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.”
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Mohamed Hammoud was always fascinated by the criminal justice system, and always wanted a legal career, but was afraid the demands and cost were too much for him. That was until his first son was born, Mohamed Ali, was born in 2015.
Josh Bemis grew up playing hockey. It was all he wanted to do. In fact, at 16 years old he was committed to playing hockey at Western Michigan University, but ultimately was drafted by the Plymouth Whalers in Plymouth, Michigan, and moved away from home. He played there for 3-4 years, and he loved getting paid for doing exactly what he loved to do.
Cooley student Shekinah Apedo's first name in Hebrew means "In the Glory of God." As a social worker, Apedo loved that she was able to live out her faith, and give glory to God, in her career. But it was in the courtroom when she knew she was best serving her clients.
When Ana Luna thinks back on her life, and the suffering she endured, she realizes that it was those life experiences that led her to law school and her life today.
Hassan Abdallah was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, but knew his story started long before then. As a U.S. citizen, he started to realize as he got older what a sheltered life he had lived. Listening to stories his parents told about how they struggled and sacrificed to come to America, he recognized that it was through their suffering that he is the person he is today. His father left Lebanon first, in the name of freedom and opportunity, but it was his mother's selfless actions that taught him humility and gave him the work-ethic he has today. His mother had to leave everything she knew, and nearly everyone she loved, to follow her husband to a place she only knew by name.
On Thursday, July 22, 2021, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the appointment of OCBA member Kwame L. Rowe to the 6th Circuit Court of Oakland County. Kwame L. Rowe currently serves as an assistant prosecutor for Oakland County. In his current role, Rowe is a special assistant prosecuting attorney with the Trafficking Unit working on felony cases involving human trafficking, complex narcotics, and homicide. He previously served as a clerk under Judge Leo Bowman of the 6th Circuit Court. Rowe earned his Juris Doctor degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. He is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, Straker Bar Association, and Wolverine Bar Association, and he serves as a volunteer at Pontiac High School. Kwame lives in Pontiac with his wife, Gabriel, and children. On Friday, August 13, 2021, Judge Rowe was sworn in at a private swearing-in ceremony held at the Oakland County Commissioners Auditorium in Pontiac, Michigan. Judge Rowe with Cooley Professors Martha Moore (left) and Joan Vestrand (right).
Why is diversity in the classroom important? That's a question Cooley Law School Professor Mable Martin-Scott sometimes gets from others when talking about her law school, and the place she's taught for two decades.
At 31, life has already been a roller coaster ride for Lindsey Messenger. Yet every single high and low has taught her something. Never one to shy away from anything new or to challenge herself, she's learned a lot over her short life. She's learned some valuable life lessons, and what she wants to do, and what she doesn't.
Being given a chance to excel, to find your own path and be encouraged every step of the way is a "gift" that can last a lifetime. When those who have received this gift pass it on to someone up and coming, its value is increased manyfold.
