For more than three decades, the Michigan Association for Justice has sponsored People’s Law Schools across the state, helping educate state residents about their legal rights and responsibilities.
This fall, the group sponsored two large People’s Law School programs, one in Lansing and another in Marquette.
The Lansing event, co-sponsored by Thomas Cooley Law School and Sinas Dramis Law Firm, attracted more than 330 students for the seven-week course.
Instructors volunteered their time and Thomas Cooley Law School donated its facilities.
In Marquette, the MAJ People’s Law School was co-sponsored by the Northern Michigan University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, the NMU Student Law Forum along with the Pence and Numinen law firm.
That event attracted more than 125 students.
“People are fascinated by the law and often a bit of afraid of it,” said Lansing attorney James Hofer with the Sinas Dramis law firm. “Our goal is to try to open the curtain a bit so people can understand and appreciate their rights and how the law works.”
Hofer said it is critical “during these tough economic times for people to at least know some basics about the law. While there is no substitute for hiring an attorney when you face a difficult legal situation, often just knowing how the law works and how to avoid problems is all you need.”
Past People’s Law School instructors include Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavanagh, other judges and elected officials, law professors and attorneys who specialize in the appropriate areas of law.
People’s Law School students who attend a minimum number of classes were presented with a People’s Law School completion certificate. Hofer said the program is so popular that the classes fill weeks before the session begins and each year people must be turned away at the door.
“We have people who come every year because we update the topics and the law is always changing,” Hofer said. “The People’s Law School attracts elected officials, small businesspeople, retirees, students, and people from all walks of life. Some even discover an interest in earning a law degree.”
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