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SCHOOL NEWS
ANSWERING THE COMMUNITY’S CALL: COOLEY’S IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND CIVIL ADVOCACY CLINIC PROVIDES MUCH NEEDED SERVICES
Published, an updated version of her paper, “The Professional Exploration Program: An Alternative Law School Admission Process” in the fall 2013 Center for Scholastic Inquiry’s inaugural issue of its Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education. Volume 1, Issue 2. Accepted, as a member of the Oakland County Bar Foundation Fellows. Nelson Miller, Associate Dean and Professor
Published, as co-editor with Charles Cercone and Christopher Trudeau, the book Teaching Law Practice: Preparing the Next Generation of Lawyers (Vandeplas Pub. Co. 2013).
Published, as co-author with Christopher Hastings and Curt Benson, the article The Symbolism of the Federal Rules of Evidence: The Created, the Fallen, and the Redeemed, in the 29 Thomas M. Cooley Law Review 327 (2013).
Published, the book Injured—Seriously! Personal Injuries and Their Mechanisms and Effects (Vandeplas Pub. Co. 2013).
Included, in What the Best Law Teachers Do (Harvard University Press 2013), as one of 26 studied law teachers. Kimberly O’Leary, Professor
Developed, a series of materials on ethics & elder law which have been published by The Institute of Continuing Legal Education as how-to kits.
Presented, on her ethics materials in May 2013 in St. Louis, Mo. (ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference), in October 2013 in Okemos, Mich. (MPLP Roadshow), in November 2013 in Washington, D.C. (NAELA/NALI Conference), and in a series of three webinars sponsored by the Center for Elder Rights Advocacy in November 2013, December 2013, and January 2014. Topics include Determining Competency with a New Client, Determining Competency that Arises During Representation, Ensuring Confidentiality in an Elderlaw Practice, Representing Couples and Representing Multiple Parties (not Class Actions).
Attended, the AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May 2013.
JASON EYSTER
Inquiry’s International Academic Research Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. She won the award for Best Presentation in the education track of the afternoon session.
As the faculty member in charge of the clinic, Associate Professor Jason Eyster works to ensure that immigrants are given due process protection. A lack of judges experienced in immigration cases complicates the issue by slowing the resolution of the cases to a near standstill, Eyster said.
To better connect with those who need help and representation, Eyster has established a partnership with the Monroe County Jail, where many immigrants are detained as they await trial. Immigrants flagged as flight risks are often housed with convicted criminals at this and other jails across the country. While in jail, they have difficulty reaching out to family. To make matters worse, they aren’t always aware of their legal rights and frequently face a language barrier. Through Cooley’s partnership, Eyster has been able to offer information about the clinic’s services and information on how to reach out to the clinic.
“This clinic really allows us to provide a holistic approach to the legal issues that many immigrants face,” Eyster said. “Often while these individuals are waiting for a resolution of immigration issues, numerous civil matters arise. We’re able to assist with these matters and help improve their lives.”
Since the clinic’s inception, dozens of Cooley students have interviewed potential clients, determining which cases to accept. Cases can cover a number of legal issues immigrants face, including family law and landlord-tenant problems. Once accepted, students assist in
Presented, in March 2013, the opening statement, in the Skills Regional Seminar at the Trial Lawyers College in Washington.
Served, in June 2013, as faculty, in the Death Penalty Seminar at the Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming. Provided, in June 2013, pro bono services in case development and as trial consultant in IN v David Camm, recently featured on 48 Hours and 20/20. Subject was acquitted on third trial after spending 10 years in prison.
Served, in July 2013, as faculty for the Trial Lawyers College trial skills week in Wyoming as a presenter, cross examination. Served, in August 2013, as director, presenter and faculty, for the 10th Annual CDAM Trial College, in Lansing, Mich.
Served, in September 2013, as a presenter in Forming and Continuing Relationships with Jurors for the 360 Advocacy Institute at the Women Only Trial Skills Retreat in Colorado.
