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.
Read More
Guest blog author and Cooley Law School Professor Kimberly E. O’Leary directs the law school’s study abroad program in New Zealand and Australia. She and her students will be sharing their experiences throughout the Hilary 2018 semester.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Otto Stockmeyer shares his remarks when presenting Cooley Law School’s Adjunct Faculty award to graduate Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.
The United States is a melting pot, blending and melding people of all ethnicities, faiths, and geographic origins. For some who come here looking for a better life, their pasts are so painful, they must be left behind. Others are rooted in both the old country and the new, hoping to extend America’s system of democracy and justice to places torn by war and violence.
Blog author, Constitutional Law expert and Cooley Professor Brendan Beery, is a summa cum laude graduate of the law school and frequent Constitutional Law legal expert in the media. Along with teaching Con Law, Professor Beery also teaches Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
John Mallul (O’Hara Class, 1983) was born and raised in Detroit. His father worked at the local Cadillac car plant as a machine repairman on the factory floor for 44 years. As much as his father never was in jeopardy of being laid off or let go, Mallul and his family felt the devastating effect the troubles in the car industry had on the city of Detroit.
The quest for civility, the notion where its citizens compromise for equality and for the good of the whole, are principles on which our nation is based. Today, however, many feel the presence of this notion in our society is eroding. But one gentle voice is speaking up to bring civility to the forefront and to encourage equality in legal education. Professor Victoria Vuletich is that voice and she is quietly, but firmly, making herself heard, even during this time of animosity and angst when it sometimes seems only the loudest and most bombastic have the floor.
PwC is a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 200,000 employees. In Michigan, PwC has over 800 employees working in three core lines of service: tax, assurance, and advisory. When PwC’s Detroit office needs to fill the ranks in its tax division, Tim Pratcshler, principal in PwC’s state and local tax group, focuses his attention on recruiting top talent from colleges and universities, including law schools.
At just two years of age Ahmed Salim moved with his family from their homeland in Pakistan to the United States, into the south suburbs of Chicago. Salim’s parents wanted what every other immigrant family wanted – a better life for their children.
