Attorney Deborah LaBelle Receives "Integrity in Our Communities" Award

Pictured with LaBelle (center) are Melissa Stowe-Lloyd (left), Cooley’s assistant director of the Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism; and Cooley Associate Dean Joan Vestrand (right).

October 30, 2012 – Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism honored Ann Arbor attorney Deborah LaBelle during the school's "Integrity in Our Communities" series on Wednesday, October 24.

LaBelle, who spoke to Cooley students prior to receiving the award, played an instrumental role in the recent ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court that requires the review of all minors who have received a sentence of life in prison. She is an advocate for the human rights of people in detention, the interaction of race and gender, and the rights of children in both the criminal justice and education systems.

LaBelle was the first American recognized by Human Rights Watch as a Human Rights Monitor for her work on behalf of incarcerated women and girls.

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About Cooley Law School: Founded in 1972, the Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a private, nonprofit, independent law school accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission. Cooley has provided its more than 15,000 graduates with the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. Cooley offers its Juris Doctor program, Joint Degree programs, and Master of Laws programs three times a year with enrollment in January, May and September. Cooley Law School has campuses across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, and its new campus in Tampa Bay, Florida.