Served, in October 2013, as faculty in the Trial Skills Retreat, PA Local Group, Trial Lawyers College. Served, in February 2014, as a presenter, on Forming and Continuing Relationships with Jurors, for the AAJ Winter Meeting, in New Orleans, La. Devin Schindler, Professor
Authored, with Tracey Brame, “This Medication May Kill You: Cognitive Overload and Forced Commercial Speech,” in 35 Whittier Law Review 27 (Feb 2014).
Spoke, Feb. 23, 2013, on “8,” Panel Discussion Sponsored by the ACLU Following Actors Theater Production of “8” (A fictionalized account of the battle of California’s Proposition 8).
Spoke, March 7, 2013, on “Medical Marijuana,” in a panel discussion sponsored by the Environmental Law Society.
Spoke, March 21, 2013, in the Keynote Address “Civility and the Debate over Gun Rights,” for the Grand Haven and American Bar Association Community Forum. Continued on Following Page >
“In my time working at this clinic, not only did I receive hands-on client experience that has been of great value to me in my career,” said Darius Robinson (Livingston Class, 2013). “But my work there also inspired me to always be aware of greater community issues and the need for quality representation. I’ve been able to bring multiple lessons from my time at Cooley into my career, and they’ve made me a stronger, more compassionate lawyer.” Collectively, the Immigrant Rights and Civil Advocacy Clinic has provided more than 2,000 hours of faculty and student time free of charge to these important causes.
CLASSNOTES
Cooley encourages all graduates to contribute information to the Class Notes.We want to learn about your law career and other accomplishments in the legal profession. E-mail: communications@cooley.edu 1976 Cooley Class Heos, James T., was
named in the 2014 Best Lawyers in America. He also received an award from the State of Michigan for his 36 years of service to the Church Wyble law firm in Lansing, Mich., where he is the senior partner. Nolan, Lawrence P., was presented Cooley's annual Distinguished Alumni Service Award on Nov. 6, 2013. He also was elected Secretary of the State Bar of Michigan for the 2013-2014 bar year. He is the founder and president of Nolan, Thomsen & Villas PC, in Eaton Rapids, Mich.
1976 Campbell Class Jordan, Steve, an
attorney with Rothman Gordon in Pittsburgh, Penn., was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2013 in the fields of Employment and Labor Law.
Marjorie Russell, Professor
Presented, in February 2013, to Cooley Inns of Court on “What a Trial Consultant Can Do for You.”
many aspects of these cases.
1976 Fletcher Class Gorsalitz,The Hon. Stephen, was
elected president of the Michigan Judges Association (MJA). He is a circuit court judge in Kalamazoo County, Mich., where he was chief judge of the county's circuit and probate courts from 2008 until his election to the MJA role.
1977 Graves Class Morris, Donna T., retired Midland
County (Michigan) Probate Judge and former Cooley Board member, received the Frank Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award from the State Bar of Michigan.
1978 Ransom Class Overton, Steve, is co-executive director
of the Charlevoix (Michigan) Circle of Arts organization.
1978 Kelly Class Anzalone, Lawrence, has joined Burnetti,
P.A., a personal injury law firm with offices in Tampa, Lakeland, and Orlando, Fla. In addition to handling workers' compensation claims, he is also a certified circuit court mediator and a judge of Teen Court. Reynolds, Frank H., of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2014 in the fields of “Bet the Company Litigation,” Criminal Defense: Non-White Collar, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Family Law. He was also selected to be included in Super Lawyers for his work in Criminal Defense.
