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1WMU AFFILIATION ADVANCESWe are proud of the strong affiliation with Western
Michigan University that has already resulted in
more than 120 initiatives ranging from the
upcoming offering of courses on each other’s
campus, joint course listings, teaching and
research collaborations, shared clinical
opportunities, guest faculty appearances on
constitutional law, ethics, and medical-legal issues,
and improved student support activities. For more
details on the affiliation, see cooley.edu/wmich
REASON ONE
2ABA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSAGAIN!Tampa Bay students Elizabeth
and Bryan Devolder won the
national championship in the
ABA’s client counseling
competition. Their victory is
our second such national
championship in five years
and our seventh regional
championship in ten years.
Other schools brag about their
competition teams. Ours
succeed.
See cooley.edu/news/2015/wmu-
cooley-team-wins-national-aba-
competition
REASON TWO
“Extraordinary teamwork helped the couple capture the national championship,
the school’s second in five years.”
TEAM COACH CHRISTINE CHURCHWMU-COOLEY ASSOCIATE DEAN
INNOCENCE PROJECT SUCCESSThe students and faculty of the WMU-Cooley Innocence
Project succeeded again this year in obtaining the
exoneration of a man wrongfully convicted of a crime he did
not commit. This was our third exoneration in recent years.
And we teamed with WMU to obtain a $400,000-plus grant
from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund the project’s
future efforts.
See cooley.edu/clinics/innocence_project
3
REASON THREE
2
4FOREIGN STUDY LEADS TO GLOBAL EXPERIENCEThe world is growing smaller day by day. We offer invaluable
international law experience to students who attend class in
our ABA-approved foreign study programs based in Toronto,
Ontario; Oxford, England; Münster, Germany; Melbourne,
Australia; and Hamilton, New Zealand.
See cooley.edu/foreignstudy
REASON FOUR
WMU-COOLEY STUDENTS IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
PROPOSED 3+3 PROGRAMWILL LOWER STUDENT COSTThe accelerated program being
developed with WMU will allow
students to receive their
bachelor and J.D. degrees in a
shortened time and with great
savings in tuition and living
expenses.
See cooley.edu/wmich
REASON FIVE5
TWO-YEAR PROGRAM BENEFITS MOTIVATED STUDENTSOur intensive, full-time, year-round
academic program allows ambitious
students to complete their legal
studies in only two calendar years.
It’s hard work, but it comes at
great savings.
See cooley.edu/prospective/
accelerated.html
REASON SIX
6
FACULTY ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESSOur faculty are accessible, devoted to
teaching and serving the students, and keen
to share their years of practice experience.
The students rated the faculty highly again
this year in course evaluations and reported
their satisfaction with the faculty to our
accreditors.
See cooley.edu/faculty
REASON SEVEN
7
8LOW STUDENT-TO-FACULTYRATIO MAKES FOR BETTER EDUCATIONWe have 1,444 students, 47 full-
time faculty, and 98 adjunct
faculty. That calculates to a low
18:1 student-to-faculty ratio
which lends itself to small
classes and the kind of hands-on
learning of skills for which we
have become so well known.
See cooley.edu/publicinformation
REASON EIGHT
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT MAKES FORBETTER LAWYERSAlumni consistently tell us that their internships,
clinical classes, and skills classes and competitions
were among the most valuable experiences they had at
the Law School. All law schools have practical offerings,
but WMU-Cooley requires students to take them. That’s
why our students excel as practicing lawyers.
See cooley.edu/clinics
9REASON NINE
MULTIPLE CAMPUSES ACROSS MICHIGAN ANDFLORIDA GIVE STUDENTS GREAT LIFESTYLE CHOICESMany students tell us that our campus locations in
Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Tampa
Bay give them great lifestyle choices and allow
them to pursue legal education without having to
uproot their families. The deans, faculty, and staff
at each campus have done a tremendous job of
associating the Law School with local bar and
business organizations, providing students
important contacts for their future careers.
See cooley.edu/campuses
REASON TEN
LANSING
AUBURN HILLS TAMPA BAY
10GRAND RAPIDS
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING OPTIONS BENEFIT STUDENTSWHO ARE PARENTS OR ARE EMPLOYED Students also tell us that the Law School’s day, evening,
and weekend scheduling options, coupled with starting
semesters in September, January, and May, allow them
to care for their families and to stay employed while
pursuing their degrees. This means that they can
maintain their family and business relationships while
graduating with far less student loan debt.
See cooley.edu/prospective
REASON ELEVEN
11
PRO BONO AND COMMUNITY SERVICEOPPORTUNITIES ABOUNDWe were outstanding again this year in
pro bono and community service.
