Cooley Law School alumna Frances Silney-Bah has spent the last six months interning at Blue Peak LLP.
(Photo courtesy of Frances Silney-Bah)By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
In May 2020, Frances Silney-Bah was arrested in Houston for peacefully protesting the murder of George Floyd, the black American man murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd may have used a counterfeit $20 bill.
“That moment was the catalyst that changed my life,” says Silney-Bah, a recent graduate from Cooley Law School. “I decided during that summer that if I could be of service and help save lives of those in my community, now was the time to do it.
“I’d always dreamed about being a lawyer, but held myself back because I feared I would fail. 2020 taught me the only failure is not trying, so I decided to do something different with my life and go to law school so I could learn how to use the law to better serve marginalized communities.”
At that time Silney-Bah was a special education teacher. But Lady Justice was calling her name. In 2021, she headed to Cooley Law School in Lansing, where she particularly appreciated her professors.
In her 1L summer, she interned with Judge Kristen Simmons at 54A District Court in Lansing—a rewarding experience where she saw first-hand how trials run, preliminary exams, and landlord-tenant cases.
At the Cooley Innocence Project, Silney-Bah enjoyed working on DNA cases to find previously overlooked forensic evidence to exonerate wrongfully convicted people. During her internship, Louis Wright was exonerated after serving 35 years for a crime he did not commit.
“I got to work on that case by helping prepare for his return to society—it was rewarding to be a part of his journey,” Silney-Bah says.
Last year, she was a summer law clerk at Legal Services of South Central Michigan, handling eviction defense work and client intake, and had her first experiences drafting motions and working directly with clients.
“Housing is another cause I’m passionate about, so being able to help people stay in their homes was a priceless reward all in itself,” she says.
Participating twice as an oralist in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, she enjoyed learning about international legal instruments that have been in effect for decades and that are now seen front and center on the world stage as international violence escalates. This year, the team not only earned a seventh best written memorial award, but it also advanced to the octo-finals, placing the team among the top 25 law schools that competed nationally.
Selected by her peers this year for the Leadership Achievement Award, Silney-Bah is interested in restorative justice.
“Because, as a Black woman, I’m acutely aware of the discrepancies in how the law is applied,” she says. “While we’re taught the law is neutral on its face, the reality looks much different. It’s important to me I serve my community, using the law to protect rather than punish.
Silney-Bah says she had a “moment of grief” after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the 2022 Supreme Court case overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
“I thought about all the people who would need access to live-saving healthcare who would now be unable to get it in certain states,” she says. “Again, as a Black woman, it’s important to me I uplift women’s issues and do my part in protecting our rights.”
Social justice is at the heart of her passion for the law.
“I see myself working to have justice served for those who have been traditionally left out of the courtroom or any legal process. This could be as a prosecutor or as a public defender,” she says.
“I still have a passion for working with youth and would love to combine my teaching with my advocacy. International law is something else I see myself doing because of my background and it would be great to one day argue in front of the real International Court of Justice.“
This year, Silney-Bah was one of three recipients of the inaugural Plunkett-Cooney Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) essay scholarship.
“It was an honor to be a recipient, especially during a time where we’re witnessing the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court,” she says. “It was a great boost for me and gave me the confidence to go into my 3L more focused than ever.
“Sadly, during my law school experience, I did encounter micro-aggressions. Coming into this profession knowing that less than 5 percent of lawyers are Black and even less are Black women, I knew I would have to find ways to cope with these unfortunate incidents.
“Thankfully, most people are kind and I’ve found being honest about yourself and being mindful everyone comes from a different background helps me to navigate those situations. DEI is important because this profession should be a reflection of the public it serves, so investing in diverse lawyers can only make that stronger.”
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