March 7, 2008

Cooley and D. Augustus Straker Bar Association To Work Together

Cooley Law School at Auburn Hills and the campus chapter of the Black Law Students Association have formed a voluntary alliance with the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association that will benefit students and practicing attorneys alike in southeast Michigan.

The Straker Bar Association is the African American Bar Association in Oakland County. The D. Augustus Straker Bar Association was formed October 4, 1990, as a special purpose bar association recognized by the State Bar of Michigan.

Timothy Gardner, Michigan Assistant Attorney General, and president of the Straker Bar Association said, "the mission of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association is to increase minority representation in the legal profession, support and encourage legal practice opportunities for minorities, and facilitate equal justice for underserved members of the Oakland County community. Straker looks forward to mentoring and providing networking opportunities to Cooley law students."

The project was initiated by Gardner and Cooley Associate Professor Martha Moore in July 2007. A participation agreement was signed in late February.

An important component of the plan calls for a mentoring program in which each minority student at Cooley’s Auburn Hills campus is paired with a member of Straker Bar. Through the program, mentees will be exposed to various areas of the practice of law, and mentors will provide some assistance with law school and the bar exam. Straker Bar members will also work with Cooley students in the minority bar passage program.

Some 35 students have already been paired with Straker lawyers. An ‘icebreaker,’ for mentors and mentees to meet each other will be held Wednesday, March 12, 2008, from 6-8:15 in Room 144 of the Auburn Hills campus building.

The student organization had high praise for the collaboration. “BLSA is excited about the Straker Bar Mentoring Program,” said Auburn Hills BLSA President Courtney Shipp. The applications just keep pouring in. Straker has been visibly supportive of BLSA. And the students know this mentoring program is another extension of their commitment to our personal and professional development. Cooley and Straker have shown their commitment to the next generation of legal professionals and BLSA is proud to be the recipient of such a commitment.”

The friendship between Cooley and the Straker Bar is not new. "Straker Bar has already been very supportive and helpful to our students, keeping our students abreast of various scholarship opportunities," Moore noted. "Straker also participated in Cooley-Auburn Hill's first MLK breakfast. Timothy Gardner has also attended meetings of the Cooley-Auburn Hills BLSA group to offer support and encouragement to our students."

In another part of the voluntary association, Cooley at Auburn Hills will provide space for meetings between members of the Straker Bar and the Auburn Hills BLSA. Cooley will also provide administrative assistance, as it does with other student groups, to help facilitate such activities. In addition, Cooley at Auburn Hills will consider funding events, such as did with the recent MLK Day Breakfast.

Straker will provide networking opportunities to help BLSA students make the transition from law school to practice. Moore said that they expect the association will continue to grow.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country. Founded in 1972, it operates J.D. programs in Michigan's capital city in Lansing, in suburban Oakland County, and in downtown Grand Rapids.  Today, Cooley Law School has more than 12,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and also offers joint degree and Master of Laws programs. Cooley offers enrollment three times a year; in January, May and September. Additional information about Cooley can be found at www.cooley.edu.