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Thomas M. Cooley Law School is continuing the implementation
of its award-winning
Professionalism Program.
Cooley has launched the Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism,
which is dedicated to the following ideals:
- Lead by modeling and teaching ethics
- Foster and encourage service
- Practice professionalism
- Commit to our communities
 Cooley Law School Director Honored by Department of Military and Veterans Affairs with Legion of Merit
June 30, 2010 - Heather Spielmaker, director of Cooley Law School's Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism, was honored by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs with its Legion of Merit during a ceremony on June 29, 2010. [full story]
 Cooley Assistant Dean Honored for Community Contributions
March 2010 - Cooley Law School Professor and Assistant Dean Martha Moore was honored by the Detroit Renaissance Alumni Chapter of Alabama A&M University Alumni Association with their "Most Distinguished Mark of Excellence Award." The honor is given out each year to recognize "outstanding citizens in the metropolitan Detroit area who have made countless contributions to improve the quality of life for our citizens." Moore was honored at the association's Founder's Day Luncheon March 27 in Livonia. [full story]
Cooley's Professionalism Orientation Program
The State Bar of Michigan is partnering with Thomas M. Cooley Law School to promote professionalism in the legal profession by sponsoring a Professionalism Orientation with all incoming Cooley law students.
The program features small group discussions among veteran attorneys, judges, and incoming students on a range of topics related to ethics and professionalism. [full story]
 Ed Pappas, President of the State Bar of Michigan and Gerald Rosen, Chief Judge of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, addressing students during the pilot “Professionalism Orientation” sponsored by Cooley and SBM. |
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The Honorable Leo Bowman, Oakland County Circuit Judge, talks with students at the Auburn Hills Campus during the professionalism orientation. |
Cooley's Professionalism Publications
 Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller
Creating
a Culture of Professionalism in Law School: The Thomas
M. Cooley Law School Experience
 How
Cooley successfully implemented the 18 initiatives from the
original plan. This program was selected for the 2006
Professionalism Award from the ABA Standing
Committee on Professionalism. Read
about the ABA Professionalism Award.
Professionalism Plan:
Professionalism - Taught, Learned, and Lived in Law School
 Eighteen
proposed initiatives, developed by Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Endorsed by the Student Bar Association, Faculty, Staff,
Board of Directors, Alumni Association, and Board of Governors,
and supported by the State Bar of Michigan.
Michigan's Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
 Download a copy of the Michigan's Guide to Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (pdf).
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) offers special protections to soldiers against civil actions like divorce and foreclosure while they are deployed.
Cooley and attorneys with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP (Honigman) bring clarity to SCRA's application for Michigan's courts and, ultimately, provide another layer of support to Michigan servicemen and women. |
 In 2009, Cooley students and faculty, working through their clinics and externships, worked an almost incomprehensible number of 333,154 hours pro bono, for no compensation. That equates to almost $50 million worth of free legal assistance if it were billed at an average of $150 per hour ($49,973,100), worked in just one year. More important, when we calculate the number of hours of free legal assistance our students offer in the area of public interest—using the Equal Justice Works definition to include all clinic placements, judicial placements, state and federal agency placements, prosecutors, public defenders, Legal Aid and other public interest law offices—our students logged, in 2009, just over 200,000 hours of pro bono legal assistance, or over $30 million worth of free legal public interest assistance.
But even more remarkable are the pro bono efforts that do not involve the awarding of  academic credit — perhaps the truest pro bono: legal assistance offered by our faculty and students for no personal gain, not even clinic or externship credit. In 2009, our faculty and students logged over 16,000 such pro bono hours assisting those who would otherwise not be able to pay for or fund these services. And they did this completely on their own time, for no personal reward except the satisfaction that comes from helping those in need. These 16,000 hours of pro bono work done for no academic credit or personal gain represent $2.4 million (at $150/hour) worth of free legal assistance offered in just one year.
 For additional information on Cooley's pro bono programs visit
Pro Bono Programs and Pro Bono Program Opportunities.
We will not lie, cheat, steal, plagiarize, or tolerate those who do.
This is the commitment that all entering students take, along with our faculty and staff, at every orientation. Before they can begin classes at Cooley Law School, a Michigan judge administers this oath, and new students are introduced to Cooley's Honor Code.
 Cooley students are visibly enforcing the Honor Code. "Student Exam Proctors" are involved with helping our regular exam proctors during first term midterms and practice exams. "Our hope is that by seeing other students acting as exam proctors, new students will understand that our own student body takes pride in, and enforces, the Honor Code," says Amy Timmer, Associate Dean of Students and Professionalism.
 "Prosecuting with Integrity"
Thursday, July 8, 2010, Noon - 2 p.m.
Auburn Hills Campus, Room L45
Presented by Barbara McQuade,
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Michigan
Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and began serving on January 4, 2010. Before becoming a U.S. Attorney, McQuade served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit for 12 years.
"Civility: In and Out of the Courtroom"
Wednesday, June 9, 2010, Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Grand Rapids Campus, Room 529
Presented by the State Bar of Michigan 2009 Respected Advocate Award winners William W. Jack, Jr., and William F. Mills.
Mr. Jack and Mr. Mills will speak about their careers, professional integrity, and the importance of relationships in the legal profession.
Congratulations to the winners of the Great Deeds Award for 2009:
- Julie Clement - Lansing Campus
- Danielle Hall - Grand Rapids
- Audra Foster - Auburn Hills
- Shady Yassin - Student
Nominate someone for a Great Deed!
Great Deeds Awards are given to recognize a staff or faculty member each year at each campus and students up to once per term per campus.
Nominations are accepted from anyone who would like to recognize a staff or faculty member for outstanding community service or a student for demonstrated outstanding commitment to the service of others. |
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