On March 16, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus held a convocation honoring students who will be graduating following the law school’s spring term.
Elizabeth Badovinac, Kristin Carlesso, Shanel Thomas, and Beth Van Deusen were presented with the Leadership Achievement Award, which acknowledges those students who have consistently, comprehensively, and effectively provided leadership in a variety of capacities. The award is intended to be the culmination of the recipients’ participation in leadership activities at WMU-Cooley.
Additionally, Badovinac, Katharine Buehner, and Scott Nowling were presented with the Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award. The award is given to selected graduating students based on academic accomplishment, professionalism, and ethics, demonstrated leadership at Cooley, meaningful extracurricular activities, and post-graduation plans. The recipients are selected by the past presidents and executive committee of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association. The recipients were presented a diploma frame from the law school.
Originally from Cadillac, Michigan, Badovinac earned her Master of Arts from Northwestern University. While at WMU-Cooley she has been active in Law Review, serving as an associate editor and associate resource editor. Badovinac also served as Mock Trial secretary, Student Bar Association senator and committee member, and was a contributing writer for The Pillar. She was active in Moot Court as a competition participant and volunteer, and has served on the Grade Appeals Board.
Earning her Bachelor of Science from, South Dakota State University, Buehner was recognized for serving on the Law Review as executive articles editor. She was been named to WMU-Cooley’s Honor Roll and the Dean’s List.
Carlesso, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, earned her Bachelor of Science from Grand Valley State University. She has been active in the Student Bar Association, serving as E-Board vice president, senator, committee member, co-committee leader for Social Media, SBA secretary and board member. Carlesso has also served the Mock Trial Board as president, vice president, competition chair, and general member as well as being an Inter-School Competition Participant. She is a member of the Organization of Women Law Students, and a senator for the American Bar Association Law Student Division.
Nowling, who is from St. Charles, Illinois, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kalamazoo College. He was recognized as a graduating student who has achieved excellence in academics by being named to both the Honor Roll and Dean’s List. He has earned certificates of merit in Taxation and Advance Practice Skills-Expert Witness. While attending WMU-Cooley he was a member of the was also recognized as a team member on the National Health Law Moot Court Team.
Thomas, a native of Detroit Michigan, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University. During her time at WMU-Cooley, Thomas has been active in a number of several organizations, serving on the Student Bar Association as a senator and acting as chair of the Community Service Committee. She has also been secretary for the American Bar Association Law Student Division, and an active member of the Christian Legal Society. Thomas has been a member of Phi Delta Phi, International Legal Honor Society, and is also active with the Organization of Women Law Students serving as Secretary.
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Van Deusen earned her Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Michigan University. While at WMU-Cooley she has been a teaching assistant for both Criminal Law and Property I. Van Deusen has been active in Moot Court serving as president, vice president, general member and competition participant. She has served as associate editor of the Law Review, and on the Mock Trial Board in the position of Student Development & Administration Chair. She was a member of the Organization of Women Law Students and served as secretary for that group. Van Deusen has been involved with the Student Bar Association in many roles including senator, committee member, committee chair and on the E-Board Mentorship program. She served as senator for the American Bar Association Law Student Division.
