Larry Nolan When it comes to being dedicated to WMU-Cooley Law School, Larry Nolan (Cooley Class, 1976), a member of the law school’s inaugural class, stands out among the over 21,000 graduates. Serving 39 years on the board, eight as chair, Nolan’s accomplishments are numerous, as are his memories of WMU-Cooley.
He was honored in 2013 with the law school’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award, he served several roles with the State Bar of Michigan including president in 2017 and was inducted into the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame in 2019. Nolan is the founder and president of Nolan, Thomsen & Villas, where he continues to practice his skill, focusing on personal injury, wrongful death, criminal, probate, domestic relations, estate planning and real estate law. Nolan earned his undergraduate degree in English with a minor in business administration at Western Michigan University, where he was a member of the Broncos’ hockey team.
As a son of an Irish Immigrant, he always wanted to attend law school but was unsure of his opportunities following his time at WMU. “I applied at Notre Dame, University of Michigan and North Carolina. I was waitlisted at Michigan. At the time there was something like 4,500 to 5,000 applicants for 185 total seats at Notre Dame, Michigan, and North Carolina.”
LAW SCHOOL DREAM COMES TRUE Nolan recalls learning about a new law school that was about to open in Lansing. At the time he was working in Flint at a YMCA residential treatment center for children (continued)
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