William Bowman is launching his legal career this summer with Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge in Grand Rapids.
By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
William Bowman first considered a career in law after graduating high school.
“As soon as the thought crossed my mind, it was like an ah-ha moment. I thought to myself, ‘I could do that,’” he says.
Definitely a good choice.
A recent graduate from Cooley Law School, Bowman – the first in his family to enter the law—will launch his career in August with the civil litigation team at Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge in Grand Rapids.
Bowman got a taste of the law at Grand Valley State University, earning his degree in Legal Studies, an ABA-approved paralegal program.
“The draw came from peers who had already advanced somewhat in the program and explained their courses followed the Socratic method and were more akin to law school coursework than to traditional undergrad lectures. They knew how to write memos and research the law,” he says. “I knew I’d be a fool to pass up such a program not found at most universities. Fortunately, my intuition could not have been more right. I met lifelong friends and mentors, and because a program requirement was to complete a legal internship, I was able to expand my network before attending law school.”
During undergrad, Bowman worked in Grand Rapids as a paralegal at Stenger & Stenger, P.C.; and as a paralegal intern at CBH Attorneys & Counselors, PLLC, a firm that handles bankruptcy, personal injury, business litigation, contract disputes, tax, and civil defense.
“Right off the bat, I enjoyed the responsibility I was given and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the outcome of a client’s case,” he says. “When something is real, with stakes and consequences, the satisfaction is so much greater when you can deliver a positive result. And I think the best part was learning that a positive result is when both parties walk away knowing the outcome was a fair resolution.”
Volunteering at the Legal Assistance Center in Grand Rapids gave Bowman the opportunity to meet the community on another level.
“Knowing every park, street, or restaurant in town does not compare to understanding how our neighbors are living behind closed doors,” he says. “Now, we couldn’t fix what came through the door, but we were able to give the right tools to those willing to DIY their legal situation. It’s amazing what a determined mother, father, landlord, or tenant can do on their own when given a ballpoint pen and the right form.
“I enjoyed seeing those who sought to help themselves actually help themselves and use the system available to all, but only navigable by the few.”
Both experiences were valuable for law school studies, in different ways.
“Paralegal work taught me how cases are actually built — pleadings, motions, discovery, the day-to-day mechanics that law school doesn’t always cover,” he says. “The Legal Assistance Center taught me how to listen to a person describe a problem and figure out the underlying legal need. By the time I started at Cooley, I wasn’t learning what a motion for summary disposition looked like for the first time. I was learning the doctrine that explained why it worked the way it did.”
In a summer 2024 law clerk position at Scarfone & Geen, P.C. in Madison Heights, Bowman researched and wrote memoranda on complex issues, drafting motions and briefs, and broke down the other side’s filings so attorneys could decide how to respond.
Last summer he gained broad experience returning to CBH Attorneys & Counselors, where he previously interned as a paralegal. He aims to build his career in the civil arena.
“A good civil litigator is one who can take a complex issue before a jury and have a conversation—one who can speak plainly and persuasively while advocating their clients’ interests in a way that makes sense,” he says. “That combination of rigor and plain speech is what draws me to it. It’s as much a craft as it is an occupation.
“Civil law holds us accountable to each other—for the agreements we make, the duties we owe, and the obligation to remedy breaches to the extent they cause harm.”
There were many things Bowman enjoyed about Cooley.
“But it’s the people more than anything,” he says. “My professors had some of the most impressive CVs I’ve ever seen—judges, magistrates, a brigadier general, a special master, an ALI reporter, accomplished litigators. Many have authored textbooks, law reviews, articles, and resources that have advanced the profession. All of them practiced before they taught. They are genuinely interested in their students’ success, and they always make themselves accessible in a way that surprised me.”
Bowman also appreciated the student body was drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, including career changers, parents, people straight out of undergrad, and people who took a long way to get there.
