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Cooley Law School Staff, Students, and Alumni Attend Wolverine Bar Association’s Law Student Reception

Cooley Law School Staff, Students, and Alumni Attend Wolverine Bar Association’s Law Student Reception

LANSING, Mich. – On Oct. 18, Jacqueline Freeman, Cooley Law School senior director and special advisor to the president for engagement, civil rights, and Title IX spoke at the Wolverine Bar Association’s Law Student reception at Wayne State University in Detroit. The event was sponsored by Cooley. During the event, students from Cooley and other law schools had the opportunity to engage directly with members of the bench and bar, gain insight into diverse career paths, build their professional networks, and connect with resources and individuals who can support them throughout law school and beyond. In addition, distinguished alumni from Cooley served as judges and leaders within the State Bar of Michigan. “It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the relationships, mentorship, and professional connections that strengthen our legal community,” said Freeman.

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  • Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath Presents on Law School Access, Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium
    Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath Presents on Law School Access, Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium

    Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath Presents on Law School Access, Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium

    LANSING, Mich. – On Oct. 22, Cooley Law School hosted the National Legal Mentoring Consortium’s virtual conference, “The New Era of Legal Mentoring,” where President and Dean James McGrath spoke on “The New Law School Admissions Landscape: Impacts on Diversity, Access, and Legal Mentoring.” Speakers at the event addressed the impact of significant efforts aimed at law schools and their student populations as to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the American Bar Association’s ability to continue accrediting law schools, and how mentoring leaders can respond to those efforts and prepare for the shifting makeup of the professional population. “The demand for a legal education has never been higher, but the guardrails around diversity have never been weaker,” McGrath said during the conference. “We have more people knocking on the door than ever and fewer rules requiring anyone to open it wider.” In the 2026 law school admissions cycle, McGrath noted there were 82,000 people nationwide who applied to law school – nearly an 8% increase since 2025; and 27% increase since 2024. “The surge in applicants is not the same as the surge in access,” he said. “Cooley has always had an access mission. But when applications rise, the selective schools get more selective. The median LSATs tend to climb up and the applicants squeezed out first are going to be the first-generation working adults and career changers. So where do the qualified, but not elite applicants go when the pool tightens? They turn to schools with access missions and that’s exactly the reason why Cooley was founded back in 1972.”

  • Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath to Present on Law School Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium
    Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath to Present on Law School Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium

    Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath to Present on Law School Admissions Landscape During National Legal Mentoring Consortium

    On Thursday, Oct. 22, Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath will speak on “The New Law School Admissions Landscape: Impacts on Diversity, Access, and Legal Mentoring” during National Legal Mentoring Consortium’s conference, “The New Era of Legal Mentoring.” The virtual conference is hosted by Cooley Law School.

  • Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 116 Individuals
    Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 116 Individuals

    Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 116 Individuals

    LANSING, Mich. – On Oct. 9, Cooley Law School, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Safe & Just Michigan, Ascend Co-Lab for Social Equality, and Legal Services of South Central Michigan, held an expungement fair to aid in the removal of certain arrests and convictions from qualifying individuals’ public criminal records. There were 116 individuals screened through the pre-registration and onsite walk-in process with 60 individuals qualifying for expungement. During the fair, volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys assisted 34 qualified guests who attended the fair with their expungement paperwork. Michigan law has always allowed for expungements, but the “Clean Slate” legislation enacted in 2020 made more individuals and offenses eligible for expungement. Under the law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and any number of misdemeanors can have their records expunged. Certain traffic violations and first-time operating while intoxicated offenses can be expunged. Additionally, misdemeanor marijuana convictions that would not have been considered crimes after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan can be expunged. Expungement removes arrests and convictions from a person’s public criminal record, which makes prior convictions inaccessible to employers or landlords. Cooley Law School has hosted several expungement fairs since 2023, which has resulted in hundreds of individuals being able to have their criminal records expunged.

  • Cooley Law School Hosts Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel During Human Trafficking Panel Discussion
    Cooley Law School Hosts Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel During Human Trafficking Panel Discussion

    Cooley Law School Hosts Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel During Human Trafficking Panel Discussion

    On Wednesday, Sept. 16, Cooley Law School hosted Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel during a Michigan Human Trafficking Commission Mixer panel discussion.

  • Cooley Law School Hosts Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event
    Cooley Law School Hosts Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event

    Cooley Law School Hosts Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event

