October 5, 2011

Cooley Law School Students, Staff, Faculty Take Pro Bono Pledge

A crowd of nearly 100 Cooley Law School students, staff, and faculty, along with area attorneys, committed to making pro bono legal service part of their professional careers at the Cooley Pro Bono Pledge event Tuesday October 4, 2011. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavanagh administered the pro bono pledge to the crowd of people, all of whom are committed to making pro bono legal service a continuing part of their lives. The inaugural pledge event is a highlight of pro bono month at Cooley.

The State Bar of Michigan has designated October as a month-long celebration of the good works attorneys do to offer free legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford them. In addition to taking the pledge, many additional pro bono events are scheduled at Cooley's Michigan campuses including specific pro bono service opportunities for law students and lawyers to offer legal assistance to the indigent, and four pro bono fairs to be held around Michigan, three on Cooley's campuses in Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Auburn Hills. At the fairs, area agencies will provide information to interested attorneys and law students about those needing free legal service.

Pictured from left to right: Cooley Law School Associate Dean Amy Timmer, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavanagh, and Heather Spielmaker, director of Cooley's Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism.

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.