Joseph Kimble, Cooley Law School Professor Emeritus, Receives Prestigious Burton Award for Third Time
WASHINGTON D.C. – Cooley Law School Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble was honored with the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for the book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules.” He co-authored the book with Bryan A. Garner, distinguished research professor at SMU Dedman School of Law. The awards ceremony was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 1. This marks the third time that Kimble has received the prestigious Burton Award. He previously won Burton Awards for Reform in Law in 2007 and 2011 for his work in helping to completely redraft the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence. The Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing recognizes outstanding contributions to the clarity, precision, and effectiveness of legal communication. “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules,” in the words of the presenter, “exemplifies the highest standards of legal writing and provides invaluable guidance to practitioners, judges, and scholars alike. This book has made a lasting impact on the way legal rules are crafted, promoting clarity, consistency, and accessibility across the profession. The authors’ work has helped shape modern legal drafting.” “In some ways, this book has been 30 years in the making because it reflects the work that Bryan and I have done in helping to restyle all five sets of federal court rules,” said Kimble. “The guidelines and techniques that we applied throughout are captured in this book. It’s all about the ways to achieve clarity — 90 or so guidelines and techniques, and something like 250 before-and-after examples. And we decided to make the book available for free online. We’re trying to change the way that lawyers draft, and the book is already being used in some law schools.” Established in 1999, the Burton Awards is a national, nonprofit program that recognizes the highest standard of excellence in law. Its principal focus is on effective legal writing. The winners range across the legal profession: jurists, practitioners, lawyers in the military and the executive branch, and law-school professors. Judges for the awards include professors, members of law firms, and other outstanding leaders in law. Each year, the guests at the ceremony include federal-court judges, general counsel from the finest corporations, officers in the military, law-school deans and professors, and partners in the largest and most prestigious law firms. Photo: Joseph Kimble, professor emeritus, Cooley Law School, receives the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for the book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules,” during the Burton Awards ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 1.
Cooley Law School Innocence Project Hosts Author Nathan Goetting for Insightful Discussion on Wrongful Convictions
LANSING, MI — The Cooley Law School Innocence Project hosted author, legal scholar, and Cooley graduate Nathan Goetting for a meet-the-author event on July 10. Goetting, now director of the George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy at Adrian College, discussed his recently released book, “The Supreme Court’s Actual Innocence Problem: How the Supreme Court of the United States Has Failed to Reduce Wrongful Convictions.”
Cooley Law Student Toren Chenault Receives Prestigious Ralph M. Freeman Scholarship at U.S. District Court Ceremony
DETROIT, Mich. – Cooley Law School student Toren Chenault has been awarded the 2025 Ralph M. Freeman Law School Scholarship by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The honor, which includes a $1,000 award, was presented during a formal ceremony held at the federal courthouse in Detroit.
Cooley Law School Student Earns Prestigious WLAM Margaret “Peggy” Lynch Professionalism Scholarship
LANSING, Mich. – Cooley Law School student Anna Buckingham has been named the 2025 Margaret “Peggy” Lynch Professionalism Scholar by the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. Sponsored by Masco Corporation, the $3,500 scholarship is awarded annually to a law student who demonstrates leadership in advancing the position of women in society, particularly through service in social justice, family law, child advocacy, or work supporting underserved populations.
Cooley Law School Student Receives Scholarship by City, County and Local Government Law Section in Florida
Hollywood, FLA. – Cooley Law School student Tory Sanders Jr. has been recognized as an “outstanding law student” by the City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar. Sanders received a $500 scholarship during CCLGL Section’s 48th annual conference at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood in April.
Cooley Law School Associate Dean Recognized as a 'Champion of Justice' by the Grand Rapids Bar Association
Lansing, Mich. – On May 8, Cooley Law School Associate Dean and Professor Tracey Brame was awarded the Grand Rapids Bar Association’s Champion of Justice Award during the organization’s 2025 Law Day event at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
Cooley Law School Chaldean American Law Student Association Hosts Chief Judge Hala Jarbou
LANSING, MI — On April 3, Cooley Law School’s Chaldean American Law Student Association (CALSA) hosted Chief Judge Hala Y. Jarbou of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan at the law school’s Lansing campus.
Cooley Law School Holds Spring Commencement For Lansing Campus
LANSING, MI — Graduates of Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus were honored during a commencement ceremony at the MSU Wharton Center Pasant Theatre on April 21. Thirty-six juris doctor degrees were presented to members of Cooley Law School’s Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Class in Lansing.
Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath Accepts Governor’s Appointment
LANSING, MI — Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath has accepted an appointment to Michigan’s Public Health Advisory Council (PHAC). Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed McGrath to the council effective April 10. His term will expire on Nov. 1, 2028.