    TAMPA, Fla. — On March 25, Cooley Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society hosted an event, “The Law Behind the Lights: Where Sports, Entertainment and Law Intersect,” at the Cooley Event Center on its Tampa campus, featuring Jimmy DuBose, a former NFL running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The event also featured, Shawuki Hilton, Esq., Cooley Law School alumnus and founding attorney of The Hilton Law Firm, and a poetry performance from Everkesia Taylor of I Am Poetry. “As a former professional athlete and present treasurer of the local National Football League Players Association, I am aware of amateur and professional athletes’ need for competent legal assistance,” said DuBose. “I was pleased to see the number of Cooley Law School students who have an interest in providing legal assistance to athletes in the future.” DuBose, an alumnus of the University of Florida Gators, was the first UF running back to rush for a 1,000 yards in a single season. He was named SEC Player of the Year in 1975, and selected to the Associated Press All-American team, and the Tampa Tribune All-Century Team in 1999. Additionally, DuBose was inducted into UF’s Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame in 2018. He played four years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and became the first player in franchise history to rush for a hundred yards before getting injured and retiring from the NFL. Outside of football, DuBose worked in education for 22 years as a teacher, football coach, dean, and assistant principal in Hillsborough, Orange, and Pasco counties. He is currently the treasurer of the local chapter of the NFL Players Association leadership, where he has served in various capacities for over 20 years. “I’d like to say that it was an amazing event and I’m grateful for having been invited to participate,” said Hilton. “I look forward to future opportunities to work with SELS.” Hilton, who practices sports law, represents professional athletes within the Canadian Football League. Before graduating cum laude from Cooley, Hilton served as the justice of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, vice president of entertainment of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and associate editor of the Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law. He has served a diverse client base on matters related to business law, contract law, consumer protection, estate planning, intellectual property, and real estate. “Our goal was to bring together professionals from sports and the arts to give students a real, firsthand look at how law shapes each path — from NFL players to emerging artists building their dreams,” said Kimberly Ayala, SELS president. “It was an incredibly powerful experience, and if you weren’t there, you truly missed something special.” Cooley Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society hosted an event, “The Law Behind the Lights: Where Sports, Entertainment and Law Intersect,” on March 25 at the Cooley Event Center on its Tampa campus. Pictured from left to right: Daniel Podboy- Navarro, Cooley Law School SELS vice president; Jim Hicks, SELS faculty advisor; Kimberly Ayala, SELS president; Shawuki Hilton; Renalia DuBose, Cooley professor; Jimmy DuBose, former NFL player; Everkesia; John Johnson, SELS public relations; and Giani Villalba, SELS secretary.

  • Cooley Law School to Host Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event
    Cooley Law School to Host Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event

    Cooley Law School to Host Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer During Sports and Entertainment Law Society Event

    TAMPA, Fla. — On March 25, Cooley Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society will host an event, “The Law Behind the Lights: Where Sports, Entertainment and Law Intersect,” at the Cooley Event Center on its Tampa campus. Event will feature Jimmy DuBose, a former NFL running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the late 1970s, and Shawuki Hilton, Esq., Cooley Law School alumnus and founding attorney of The Hilton Law Firm. DuBose, an alumnus of the University of Florida Gators, was the first UF running back to rush for a 1,000 yards in a single season. He was named SEC Player of the Year in 1975, and selected to the Associated Press All-American team, and the Tampa Tribune All-Century Team in 1999. Additionally, DuBose was inducted into UF’s Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame in 2018. He played four years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and became the first player in franchise history to rush for a hundred yards before getting injured and retiring from the NFL. Outside of football, DuBose worked in education for 22 years as a teacher, football coach, dean, and assistant principal in Hillsborough, Orange, and Pasco counties. He is currently the treasurer of the local chapter of the NFL Players Association leadership, where he has served in various capacities for over 20 years. Hilton, who practices sports law, represents professional athletes within the Canadian Football League. Before graduating cum laude from Cooley, Hilton served as the justice of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, vice president of entertainment of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and associate editor of the Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law. He has served a diverse client base on matters related to business law, contract law, consumer protection, estate planning, intellectual property, and real estate. Additionally, Everkesia Taylor of I Am Poetry, will perform at the event. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Everkesia is the author of six poetry books and the creative force behind the I Am Poetry apparel line. Through I Am Poetry, she curates immersive experiences – from open mic shows to large-scale festivals. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

  • Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 88 Individuals
    Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 88 Individuals

    Cooley Law School Expungement Fair Helps 88 Individuals

    LANSING, Mich. – On March 6, Cooley Law School held an Expungement Fair to aid in the removal of certain arrests and convictions from qualifying individuals’ public criminal records. The event was held in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Safe & Just Michigan, Ascend Co-Lab for Social Equality, and Legal Services of South Central Michigan. This year’s Expungement Fair screened 185 individuals through the pre-registration and onsite walk-in process, with 88 individuals qualifying for expungement. “Everyone deserves a chance to show that they are more than their mistakes,” said Karen Poole, director of career and professional development, Cooley Law School. “Michigan’s expungement law gives citizens the opportunity to do just that.” Volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys assisted with expungement paperwork. Criminal offenses that have been expunged are no longer accessible to employers or landlords. Michigan law has always allowed for expungements, but the “Clean Slate” legislation enacted in 2020 made more individuals and offenses eligible for expungement. The expungement process became available to the public in 2021. On April 11, 2023, the automatic expungement provisions went into effect, allowing for the automatic expungement of some felonies and misdemeanors. Under the new law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and any number of misdemeanors can have their records expunged. Certain traffic violations and first-time operating while intoxicated offenses can be expunged. Additionally, misdemeanor marijuana convictions that would not have been considered crimes after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan can be expunged. Cooley Law School has hosted several Expungement Fairs since 2023, which has resulted in hundreds of individuals being able to have their criminal records expunged.

  • Cooley Law School Holds Summer Honors Convocations in Lansing and Tampa
    Cooley Law School Holds Summer Honors Convocations in Lansing and Tampa

    Cooley Law School Holds Summer Honors Convocations in Lansing and Tampa

    LANSING, MI and TAMPA, FL — On July 24, Cooley Law School recognized students in the Trinity Term for their achievements during an honors convocation at its Lansing, Michigan, and Tampa, Florida, campuses.

  • Cooley Law School Holds Spring Commencement For Lansing Campus
    Cooley Law School Holds Spring Commencement For 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.