September 18, 2008

State Bar Honors Cooley Law School Founder, Assistant Dean

Assistant Dean Joan Vestrand	Judge Thomas E. Brennan

Judge Thomas E. Brennan and Assistant Dean Joan Vestrand receive awards

The State Bar of Michigan (SBM) honored Cooley Law School Founder Judge Thomas E. Brennan and Assistant Dean and Professor Joan Vestrand at its 2008 annual meeting, September 17-19, 2008. Judge Brennan received the Michael J. Franck Award and Dean Vestrand received the Champion of Justice Award.

The Michael J. Franck award is given to an attorney who has made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of the profession. Brennan’s legal career began in 1953 and he practiced law in Detroit for nine years before he won a seat on the Common Pleas Bench in 1961. He was appointed to the Wayne County Circuit Bench in 1963 and became the Michigan Supreme Court associate justice in 1966.

Three years later, Brennan became the chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court at age 40, making him the youngest chief justice in Michigan history.
Brennan founded Cooley in 1972, and resigned from the court in 1974 to dedicate his time to the school, which is now the largest law school in the nation. Brennan served as the first dean of Cooley and became the first president in 1978.

During his time as dean, Brennan founded the Cooley Legal Authors Society, the Student Bar Association, the Scholastic Review Board and the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review. He also designed the school’s year-round, three-divisional system.

The Champion of Justice Award is given to lawyers and judges who have been members of the SBM for at least 10 years, adhere to the highest principles of the legal profession and who have performed extraordinary professional accomplishments that benefit the nation, the state or the local community.

Joan Vestrand, an assistant dean and professor at Cooley’s Auburn Hills campus, has lectured extensively on professional responsibility and the importance of giving back to the community. While speaking at Pontiac Northern High School, Vestrand noticed unkempt classrooms, outdated equipment and students who couldn’t afford to meet the dress code.

Vestrand and several Cooley students responded by cleaning classrooms, organizing clothing drives, conducting fieldtrips, and providing mentoring and tutoring to students.
“Success on Saturdays,” a program held two Saturdays a month for all Pontiac Northern students and their parents, developed from Vestrand’s seminars on character, conduct and personal success that she originally presented to incoming ninth-grade students.

“Success on Saturdays” focuses on personal and academic success and encourages community service. It also helps students and parents write personal codes of conduct, make commitments to education and make lifestyle promises. Vestrand and Professor Martha Moore organized the program with support from Cooley students and the Oakland Bar Association.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country.  Founded in 1972, it operates J.D. programs across Michigan in downtown Lansing, in Auburn Hills, and in downtown Grand Rapids.  Today, Cooley Law School has nearly 13,000 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 www.cooley.edu.