1979 Butzel Class Halloran, Michele, received the State
Bar of Michigan's 2013 Champion of Justice Award. Manis, Paula K., of Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting, P.C., was selected as the Lawyer of the Year for 2014 for Mediation in the Lansing area by Best Lawyers. She was also included in the 2014 edition of Best Lawyers in America for Arbitration, Mediation, and Oil and Gas Law. Additionally, Paula was awarded the “Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers of 2013” by LexisNexis and Martindale-Hubbell. This award is exclusive to women lawyers who have achieved the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards: AV Preeminent. Sepic, Michael J., was appointed Prosecuting Attorney in Berrien County, Mich. He will run for election in 2014 to fill the remaining two
BENCHMARK COLUMN | JULY 2014 | VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 1
years of the term. He has been with the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office for 25 years.
1979 Wiest Class Baird, the Hon. Laura, 30th Circuit
Court (Ingham County, Mich.) judge, was elected vice president of the Michigan Judges’ Association. Hertzberg, Robert, of Pepper Hamilton, in Detroit, Mich., has been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2014 in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization.
1980 Potter Class Platt, David M., an attorney with
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., in southwest, Fla., was selected for inclusion in the 2013 Florida Super Lawyers magazine. He concentrates his practice in estate planning, estate and trust administration, commercial transactions and business entity formations. He has been named to Best Lawyers in America every year since 2006.
1980 Bushnell Class Dobrich, the Hon. Susan L., judge of
Cass County (Michigan) probate and family courts, was inducted into the Edwardsburg Public Schools Hall of Fame. She received the district's 2012-2013 Lifetime Award. Otis, David K., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney, in East Lansing, Mich., was named a Michigan Super Lawyer in the field of Government by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine. He was also named to The Best Lawyers in America 2014 list in the fields of Municipal Law and Litigation. Ozburn, Renee, was named by the Sparrow Hospital Women’s Board of Managers and the Sparrow Hospital Volunteer Services Department, as the December 2013 volunteer of the month. She is an administrative law judge for the state of Michigan.
1980 North Class Krause, Andrew, who is a partner in the
Naples, Fla., offices of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, has been named to the 2014 edition of Best Lawyers in the field of Trusts & Estates. He was also selected to the list of Super Lawyers by Florida Super Lawyers magazine in the fields of estate planning and probate. Lewis, Calien, received the 2014 Howard H. Dana Jr. Award from the Maine State Bar Association. She retired in 2013 after serving for 16 years as executive director of the Maine Bar Foundation.
1981 Dethmers Class Hamre, Paul, retired from the bench in
36th District Court in Van Buren County, Mich.
Hemker, Joseph B.,
of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, was named to the Chicago’s Top Rate Lawyers list for 2013 in the fields of Business and Corporate Law, Creditors’ Rights, and Financial Services.
1981 Kavanagh Class Boyd, James, is now one of three U.S.
Bankruptcy Court judges for the Western District of Michigan. He previously worked more than 25 years as a trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
1982 Wing Class Burke,The Hon. Joseph F., of the 15th
Judicial District Court, in Ann Arbor, Mich., was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision.
Delehanty,Terrence D., was inducted as a “Fellow” of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers on March 16, 2013. This is an honor for those attorneys that have distinguished themselves in their practice within the field of workers’ compensation. Previously, he was recognized as a “Legend” by the American Society of Workers Comp Professionals, Inc. Mr. Delehanty was also featured in the National Law Journal on October 28, 2002. He is the general counsel and chief legal officer for NCCI Holdings, Inc., located in Boca Raton, Fla. McKeen, Brian J., founder and managing partner of the Detroit, Mich.-based McKeen & Associates, presented “The Importance of Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire, Motions in Limine and Preserving the Record” at the Michigan Association of Justice Voir Dire Seminar, Oct. 18, 2013, in Southfield, Mich. He was also named the winner of the Dan Cullan Memorial Award from the American Association of Justice (AAJ) and the executive board of the AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Group. He was selected as one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2014 Leaders in the Law. 1982 Goodwin Class Ayres,Timothy M., an attorney in
Johnstown, Penn., was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2013. He was first named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in 2005. Manderfield, Paula, is a shareholder in the Lansing, Mich., office of Fraser Trebilcock, where she focuses on mediation practice. She previously served 20 years on the bench, the last 12 years as a circuit court judge in Ingham County, Mich. She retired from the court in 2012.
