U. S. District Court holds proceedings at WMU-Cooley Grand Rapids campus

PHOT COURTESY OF WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY-COOLEY LAW SCHOOL

WMU-Cooley’s Grand Rapids campus mock courtroom was transformed into a real courtroom on Sept. 12, as U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney heard dispositive motions in two substantial federal civil lawsuits, before a full gallery of law students.

“We are fortunate that judges like the Hon. Paul Maloney are committed to legal education and extend our students these opportunities,” said WMU-Cooley professor Christopher G. Hastings.  “One of the attorneys arguing his case told me after the hearing, ‘I wish my law school had done stuff like this.’”

WMU-Cooley has hosted multiple live judicial proceedings at its campuses for a number of years, including dockets scheduled from the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court. 

“The law school is focused on a practical legal education,” said Hastings. “Allowing students to see how their course work fits together in a real-life setting is not only educational, it’s inspirational.”

Shown in the photo at right, are (left to right): Erin Geschwendt, Matt Williams, Kris Johnson, Kristyna Nunzio, Hon. Paul L. Maloney, Mary Ann Simmering, Richard Perez, Ata Alaraj, and Aric Kasel.

About Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School: Western Michigan University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School affiliated in 2014, combining the status of a nationally-ranked, public, comprehensive research university with the commitment to practical legal education of an independent, non-profit, national law school. WMU-Cooley is accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. The law school has provided nearly 20,000 graduates with the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world, and enrolls classes in January, May, and September at its Lansing, Auburn Hills, and Grand Rapids, Michigan campuses, and its Tampa Bay, Florida campus. WMU and the law school continue to operate as independent institutions with their own governance structure and separate fiduciary responsibilities.

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