November 19, 2010

Cooley Alumnus Named Adjunct Professor of the Year

Catherine Groll

Cooley Law School presented the annual Frederick J. Griffith III Adjunct Faculty Award to Lansing solo practitioner Catherine Groll on Friday, Nov. 19. The award was established in 1997 to remember Rick Griffith, a Lansing lawyer and adjunct professor at Cooley.

Cooley Emeritus Professor Otto Stockmeyer noted, "Cooley is enriched by the dedicated, experienced, and talented members of our adjunct faculty.  They are a group of more than 100 legal professionals who blend teaching with active careers on the bench and in law practice, providing our students with valuable insights into the demands and rewards of the practice of specialized areas of the law. To show our gratitude, we pay tribute to our adjuncts each year by honoring one of them with this award."

Groll, who graduated from Cooley in 1992, is a solo practitioner in Lansing specializing in complex civil litigation, medical malpractice, negligence, police liability, serious personal injury, consumer protection law, and patient advocacy. Groll began teaching as an adjunct at Cooley in 1995, and has taught Health Law, Police Liability, Lawyering Before Trial, Forensic Medicine, and Consumer Law.

In nominating Groll for this honor, Associate Dean of Faculty Chuck Cercone said: "Professor Groll epitomizes what an ideal adjunct faculty member should be -- tireless service on behalf of the school and our students.  Her work over the years has been indispensable to Cooley's mission of providing practical legal education, and she is long overdue for this recognition."

Groll has worked with Habitat for Humanity in Nepal and Tanzania, and volunteered at the Mother Teresa Home in New Delhi, India. Closer to home, she spearheaded the resurrection of the annual People's Law School in Lansing, and organized a fundraising event at the Lansing Country Club to support Ingham County's Care free Medical and Dental Clinic. She also sings blues and rock and roll with two bands.

In 2007, she was selected as the recipient of the Camille Abood Distinguished Volunteer Award given by the Ingham County Bar Association.

The first Griffith award was bestowed posthumously on Rick Griffith. Other past recipients are: Robert Stocker, Eugene Krasicki, Karen Bush Schneider, Judge Randy Tahoven, Michael Behan, Andrew Quinn, Janice Cunningham, Donald Hinkle, Steven Owen, Ronald Sutton, Lawrence Wysocki, and Pat Gannaway. Recipients are awarded a cash stipend and a commemorative ceramic tile designed and produced by Pewabic Pottery of Detroit.

Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation.  Founded in 1972, the private, non-profit law school operates J.D. programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor.  Today, Cooley Law School has nearly 14,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and also offers joint degree and master of laws programs.  Cooley offers enrollment three times a year; in January, May and September. Additional information about Cooley can be found at cooley.edu.