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President Jeff G. Haarer presented the first annual Thomas
M. Cooley Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award in
2000. This award is presented to Cooley alumni who excels
in supporting the mission of the Alumni Association.
Award Recipient 2007
Henry J. Legere, Jr. (1993 Carpenter Class)
Henry J. Legere, Jr. was a Class Representative under the original Alumni Association Charter. He was selected for membership on the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association’s Board of Governors and served as its Treasurer for many years, and served on the Executive Committee until October 2006.
Legere has enjoyed a distinguished legal career working with the many law firms; as well as in his own practice, the Law Office of Henry J. Legere, Jr. He has tried more than 100 capital offenses where clients faced life terms if convicted and has had no clients convicted of life offenses. Award Recipient 2006
Darryl Parsell (1979 Wiest Class)
Darryl Parsell, Cooley Director of Alumni, graduated from the Wiest Class of Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1979 and after a distinguished career as a public prosecutor was selected to serve as the Director of Alumni Relations at the Law School in 1993. Under his leadership, the Thomas M. Cooley Alumni Association has progressed from a loosely organized group to a fully functioning alumni association.
Award Recipient 2005
Charles R. Toy (1981 Kavanagh Class)
Charles R. Toy is a summa cum laude graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He was a Class Representative under the original Alumni Association Charter. He was selected for membership on the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association’s Board of Governors and served as Secretary in April 2000, was elected as Vice President in October 2001, and was elected as President in October 2003.
Toy is a partner at the Lansing firm of Farhat & Story, P.C. He has served as an adjunct professor for most of the twenty-four years since his graduation.
Charles R. Toy is the first active member of the former Board of Governors of the Alumni Association (now the Alumni Board of Directors) to be named to the Board of Directors of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Finally, he has served on the State Bar of Michigan’s Board of Commissioners since 2000 and, having been selected as the Bar’s Treasurer in September 2005, is in line to become president of the State Bar of Michigan. Award Recipient 2004
James Vlasic (1978 Ransom Class)
James Vlasic completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University in 1973, earned his Juris Doctor degree Cum Laude, and attended Wayne State University to earn a Master of Laws degree in Taxation in 1986. Mr. Vlasic was elected to membership on the Board of Directors of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in May 1997 and has served continuously in that capacity through the present time.
He serves as Chair of the Development Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee and the Nominating Committee. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Cranbrook Educational Community. Award Recipient 2003
Linda Sutton (1981 Dethmers Class) and Jerry Sutton (1976 Cooley Class)
Linda Sutton and Jerry Sutton have furnished employment to many of the law school’s alumni at their firm of Sutton Advisors, plc in Lansing, Michigan. Jerry and Linda Sutton have also been among the most significant donors to the law school.
Jerry Sutton served as a Class Representative for the law school’s first graduating class, the Thomas M. Cooley Class of 1976. He has regularly attended the Annual Meetings of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, accompanied by his wife and business partner Linda Sutton, a graduate of the 1981 Dethmers Class.
Linda and Jerry Sutton have been especially faithful supporters of the Alumni Memorial Scholarship though their consistent sponsorship and participation at the Annual Alumni Golf Outing. Award Recipient 2002
No award made.
Award Recipient 2001
Virginia P. Allen (1982 Wing Class)
Virginia P. Allen is the Chair of the Cooley Alumni Association Past Presidents' Committee. She served in most of the offices on the Executive Committee and is a substantial donor to the law school. She is also very active in the management of the Lansing Symphony.
Award Recipient 2000
Michelle Reddin (1999 Flannigan Class)
Michelle Reddin is the President of the Florida Alumni Association and a participant in the Cooley Externship Program. She is involved in many county and state bar programs. |
