Recent Cooley Law School graduate Morgan Prybys is turning a longtime dream of becoming a lawyer into a career focused on helping others. Prybys, who began her professional journey working in security before becoming a paralegal, was recently recognized with the Cooley Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award at the law school’s Honors Convocation. The award recognized her academic journey, involvement and commitment to supporting those around her. During her time at Cooley, Prybys was involved with several student organizations and served as a teaching assistant. She also gained hands-on experience through Cooley’s SixtyPlus ElderLaw Clinic, building on her interest in estate planning and elder law. Her legal interests also include compliance, an area in which she earned a Certificate of Merit. Her journey from doubting whether law school was possible to earning her J.D. and receiving recognition for her accomplishments reflects the persistence and growth that shaped her legal education. Read more about Morgan Prybys and her journey in the Legal News.
Read More
So, you’ve decided to continue your education in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida. Smart choice! If you’re new to the area, finding places to study may seem like a scavenger hunt. There are several quiet nooks and hidden hideouts in this lively coastal region, but here are five student favorites to jump-start the process.
Cooley is a military friendly and designated Yellow Ribbon School. This month’s military blog feature is recent Cooley graduate Hardam Tripathi. Learn about his law school journey and his new position as an Officer and Judge Advocate with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.
Going to law school was a hard decision, but really, it was the right one for Tampa Bay area couple Bryan and Elizabeth Devolder. The easy part was recognizing and knowing that a legal career was something they both wanted to do. The hard part was making sure it could work for them; given that they both came from management positions, making good salaries, and working around family life and the day-to-day responsibilities that go along with it.
Traditionally, each court hosting an induction ceremony for new attorneys asks the individual performing highest on the Bar exam to speak. This spring, The Hon. Craig C. Villanti, chief judge of the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, invited Maryam Saleh, a recent Cooley Law School graduate and top Bar performer in the district, to speak on behalf of the attorneys being sworn in that day. The Second District covers 14 counties in five judicial circuits. There are five total District Courts of Appeal in Florida. We are proud and honored of Maryam and her accomplishments. Below is her speech from May 9, 2016, along with video excerpts about her journey in life, in law school, and what drives her going forward.
Less than six months ago, Bryan and Elizabeth Devolder opened their own business, The Devolder Law Firm, in suburban Tampa. In the words of Elizabeth Devolder, “We are very pleased. It’s been doing even better than we expected. We just had our third profitable week!” The fact that Elizabeth and Bryan Devolder have been able to create a successful law business right out of the gate is of no surprise to anyone else, especially Cooley’s Tampa Bay campus. As students, both Bryan and Elizabeth were committed, exceptional law students. As attorneys, they are equally involved and dedicated to their new venture.
The Cooley Law School Black Law Student Association of Tampa Bay really pulled out all the stops when they put on this year’s Black Law Student Association (BLSA) Black Tie Ball. The extravagant gala was the culmination of a series of three events that students put on last month to honor Black History Month.