Students and faculty provided
107,000 hours of free legal service
through their volunteer, clinical, and
externship activities. And our
community outreach efforts helped
children’s charities, food banks, crisis
shelters and a host of other
organizations that serve those who are
less fortunate than are we.
See cooley.edu/ethics12REASON TWELVE
EXCEPTIONAL FACILITIES PROMOTE COLLABORATIVE CULTUREOur students told us this year how much they like and gain from the
comfortable surroundings that promote learning in a collaborative,
supportive, and nurturing environment. The WMU-Cooley culture has
become one of helping, cooperating, and sharing, which we think
makes for a better education and ultimately better-trained lawyers.
See cooley.edu/campuses
13REASON THIRTEEN
“Extraordinary teamwork helped the couple capture
the school’s second in five years.”
TEAM COACH CHRISTINE CHURCHWMU-COOLEY ASSOCIATE DEAN
14WE HAVE MADE LEGAL EDUCATION ACCESSIBLEWe admit students from all regions of
the nation, from many foreign
countries, and from all types of
backgrounds. Some students have just
graduated from college while others
have been out for years. Many
students are employed, and many have
families. But our campus locations,
scheduling options, and year-round
admissions combine to afford students
the ability to attend the Law School on
their own schedule.
REASON FOURTEEN
15
SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI LEAD THE PROFESSIONThis year, Thomas C. Rombach (Morse Class, 1987) and Kevin Robinson (Reid
Class, 2006) concluded their year as presidents of the State Bars of Michigan and
West Virginia, respectively. Lawrence P. Nolan (Cooley Class, 1976) just became
president-elect of the State Bar of Michigan. Kevin Cotter (Edwards Class, 2006)
was elected this year as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. And
many other alumni have risen to positions of prominence in the legal profession,
the business world, government, and academia. Did you know that WMU-Cooley
graduates have served in Congress? Or the Canadian parliament? Or Japan’s
national legislature? Or many other state legislatures? Or as judges in the courts
of many states? Or as general counsel of a Fortune 500 company? Or as presidents
of universities?
See cooley.edu/leaders
REASON FIFTEEN
KEVIN COTTER, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND WMU-COOLEY ALUMNI
16DIVERSE AND GLOBALLY ENGAGEDThe Law School is a great place at which to
learn because our student body is the most
ethnically, culturally, and internationally
diverse in all of legal education. Our
students range in age from 20 to 65. Female
students outnumber the males. More
students from other nations are enrolled at
our School than at any other law school.
Their diversity brings unparalleled richness
to the classroom and the Law School itself.
See cooley.edu/prospective/diversity
REASON SIXTEEN
UNCONDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS Many of our students are aided by the School’s
generous merit-based scholarship program. Our
scholarships are unconditional in that students retain
them throughout their enrollment so long as they are
not subject to school discipline. Students have told us
that scholarships at other schools come with so many
strings attached that they cannot realistically meet
continuing requirements. The benefit to WMU-Cooley’s
students is that they know where they stand and can
bank on it.
See cooley.edu/prospective/scholarships17REASON SEVENTEEN
ALUMNI EVENTS CONNECT AND INFORMWe stay connected with alumni through a host of networking
events around the nation. This year alone, we held 19 alumni
events in Michigan, four each in Florida, Illinois, and Texas,
three in Maryland, two each in D.C. and New York, and one
in Alaska, Indiana, New Jersey, and Ontario. We will be
coming to yet other states in 2016. Read about these past
events and look for upcoming events at
cooley.edu/alumni/events
18REASON EIGHTEEN
WMU-COOLEY GRADUATES ARE READY TO WORKNeed a lawyer or an extern to join your office?
Maybe you should look to WMU-Cooley. Externship
supervisors and employers consistently told us
this year that our students and graduates arrived
prepared for law practice, enthusiastic to work, and
ready to go. Contact our Office of Career and
Professional Development to find a WMU-Cooley
lawyer who will be effective and useful to you right
out of the gate. You won’t be disappointed.
See cooley.edu/careers 19REASON NINETEEN
8
ONE OF NATION’S LARGEST ALUMNI NETWORKS A mere glance at these maps shows you that our nearly 20,000 graduates are
found in every state plus 26 other nations or territories around the world. This
geographic spread testifies to the competence, capability, and ingenuity of the
WMU-Cooley lawyer. It also demonstrates the opportunities available to our
students who know the growing importance of practicing law in the global
economy. You can easily find your fellow graduates and update your own contact
information on our website.
See cooley.edu/alumni
20REASON TWENTY
300 S. Capitol Ave. Lansing, MI 48933 | (517) 371-5140 www.wmich.edu/law