WMU-Cooley Law holds commencement for Michigan campus summer term graduates

Graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus were honored during graduation ceremonies on Sept. 26. The commencement, held at the Wharton Center in East Lansing, included the opportunity for graduates from previous terms to participate due to cancellations of past in-person ceremonies because of COVID restrictions.

During the commencement, 49 juris doctor degrees were conferred to members of Michigan’s Stanley Matthews Class, (named for Matthews, nominated in 1881 to the U.S. Supreme Court);and 30 past-term graduates from Michigan’s campuses participated in the ceremony.

The Hon. Kwame L. Rowe of Oakland County Circuit Court provided the keynote address, and spoke about how he overcame adversity and pushed aside the naysayers when he decided he wanted to go to law school.

“As many of you are aware, I sat in the very seats that you are sitting in just six years ago,” he said. “Yes, that’s right, just six years ago I graduated law school, and here I am before you as a sitting judge. Not only just a sitting judge, but one of the youngest, if not the youngest appointed judges in Michigan history. When I wanted to become judge, I received a lot of feedback: Well, you’re too young, you should wait a few years, you need to do X and Y. If I had listened to my counselor or to the negative people, I would not be standing before you today.

“There are a few pointers that I have for your success as future attorneys,” he added. “I guarantee you, no matter what area of law you practice, whether it is litigation or transactional or you are a research attorney, these tips will help you be successful in your legal practice: Follow the golden rule, be true to yourself, don’t let others tell you that you can’t do something, reputation, reputation, reputation, and take care of yourself. Honestly, these steps are how and why I am before you today. Hold on to these steps, remember you are strong and can persevere through lows and highs. You control the direction of this great country.”   

Leanna Poole presented the valedictory remarks, and reflected upon the journey through law school and the many challenges students faced, especially during the COVID pandemic.

“We have all heard the saying that ‘law school is a marathon and not a sprint.’ Well, I am happy to announce that we have finished this marathon,” said Poole. “From the long nights updating outlines, reviewing notes, and briefing cases, to late nights studying for finals, that was all a part of the marathon and what got us to the finish line today.  Our time at Cooley has prepared us to face challenges head-on and be great advocates. We have earned our place in the legal field, and I am sure we will make an everlasting mark.

“Although COVID may have brought some tough times, I want us to focus on what we gained from this experience,” Poole added. “Going forward, we now know that nothing can stop us. We made it even when it felt like everything was against us. The next time you find yourself unsure what to do, or you feel your back is against the wall, remember that you made it during a worldwide shutdown. You picked up the pieces and continued to walk with your head up. That is what we should remember about this pandemic: That we are strong, and we can get through anything that is thrown our way.”

WMU-Cooley Professor Erika Breitfeld was presented with the Stanley E. Beattie Award for excellence in teaching.