“That mix made for interesting classroom discussions and unlikely friendships,” he says. “By my second year, I knew my professors, the deans, and nearly all of my classmates by name. Law school has a reputation for being cutthroat, with students competing against each other for grades and rank. Cooley did not feel that way. It felt like a community working toward a common goal, and my law school experience was better for it.”
His role as Student Bar Association president gave him room to think creatively, work problems out, and deliver for the student body.
“There was a lot of work to do when I took office, and I liked the responsibility—updating bylaws, creating an endowment fund, and working with the school to secure more funding gave me real-world experience and confidence,” he says. “The role taught me how to run a nonprofit, manage a board, see projects through, and empower the people around me. Empowering people, especially, is something I’ll carry forward. A team that is trusted to do its work will outperform one that is not, every time.”
Bowman became the Lead Dean’s Fellow in the peer-to-peer tutoring program.
“What I enjoyed is that it works both ways—underclassmen get the extra help they need, and the Fellows benefit too,” he says. “Tutoring forces you to keep returning to material from courses you took a while ago, which is exactly the material you will be tested on for the bar. It is essentially bar prep for the Fellows.
“When the opportunity arose to take a leading role, I jumped on it. I had the pleasure of ensuring the minor details of events, initiatives, and partnerships were worked out. Most of all, I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie around me, both from the fellows and peers who engaged with the program.”
A three-time intraschool mock trial champion, Bowman also competed nationally in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition—the world’s largest moot court competition—reaching the octo-finals at regional rounds in Portland in 2025 and the advanced rounds at the national competition in Atlanta this past March. He also participated in the Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in New York City in 2024.
“I was very fortunate to have been given that opportunity to represent the school in New York so early on,” he says. “Jessup was a whole other story. A law school’s Jessup team is like their football team, and I played my 2L and 3L years. And while Duberstein’s bankruptcy issue was challenging, this competition involved international law, a beast in itself to comprehend.
“But between them both, I found surviving the job of taking complex issues of first impression and boiling them down into a bona fide argument that must then be delivered persuasively, for 20-plus minutes, all while being peppered with questions from the most qualified justices and excellencies, to be the most rewarding of any undertaking while in law school. It taught me the answer to my client’s questions won’t always be readily discoverable, but with persistence and due diligence, a lawyer advocates.”
The recipient of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Ralph M. Freeman College Scholarship, awarded in recognition of “outstanding performance in litigation concentration,” Bowman was honored with a Distinguished Student Award and a Leadership Achievement Award at the Spring Honors Convocation.
“It was my pleasure to be a part of each organization and competition I was in,” he says. “Being recognized was humbling, given how many of my peers I find worthy recipients. The scholarship from the Eastern District was a complete surprise. I had forgone the traditional law review prestige to pursue my passion for oral argument—three national moot court competitions and three back-to-back intraschool mocktail wins later, I guess the school noticed my obsession.
“The Leadership Achievement Award was also a surprise. I simply did what I thought was right and advanced the students’ interests while ensuring a diverse range of very opinionated students and groups had had their moments. Finally, the Distinguished Student Award meant a lot because it’s a student-nominated award.”
Bowman’s plan is to be a first-chair litigator and advocate for clients to the fullest extent possible.
“Lawyering is a trade, and I hope to be a craftsman,” he says. “I don’t have a career peak I wish to summit—rather, my goals are to continually embrace the opportunity that responsibility provides.”
With extended family from Grand Rapids, Bowman has called the city home since his days at East Grand Rapids High School. He and his wife Kara have moved back to Grand Rapids, and look forward to growing a family there.
Bowman—who enjoys woodworking, golfing, and spending time with family—pays tribute to the people who contributed to his success.
“From professors, to deans, to the attorneys I clerked for, the classmates I studied with, and my wife Kara, none of this was a solo effort,” he says. “I’m looking forward to spending my career trying to be useful to other people in the same way. Grand Rapids is home, and I look forward to starting my next chapter with Smith Haughey.”
