Recent Cooley Law School graduate Aimee Lorencz is turning years of professional experience and a passion for justice into a future career in criminal law. In a feature published by Legal News, Lorencz reflects on her journey from working as a correctional officer and CPS investigator to earning her law degree while balancing family, work, and leadership responsibilities. As a weekend/blended student, Lorencz immersed herself in hands-on learning opportunities including externships, moot court competitions, the Cooley Innocence Project, and student leadership roles. Her experiences strengthened her passion for criminal law, ethics, and advocacy. Read more about Aimee's story here: https://legalnews.com/Home/Articles?DataId=1606383.
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Gordon C. Boardman (Marston Class, 1978) helped shape the essence of Cooley Law School from its earliest days as a pioneer in the school’s founding era, a dedicated alumnus, and a gifted artist whose generosity and creativity left a lasting mark on the institution and all who knew him.
Recent Cooley Law School graduate William Bowman is beginning the next chapter of his legal career this summer with the civil litigation team at Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge in Grand Rapids. In a feature published by Legal News, Bowman reflects on the experiences, mentorship, and opportunities that helped shape his path to practice. A first-generation law student, Bowman built a strong foundation through paralegal work, volunteer service, national moot court competitions, and leadership roles at Cooley, including serving as Student Bar Association president and Lead Dean’s Fellow in the peer tutoring program. His experiences reinforced his passion for advocacy, oral argument, and civil litigation. Read more about William's story here: https://www.legalnews.com/Home/Articles?DataId=1606374.
Sept. 9, 1929 - April 20, 2026 Few individuals have embodied the story and spirit of Cooley Law School more profoundly than Polly Brennan. While generations of graduates have come to know the vision and determination of Cooley’s founder, the late Michigan Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. Brennan Sr., those closest to the law school recognize that behind that vision stood a steadfast partner whose belief, sacrifice, and encouragement helped turn an ambitious dream into a lasting institution. To many in the Cooley community, Polly was far more than the wife of the school’s founder. She was a witness to the law school’s earliest moments, a trusted advisor during its most uncertain days, and a constant source of encouragement for those who supported her husband’s vision. Judge Brennan himself often referred to her lovingly as his “sainted wife, Polly,” a tribute that reflected both his affection and his deep appreciation for her unwavering support. Polly understood better than anyone the motivation behind her husband’s determination to establish a new law school in Michigan during the early 1970s. At a time when law school admissions were extraordinarily competitive and opportunities were limited to only a select few, Judge Brennan believed deeply that legal education should not be reserved exclusively for the privileged or traditional student. He envisioned a law school that would open doors to working adults, first-generation students, and aspiring lawyers who otherwise might never have had the opportunity to pursue the profession. As a family raising six children, the Brennans took a leap of faith and opened Cooley Law School in 1972. From that moment forward, Polly became one of Cooley’s earliest champions.
Derek Matthews (Vinson Class, 2017) is no stranger to giving back to Cooley Law School in the Tampa Bay region. Outside of legal practice, Matthews sponsors the annual Cooley Alumni Golf Outing in Tampa and participates in alumni events and mentoring programs to build relationships with faculty and fellow graduates.
When Reda Taleb (McLean Class, 2015) talks about “giving back,” she isn’t just reciting a slogan — she’s living by example. The daughter of immigrants from Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, Taleb’s parents, along with her six older siblings, laid roots in Dearborn’s south end, an area known for its pollution-emitting factory smoke stacks and community of Arab Americans seeking the “American Dream.”
When Bob Hertzberg (Wiest Class, 1979) arrived at Cooley Law School in 1976, he was determined to overcome obstacles that had plagued his education since childhood. Now, the retired lawyer, who once argued in front of the United States Supreme Court, is giving back to the school that gave him his start in the legal profession.
TAMPA BAY, Fla. – The American Bar Association’s Pipeline Council has awarded Cooley Law School Professor Joseline Jean-Louis Hardrick and her nonprofit, Journey to Esquire® Scholarship & Leadership Program, with the 2026 Alexander Rising Star Award.
Cooley Law School’s Board of Directors Chair Mitchell Zajac has been named to Crain’s Detroit Business 2025 Class of “40 Under 40,” which highlights CEOs, founders, innovators, community champions and others younger than 40 who are making significant impacts. Zajac will be recognized during a reception on Nov. 20 at The Department at Hudson’s in Detroit.
Judge David Hamilton (Hilligan Class, 2012) had dreams of becoming a big-time defense attorney when he started classes at Cooley Law School in the fall of 2009. But his mom, Rosalind, envisioned her son in a different career path – a life in public service. After his first year at Cooley, Hamilton proved her right.
