Benchmark Column - May 2009 - Thomas M. Cooley Law School

FEATURE ARTICLEWELCOMETO THEBENCHMARKCOLUMNIt is an exciting time at Cooley Law School.It’s graduation season, the time when anothergroup of talented professionals become partof the exclusive club called Cooley alumni.Dear Thomas M. Cooley Law School Graduate:It is an exciting time at Cooley LawSchool. It’s graduation season, thetime when another group of talentedprofessionals become part of theexclusive club called Cooley alumni.Cooley graduates are all over the globe,serving as leaders in law, government,their communities, and countless other fields of endeavor.In this edition of Column, you’ll find stories about how:• Our school and its graduates are serving in-needpopulations (Cooley Graduate Serves Those in Need)and (Cooley Offers More Support for Soldiers)• A Cooley graduate is now an elected leader in hernative Japan (One Law Degree: Multiple Uses)• The world of law is changing (Discovering theBenefits and Challenges of e-Discovery), and(Advancing Opportunities)The world of Cooley Law School is changing as well. Aswe continue to provide practical legal education to growingnumbers of students from near and far, we take pride inknowing that the quality of our curriculum, faculty, andfacilities supports a world-class legal education from ourthree campuses in Michigan.At our campus in Lansing, we are ready to embarkon an unprecedented expansion that will make theThomas E. Brennan Law Library the nation’s second largestlaw library in physical size (see The Library of Tomorrow).But we need your help. The $6 million expansion project isdependent on your generous philanthropic support.To build the Center for Research and Study libraryexpansion, we are asking alumni and friends of Cooleyto contribute $3 million as part of our Campaign forKnowledge.We are off to an excellent start, having already raisedmore than $1.5 million for the expansion. But there ismore work to be done to ensure that Cooley studentshave access to the library resources that they need,when they need them. As you know, a state-of-the-art lawlibrary is one of the most valuable assets of any leadinglaw school. It is a place where the rules of the justicesystem are found and examined.I invite you to learn more about the Campaign forKnowledge by calling me at 517-371-5140 ext. 2045,or visiting www.cooley.edu/giving.Sincerely,James D. RobbAssociate Dean of Development and Alumni Relationsrobbj@cooley.eduCOOLEY LAW SCHOOL OFFERS MORESUPPORTFOR SOLDIERSSTATE’S MILITARY MEMBERS STAND TO BENEFIT FROM NEW MICHIGANJUDGE’S GUIDE TO THE SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACTThe Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) offersspecial protections to soldiers against civil actions likedivorce and foreclosure while they are deployed.However, varying state laws and interpretations canproduce confusion in the law’s application.A new effort among the Thomas M. Cooley LawSchool and attorneys with the Detroit office ofHonigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP is bringingclarity to SCRA’s application for Michigan’s courtsand, ultimately, providing another layer of support toMichigan servicemen and women.Created by Honigman partner Matthew S. Disbrowand associate Shanta S. Anderson-Williams in thefirm’s Labor and Employment Department, theMichigan Judge’s Guide to the Servicemembers CivilRelief Act offers a state-specific view of the SCRA’sapplication for everything from proceduralrequirements to general provisions concerningevictions, auto leases, and termination of cellphone service contracts. Cooley graduate RyanPlecha (Clark Adams Class, 2008) assisted indeveloping the guide.“While most judges generally are aware of theSCRA, there often is confusion about its applicationdue to varying state laws and interpretations over theyears,” said Disbrow. “The guide references case lawfrom Michigan courts with the purpose of assistingthe judiciary and other members of Michigan’s legalcommunity in understanding SCRA and its protectionsfor military personnel and their families.”Supported by a grant from the Michigan State BarFoundation, the user-friendly guide will be distributedto every Michigan judge and Friend of the Courtoffice in the state. The full guide, which features aforeword by Michigan Supreme Court Chief JusticeMarilyn Kelly, is also accessible at cooley.edu/ethics.“This document couldn’t come at a better time withthousands of military personnel returning to Michiganfrom deployment this year,” said Heather Spielmaker,director of Cooley’s Center for Ethics, Service andProfessionalism which houses Cooley’s Service toSoldiers: Legal Assistance Referral Program.Enacted by Congress in 2003, the SCRA was designedto protect the personal interests of servicemen andwomen at home while they protect the interests of ourcountry abroad.From left to right: Partner Matthew S. Disbrow of the Detroit office of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP; Heather Spielmaker, director of Cooley’sCenter for Ethics, Service and Professionalism; Honigman associate Shanta S. Anderson-Williams; and Cooley graduate Ryan Plecha.Enacted by Congress in 2003, the ServicemembersCivil Relief Act was designed to protect the personalinterests of servicemen and women at home whilethey protect the interests of our country abroad.ALUMNI DATABASEThe user name will always remain the word alumni. The password changes each term and will be disclosed in the Benchmark Column on the inside front cover. Please call the Alumni Relations Office at (800) 243-ALUM (in the Lansing area,call 517-371-5140, ext. 2038), or e-mail alumni@cooley.edu if you have any problems.BENCHMARK COLUMN | MAY 2009 | VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 2