Legal News
William Bowman first considered a career in law after graduating high school.
“As soon as the thought crossed my mind, it was like an ah-ha moment. I thought to myself, ‘I could do that,’” he says.
Definitely a good choice.
A recent graduate from Cooley Law School, Bowman – the first in his family to enter the law—will launch his career in August with the civil litigation team at Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge in Grand Rapids.
Bowman got a taste of the law at Grand Valley State University, earning his degree in Legal Studies, an ABA-approved paralegal program.
“The draw came from peers who had already advanced somewhat in the program and explained their courses followed the Socratic method and were more akin to law school coursework than to traditional undergrad lectures. They knew how to write memos and research the law,” he says. “I knew I’d be a fool to pass up such a program not found at most universities. Fortunately, my intuition could not have been more right. I met lifelong friends and mentors, and because a program requirement was to complete a legal internship, I was able to expand my network before attending law school.”
During undergrad, Bowman worked in Grand Rapids as a paralegal at Stenger & Stenger, P.C.; and as a paralegal intern at CBH Attorneys & Counselors, PLLC, a firm that handles bankruptcy, personal injury, business litigation, contract disputes, tax, and civil defense.
“Right off the bat, I enjoyed the responsibility I was given and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the outcome of a client’s case,” he says. “When something is real, with stakes and consequences, the satisfaction is so much greater when you can deliver a positive result. And I think the best part was learning that a positive result is when both parties walk away knowing the outcome was a fair resolution.”
Volunteering at the Legal Assistance Center in Grand Rapids gave Bowman the opportunity to meet the community on another level.
“Knowing every park, street, or restaurant in town does not compare to understanding how our neighbors are living behind closed doors,” he says. “Now, we couldn’t fix what came through the door, but we were able to give the right tools to those willing to DIY their legal situation. It’s amazing what a determined mother, father, landlord, or tenant can do on their own when given a ballpoint pen and the right form.
“I enjoyed seeing those who sought to help themselves actually help themselves and use the system available to all, but only navigable by the few.”
Both experiences were valuable for law school studies, in different ways.
“Paralegal work taught me how cases are actually built — pleadings, motions, discovery, the day-to-day mechanics that law school doesn’t always cover,” he says. “The Legal Assistance Center taught me how to listen to a person describe a problem and figure out the underlying legal need. By the time I started at Cooley, I wasn’t learning what a motion for summary disposition looked like for the first time. I was learning the doctrine that explained why it worked the way it did.”
In a summer 2024 law clerk position at Scarfone & Geen, P.C. in Madison Heights, Bowman researched and wrote memoranda on complex issues, drafting motions and briefs, and broke down the other side’s filings so attorneys could decide how to respond.
Last summer he gained broad experience returning to CBH Attorneys & Counselors, where he previously interned as a paralegal. He aims to build his career in the civil arena.
“A good civil litigator is one who can take a complex issue before a jury and have a conversation—one who can speak plainly and persuasively while advocating their clients’ interests in a way that makes sense,” he says. “That combination of rigor and plain speech is what draws me to it. It’s as much a craft as it is an occupation.
“Civil law holds us accountable to each other—for the agreements we make, the duties we owe, and the obligation to remedy breaches to the extent they cause harm.”
There were many things Bowman enjoyed about Cooley.
“But it’s the people more than anything,” he says. “My professors had some of the most impressive CVs I’ve ever seen—judges, magistrates, a brigadier general, a special master, an ALI reporter, accomplished litigators. Many have authored textbooks, law reviews, articles, and resources that have advanced the profession. All of them practiced before they taught. They are genuinely interested in their students’ success, and they always make themselves accessible in a way that surprised me.”
Bowman also appreciated the student body was drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, including career changers, parents, people straight out of undergrad, and people who took a long way to get there.