1982 Brooke Class McCargar, Ian D., was appointed to serve
as the town attorney of Windsor, Colo. He has served Windsor for over 10 years under a contract arrangement with his law firm, but on Jan. 1, 2014, took an in-house position with Windsor.
1983 O'Hara Class Kirkham,The Hon. Brian, was
appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to the Calhoun County Circuit Court. He was formerly in private practice for 30 years, focusing primarily on family law, probate, and personal injury cases. Peacock, Peter W., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney, in Mt. Clemens, Mich., was named a Michigan Super Lawyer in the field of Government by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine.
1983 Chandler Class Reynolds, Cathy, was promoted to senior
vice president and general counsel at Consumers Energy in Jackson, Mich. She is the first female senior officer for the company. Previously she served as Consumers’ vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary. Suffety Jr., Hamed W., was appointed Circuit Court Referee for Saginaw County, Mich., by Chief Circuit Judge Fred L. Borchard. He holds meetings on domestic relations motions on all family law cases in Saginaw County. He was previously an associate Friend of the Court for 29 years. E-mail: hsuffety@saginawcounty.com.
1984 Manning Class Jamo, James S., was
elected Judge of the Ingham County (30th) Circuit Court. A litigator in Michigan and federal courts for 28 years, he was a partner in the
Scan this code to join Cooley’s Community on LinkedIn. Lansing firm Grua, Jamo & Young before taking the bench on January 1, 2013. He is assigned to the court's general trial division. Judge Jamo is trained in facilitative mediation, served as a hearing panel member for the Attorney Discipline Board, and is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.
1985 Whipple Class McCormick, Mark, is general manager at
ExamWorks, in Southfield, Mich.
1986 Mundy Class George, Edmond, a
partner with Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, in Philadelphia, Penn., was selected for inclusion in the 2013 New Jersey Super Lawyers in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights. Kline, Robert James, of Quarles & Brady LLP was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2014 in the fields of Litigation-Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy-Tax,Tax Law, Trusts and Estates. He is a partner in the firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group. He focuses his practice on estate planning, probate, taxation, probate litigation, trust litigation, beneficiary litigation, and fiduciary liability. He was also named to the list of Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, and recognized by Florida Super Lawyers magazine as being in the top 5 percent of attorneys in Florida for 2013. Royster, Larry, was appointed as Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court. He formerly served as Chief Clerk and Research Director for the Michigan Court of Appeals. Ruhland, David C., is the director of employee engagement for the Chicago Public Schools. He was previously human resources director of the Bay City (Michigan) Public Schools.
1986 Sherwood Class LoTempio,Vincent, a partner in the firm
of Kloss, Stenger & LoTempio, in Buffalo, N.Y., announces the opening of the firm's second office, located at 9545 Main St., in Clarence, N.Y.The firm continues its focus on Intellectual Property, Business, and Corporate Law.
1987 Morse Class Folks, Karen, is now the city administrator
for Allen Park, Mich. She was previously the city attorney for Ecorse, Mich. Rombach,Thomas C., was elected President-Elect of the State Bar of Michigan for 2013-2014. He is a solo practitioner in New Baltimore, Mich. Scro, Salvatore G., joined the Sarasota, Fla., law firm of Band Weintraub, P.L., as a partner and head of the firm’s litigation department. He focuses his practice on complex construction, commercial and civil litigation, business, civil and personal injury litigation, matrimonial and family law, and commercial and residential real estate transactions. He also represents homeowners and condominium and homeowner associations in complex construction defect litigation and turnover matters.
1987 Grant Class Pratt, Julie Nakfoor, of Hastings, Mich.,
will represent judges and attorneys on the state of Michigan’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. She is the prosecutor in Barry County, Mich.
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