July 2, 2008

Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Chrysler LLC, Freedom Calls Foundation Team Up To Expand Help To U.S. Service Members Across The Country

Contact: Heather Spielmaker
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
(517) 371-5140 ext. 4112 office
(616) 635-6615 cell

Kevin McCormick
Chrysler LLC
(248) 512-6218 office
(248) 613-5427 cell

Mike Palese
Chrysler LLC
(248) 512-2682 office
(313) 930-1252 cell

John Harlow
Freedom Calls Foundation
(973) 290-7886 office
(516) 456-3639 cell

A New Partnership Announced Today Brings
 Legal Counsel Free Of Charge To Troops In Iraq

(Auburn Hills, MI) – U.S. Troops serving in Iraq will now have access to legal services free of charge via video conferencing under a new partnership formed by Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Chrysler LLC, and the Freedom Calls Foundation. 

“This unique partnership among a law school, an automaker and a foundation brings all of our resources together for the betterment of these service members," said Associate Dean John Nussbaumer of Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus. "Our troops deserve the support of Americans at home and we felt this service offered a small way for us in the legal community to contribute to that support."

The Service to Soldiers: Legal Assistance Program, launched by Cooley Law School in April 2007, was previously only available to Michigan Service Members.  The new program will expand on that success by combining it with the video conferencing assistance currently being offered by Chrysler LLC and Freedom Calls Foundation.  Under this new program, U.S. Service Members in Iraq can consult with volunteer attorneys through the video conference center at Chrysler LLC’s Auburn Hills headquarters.  Over 100 Michigan attorneys have already volunteered to offer legal advice on a pro bono basis. 

"Chrysler LLC has been proud to work with the Freedom Calls Foundation to allow service members to use our video conference center to stay in touch with family and friends in Michigan," said Robert Norton, Assistant General Counsel, Chrysler LLC.  "Teaming up with Cooley Law School will allow us to expand that effort and hopefully ease some of the burdens of our brave men and women serving in Iraq."

The service will be offered to U.S. Troops in Iraq at Camp Taji, Camp Fallujah, Camp Taqaddum, Camp Victory, and the Al Asad Air Base.  Families of soldiers wishing to learn more about the service should contact Heather Spielmaker, Director of the Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism at Cooley Law School by calling (517) 371-5140 ext. 4112 , by email at spielmah@cooley.edu or by visiting www.cooley.edu/ethics/service_to_soldiers.pdf.

Cooley Law School’s Service to Soldiers program began by offering free legal services to Michigan troops returning from deployment and was later extended to provide legal assistance to service men and women deploying and those currently deployed.  To date, over 250 Michigan Service Members have been assisted under this program.

About Thomas M. Cooley Law School
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 across Michigan in downtown Lansing, Auburn Hills and 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.

About Chrysler LLC
Chrysler LLC, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Mopar® brand vehicles and products. Total sales worldwide in 2007 were 2.7 million vehicles. Sales outside of North America were the highest ever with an increase of 8 percent versus 2006. Its product lineup features some of the world’s most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, and Dodge Challenger and Ram.

About Freedom Calls Foundation
The Freedom Calls Foundation is a 501(c)3 Public Charity which has built a satellite network dedicated to providing state of the art video conferencing, telephone and internet services to enable our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep in touch with their families and loved ones at home, free of charge.  The Foundation provides services to more than 50,000 soldiers and Soldiers free of charge 24 hours per day and the Army has requested that the foundation install 8 additional facilities in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan in the coming months including more than 2,000 enterprise class video conferences from homes, hospitals and churches every month.  The Foundation is authorized by the Secretary of the Army to provide communications services to the troops and their families and recently received a Commendation from the Army, a  personal letter of appreciation from MAJ GEN Taguba and personal thanks from President Bush at the White House. The Freedom Calls Foundation is supported solely by donations of corporations and the American people on the foundation’s website www.freedomcalls.org. The Foundation URGENTLY needs funding to continue to bring families together. 
 

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