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.
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Cooley Law School faculty Michael Molitor, Dustin Foster, and Emily Horvath have co-authored the textbook, “Wills, Estates, and Trusts: Statutes, Cases, and Problems.”
The Michigan Supreme Court reappointed Jacqueline Freeman to the Commission on Fairness and Public Trust in the Michigan judiciary. Freeman, who represents Michigan ABA-Accredited law schools, is senior director and special advisor to the president for engagement, civil rights, and Title IX at Cooley Law School. The Commission on Fairness and Public Trust in the Michigan Judiciary was first created in 2021 to assess and work towards elimination of demographic and other disparities within the Michigan judiciary and justice system. The 24-member commission is comprised of Michigan’s legal professionals and stakeholders, including judges from various courts, members of judicial associations, ABA-accredited law schools, and others. At Cooley Law School, Freeman works to promote the law school’s mission of advancing diversity of the legal profession through professional exploration programs, which provides the opportunity to study law, prepare to pass the bar, and become lawyers. “The legal profession must have a diverse bar that is representative of the world we inhabit,” said Freeman. “This belief was foundational in the establishment of Cooley Law School and continues today to be a core guiding principle.” Originally appointed for a one-year term in early 2023 to the Commission on Fairness and Public Trust in the Michigan judiciary, Freeman’s reappointment allows her to serve through 2026. Jan 25 2024
LANSING, Mich. – On March 21, Cooley Law School held an expungement fair to aid in the removal of certain arrests and convictions from qualifying individuals’ public criminal records.
On March 13, Cooley Law School graduate Susan Chalgian was named Ingham County Bar Association’s “Top 5 Under 35” at the 16th annual Barristers Night at the University Club of Michigan State University.
On March 24, Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus recognized students in the Hilary Term for their achievements during an honors convocation at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa North in Temple Terrace.
On March 17, Cooley Law School hosted "Careers that Serve with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel" for law students and faculty in the lobby of its Lansing campus.
On March 13, Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus recognized students in the Hilary Term for their achievements during an honors convocation.
Registration is encouraged and available online for those wishing to have convictions expunged.
New students in Cooley Law School's evening and weekend programs attended orientation on January 3-5, 2025. Orientation included new students at Cooley's Lansing and Tampa campuses to welcome the Dorean Koenig class to the Hilary (January) Semester.
