Cooley’s Expungement Fair was outstanding because it showcased everything that is amazing about Cooley,” said Christi Henke, director of WMU-Cooley’s Academic Resource Center. “Our students worked tirelessly, our graduates showed up to give back and various other members of the community served as attorneys, notaries and volunteers that helped to ease people through the process.” The event was held in conjunction with Safe & Just Michigan, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, and Capital Area Michigan Works! Attendees and hosts included: State Representative Emily Dievendorf, State Representative Kara Hope, Senator Sarah Anthony, and Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. 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. Photo 1: Pictured from left to right: State Representative Emily Dievendorf, State Representative Kara Hope, and Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, at the WMU-Cooley Law School Expungement Fair on Friday, April 28. Photo 2: WMU-Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath with student Cindy Renteria at the WMU-Cooley Law School Expungement Fair on Friday, April 28. Photo 3: 54B District Court Administrator Nicole Evans, left, and Senator Sarah Anthony at the WMU-Cooley Law School Expungement Fair on Friday, April 28. Photo 4: WMU-Cooley Law School served 402 individuals during its “Michigan’s New Expungement Policies – Know Your Rights” Expungement Fair on Friday, April 28. May 02 2023

All-Women U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony at Cooley Tampa Bay

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida will hold an all-women naturalization ceremony Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m., at Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus, 9445 Camden Field Pkwy, Riverview, Florida. The ceremony, which includes the Oath of Allegiance, will be the final step to citizenship for 55 candidates. Before the oath is administered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Sansone, of the Middle District of Florida, Cooley Assistant Dean Katherine Gustafson will provide opening remarks. The 55 citizenship candidates originate from 30 countries: Albania, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Latvia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam. Feb 28 2023

Cooley Law School Partners with Michigan Attorney General’s Office to Host Expungement Fair on Oct. 17