September 24, 2004

Affirmative Action exhibit at Cooley in Grand Rapids

Cooley's Grand Rapids campus has been chosen as one of six venues in Michigan to host a traveling exhibit entitled "A Case for Diversity: The Affirmative Action Debate at the University of Michigan." The exhibit will be on display in the Grand Rapids library Oct. 2-27. This is a unique opportunity to see the actual court documents and learn more about the landmark U of M admissions cases that were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. U of M exhibit Web site

In conjunction with the exhibit, the GR Campus will host four special events:

On Monday, Oct. 4, the first event is being held specifically for law students and prelaw students from area colleges and universities. Jon Alger, who coordinated the University of Michigan’s efforts in its two admissions lawsuits, will give a presentation from noon to 1 p.m. in the Cooley Law Center at 111 Commerce, SW. He will share his experiences with the affirmative action cases from the lawyer's perspective. Light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are required. Please respond to Kathryn Postema at postemak@cooley.edu or 616.742.5001.

On Monday, Oct. 4, there will be a debate on the correctness of the Supreme Court's decision in the University of Michigan affirmative action cases from 6:30 to
8 p.m., in the WMU Graduate Center Conference area, 200 Ionia, SW. Panelists will include Jon Alger, Assistant General Counsel from the University of Michigan; Professor Brent Simmons, and University of Michigan Professor Carl Cohen. Cooley Prof. Phil Prygoski will moderate. A reception will precede the debate from 5:15 to
6:15 p.m. in the Cooley Law Library. The public is invited.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the Career Services Office will present a program featuring Adele Rapport, Regional Attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. All students are invited. The presentation will be from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Cooley Law Center, 111 Commerce, SW. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP's are required. Please reply to halld@cooley.edu.

On Wednesday, Oct. 27, the last day of the exhibit, there will be a panel presentation on the Future of Affirmative Action from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the WMU Graduate Center Conference area, 200 Ionia, SW. Panelists will be Ingrid Scott-Weekley, Director of the Grand Rapids Equal Opportunity Deptartment; Cooley Law Professor Steven Gonzales, and Valerie Simmons of Warner, Norcross & Judd. A reception will precede the presentation from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in the Cooley Law Library. The public is invited.

The Affirmative Action exhibit contains 13 components, many of them interactive. They explain the definition of diversity and affirmative action, give examples of affirmative action policies, and explain the importance of diversity to the University of Michigan community, including audio interviews with students, faculty, and staff. Most of the rest of the exhibit contains information about the University of Michigan affirmative action case that was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The components
include the timeline of events, the plaintiffs and defendants, the hearings, rulings, and appeals, summaries of the court arguments including audio of the exchanges between the lawyers and the Supreme Court justices, and summaries of the court's decision and the university's changed policies.

Exhibit hours are 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. The Cooley Law Library is located at 111 Commerce, SW. Due to construction on Commerce, visitors must enter the building on the southwest side from Cherry Street via the alley that runs between Commerce and Ionia.

For further information on the exhibit or events, please contact CJ Kruska at 616.742.5001 or kruskac@cooley.edu. We hope to see you at the exhibit and events in Grand Rapids!