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ALL ROADS LEAD TO COOLEY’S COMMUNITY ADVOCATE:
HELEN P R AT T M I C K E N S
It seems like a daily occurrence. You meet someone in the Lansing area, share that you work, attend, or have graduated from Cooley Law School, and the person typically responds with, “Do you know Helen Mickens?”
We sure do. Helen Mickens (Bushnell Class, 1980) is quite possibly Cooley’s biggest community advocate, devoting nearly 35 years of her life and professional career to a region that she treasures deeply, celebrating its accomplishments and helping to strengthen it wherever possible. An avid world traveler with husband Charles, Helen holds Lansing as a cherished destination. Serving the community is not just a saying. It is a commitment deeply entrenched in Cooley’s mission of developing character and professional responsibility in future attorneys. And no one personifies this commitment better than Helen Mickens. As a longtime Lansing resident, Helen’s love for the region and all of the communities Cooley serves is clear. Not only does she attend many cultural events, she frequents museums and parks, participates in downtown programs, and has served on numerous community boards. She has also been instrumental in Cooley’s support of the arts and education throughout Michigan. Her enthusiasm for Cooley is tireless, first fueled, no doubt, by her experience there as a law student. Following her graduation in 1980, she returned to Cooley in 1982 as its assistant dean and has dedicated her career to Cooley ever since. Today, Mickens is embracing her associate dean emerita status, investing her talents and experience in Cooley’s expansive alumni community. The Benchmark recently caught up with Mickens to learn more about her future plans, and have her reflect on her accomplishments, rich memories, and inspirations. BENCHMARK SPECIAL EDITION 40 YEARS 2013
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