Ethics, Service, and Professionalism

Inspiring law students for a lifetime of excellence, service, and integrity.

By creating a culture of professionalism in the law school, WMU Cooley intends to foster the highest caliber of relationships between the WMU Cooley community and the legal and local communities.

Publications

Professionalism Plan - The Second Decade:
Bringing Professionalism to a New Generation of Law Students

Innovative Mentoring: Maximizing Relationships To Become A Successful Lawyer

Inspiring Pro Bono: The Thomas M. Cooley Law School Experience

Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Creating a Culture of Professionalism in Law School: The Thomas M. Cooley Law School Experience

Professionalism Plan: Professionalism - Taught, Learned, and Lived in Law School

Michigan's Guide to Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

SCRA amendment for mortgages and cell phones

Members of the Bench - Feb. 2011

Judge Advocates, Legal Administrators, and Paralegals - Feb 2011

Learn how lawyers develop and adapt professional identity, how lawyers protect the public against bad law practice, and more.

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WMU Cooley is dedicated to the following ideals:

• › Lead by modeling and teaching ethics
• › Foster and encourage service
• › Practice professionalism
• › Commit to our communities

Professionalism Principles - Be Accountable, Serve the Community, Focus on Students, Promote an Ethical School Community

Ethics Library - WMU Cooley's Ethics and Professionalism Library maintains nearly 5,000 volumes of ethics materials. The Ethics and Professionalism Library is open to students, faculty, and attorneys to promote the research and study of ethics and professionalism.

E. Smythe Gambrell Award - Through WMU Cooley's innovative, award-winning Professionalism Plan, which received the American Bar Association's highest recognition for professionalism, the E. Smythe Gambrell Award, WMU Cooley created a culture of professionalism that permeates every part of the school.

 

Featured Programs

Florida Professionalism
The Florida Bar's Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism offers the Law School Professionalism Handbook. 

Professionalism Advisory Committee
Bringing together nearly 60 leaders to identify professionalism issues that impact the practice of law and higher education and to create a dialogue on ways to improve and promote professionalism in legal education.

School-wide Pro Bono Opportunities
WMU-Cooley offers its students the opportunity to serve the indigent, under-served, and deserving through programs at each campus. Students should contact the Career and Professional Development Office at their campus to take advantage of these opportunities and to log their pro bono hours through the Pro Bono tab on Symplicity.

Commitment to Honor
At every orientation, our new students, along with faculty and staff, promise not to lie, cheat, steal, plagiarize, or tolerate those who do.

Integrity in Our Communities Lecture Series
Nationally and locally recognized speakers talk about issues, trials, and lawsuits touching on ethical and professional matters.

Professionalism in Action
A collaborative program between the State Bar of Michigan and WMU Cooley bringing students, local attorneys and judges together to discuss the role and importance of ethics and professionalism in both the study and practice of law. Our newest campus in Tampa Bay has adopted this program as well, with attorneys and judges from Hillsborough and neighboring counties setting great examples for our students before they have even started law school

More programs »