“That mix made for interesting classroom discussions and unlikely friendships,” he says. “By my second year, I knew my professors, the deans, and nearly all of my classmates by name. Law school has a reputation for being cutthroat, with students competing against each other for grades and rank. Cooley did not feel that way. It felt like a community working toward a common goal, and my law school experience was better for it.”
His role as Student Bar Association president gave him room to think creatively, work problems out, and deliver for the student body.
“There was a lot of work to do when I took office, and I liked the responsibility—updating bylaws, creating an endowment fund, and working with the school to secure more funding gave me real-world experience and confidence,” he says. “The role taught me how to run a nonprofit, manage a board, see projects through, and empower the people around me. Empowering people, especially, is something I’ll carry forward. A team that is trusted to do its work will outperform one that is not, every time.”
Bowman became the Lead Dean’s Fellow in the peer-to-peer tutoring program.
“What I enjoyed is that it works both ways—underclassmen get the extra help they need, and the Fellows benefit too,” he says. “Tutoring forces you to keep returning to material from courses you took a while ago, which is exactly the material you will be tested on for the bar. It is essentially bar prep for the Fellows.
“When the opportunity arose to take a leading role, I jumped on it. I had the pleasure of ensuring the minor details of events, initiatives, and partnerships were worked out. Most of all, I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie around me, both from the fellows and peers who engaged with the program.”
A three-time intraschool mock trial champion, Bowman also competed nationally in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition—the world’s largest moot court competition—reaching the octo-finals at regional rounds in Portland in 2025 and the advanced rounds at the national competition in Atlanta this past March. He also participated in the Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in New York City in 2024.
“I was very fortunate to have been given that opportunity to represent the school in New York so early on,” he says. “Jessup was a whole other story. A law school’s Jessup team is like their football team, and I played my 2L and 3L years. And while Duberstein’s bankruptcy issue was challenging, this competition involved international law, a beast in itself to comprehend.
“But between them both, I found surviving the job of taking complex issues of first impression and boiling them down into a bona fide argument that must then be delivered persuasively, for 20-plus minutes, all while being peppered with questions from the most qualified justices and excellencies, to be the most rewarding of any undertaking while in law school. It taught me the answer to my client’s questions won’t always be readily discoverable, but with persistence and due diligence, a lawyer advocates.”
The recipient of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Ralph M. Freeman College Scholarship, awarded in recognition of “outstanding performance in litigation concentration,” Bowman was honored with a Distinguished Student Award and a Leadership Achievement Award at the Spring Honors Convocation.
“It was my pleasure to be a part of each organization and competition I was in,” he says. “Being recognized was humbling, given how many of my peers I find worthy recipients. The scholarship from the Eastern District was a complete surprise. I had forgone the traditional law review prestige to pursue my passion for oral argument—three national moot court competitions and three back-to-back intraschool mocktail wins later, I guess the school noticed my obsession.
“The Leadership Achievement Award was also a surprise. I simply did what I thought was right and advanced the students’ interests while ensuring a diverse range of very opinionated students and groups had had their moments. Finally, the Distinguished Student Award meant a lot because it’s a student-nominated award.”
Bowman’s plan is to be a first-chair litigator and advocate for clients to the fullest extent possible.
“Lawyering is a trade, and I hope to be a craftsman,” he says. “I don’t have a career peak I wish to summit—rather, my goals are to continually embrace the opportunity that responsibility provides.”
With extended family from Grand Rapids, Bowman has called the city home since his days at East Grand Rapids High School. He and his wife Kara have moved back to Grand Rapids, and look forward to growing a family there.
Bowman—who enjoys woodworking, golfing, and spending time with family—pays tribute to the people who contributed to his success.
“From professors, to deans, to the attorneys I clerked for, the classmates I studied with, and my wife Kara, none of this was a solo effort,” he says. “I’m looking forward to spending my career trying to be useful to other people in the same way. Grand Rapids is home, and I look forward to starting my next chapter with Smith Haughey.”
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