October 5, 2011

Retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens Speaks in Grand Rapids

U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (retired), 91, spoke in Grand Rapids as part of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's 2011 William E. Simon Lecture in Public Affairs and was sponsored by Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Krinock Lecture Series. Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Gerald R. Ford, Justice Stevens took his seat as an Associate Supreme Court Justice on Dec. 19, 1975, and retired on June 29, 2010.

President Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, introduced Justice Stevens to a full room of more than 700 inside the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel's Ambassador Ballroom. In attendance, with community leaders and those from the legal profession were 45 Cooley Law School students. Justice Stevens' speech carried two central themes: President Ford's impact on the Supreme Court decision involving the University of Michigan's affirmative action program and the decision made by President Ford to appoint Edward Levi as his attorney general.

Pictured from left to right: Justice Stevens, Associate Professor Devin Schindler of Cooley Law School and Cooley Law School's president and dean, Don LeDuc.

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation.  Founded in 1972, the private, nonprofit law school operates its Juris Doctor program, Joint Degree programs, and Master of Laws programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Cooley recently announced a new Tampa Bay, Florida-area campus, with courses beginning in May 2012.  Cooley has more than 15,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and offers enrollment three times a year in January, May and September. Cooley is an independent law school, accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission. Additional information can be found at cooley.edu.