LARRY NOLAN, former chairman of the Cooley Board of Directors and a member of the school’s first class, shares decades of memories.

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.

Larry Nolan

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

who were taken out of abusive situations.

“My brother-in-law called me and said that there’s a new law school opening in Lansing, started by a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, Judge Thomas E. Brennan. Would you be interested in going?’”

Nolan didn’t care where he went to law school, but didn’t want to move from Michigan.

“I got an application, mailed it back in and was admitted to the first class,” said Nolan. “Because I was so happy to get the chance to go to law school, one of the first things I did after getting the letter saying I was accepted was to go to the Supreme Court. I went up to the second floor where the chambers were and I peeked into the door of Justice Brennan’s chambers. I saw his administrator Marianne Farhat and announced who I was and asked if I could see Justice Brennan. She took me to his chambers and I said I just want to introduce myself. My name is Larry Nolan and I want to thank you for the opportunity of being able to go to law school and for you starting a law school because that is what I have wanted to do all my life.

“I wanted to make sure I did that personally and not just send a letter because he was fulfilling an opportunity for me. I told him, I hope I never let you down. We became very close friends.

When registering to attend Cooley, the first students had to make a deposit by stopping by the temporary office, or mailing it in. Nolan didn’t want to miss his chance, so he personally stopped by to pay the deposit as to not take any chances on it getting lost in the mail.

“I had hair down past my shoulders and a dark beard,” remembered Nolan. “I later learned that after Polly, Justice Brennan’s wife, registered me, she told the law school’s founder, ‘this law school’s going to make it.’ He asked her how she knew and in return she said, ‘because we’ve just had a miracle. I think Jesus Christ has just enrolled as one of our first students.’”

Nolan soon moved from Flint to begin his dream of earning a law degree.

“In that first class I was one of the younger members. I moved to Lansing and moved into the basement of my sister and brother-in-law’s home.”

While attending classes during Cooley’s first term ever, Nolan worked for the Law Firm of Dunnings and Gibson and then as a court officer at the Michigan Court of Appeals. Most students at that time had other careers, or obstacles that kept them from a traditional law school setting.

“The first set of classes were at night. I would get off work at five and walk down the street a few blocks to Grand Avenue and start my classes at 6 o’clock,” said Nolan. “Tom’s (Justice Brennan) dream was to give an opportunity to more individuals. Cooley provided access to those individuals who might not be able to go to law school because they had families or children and couldn’t abandon everything and go to Ann Arbor, Detroit, or another state. It was really a novel, unorthodox way of going to law school

“This law school’s going to make it… we’ve just had a miracle. I think Jesus Christ has just enrolled as one of our first students.” POLLY BRENNAN

Study Abroad “Cooley provided access to those individuals who might not be able to go to law school in Law Schoolbecause they had families or children and couldn’t abandon everything and go to

Ann Arbor, Detroit, or another state. It was really a novel, unorthodox way of going to law school in the eyes of the purists.” LARRY NOLAN

in the eyes of the purists.”

After taking the bar exam, Nolan and his law school friend and office mate Jerry Sutton, waited patiently to hear their results.

“One morning, Jerry handed me a letter that he had received, which said to call a number to find out if he had passed the exam. I said you have to be kidding me, did you call this number? He said ‘yes’ and I asked if he passed and he said, ‘yes.’ I said oh my God, so I picked up the phone, dialed the number, gave my number for the exam and they told me that I passed.

“We each paid $50 a month for rent to lease out the office that we shared. We kind of went out and celebrated and blew the rent money at Art’s Bar that night.”

WHAT COOLEY MEANS TO LARRY NOLAN

When talking about law school, Nolan isn’t afraid to share what he paid for his legal education and in return what the investment earned him and his need to give back to the law school.

“I’m thankful and appreciate what Cooley gave me an opportunity to succeed at,” said Nolan. “There were no guarantees, but I knew what I wanted to do. When I started I was paying $50 per credit hour. I almost feel guilty in some respects. When I got out of law school I had no debt, didn’t have any great savings, I drove an old used car, but I’m forever thankful to Tom and Polly Brennan. I’m forever thankful for those who took the time to teach those first classes. I can never give back what I took out of Cooley and the opportunity I had trying cases and becoming president of the State Bar of Michigan. I always felt a compelling need to give back financially and any other way I could to Cooley.”

Nolan explains his future as a practicing attorney through an experience he had while fishing in Sascatchewan Canada. “I had the opportunity to speak with an 85-year-old man who told me he was a farmer. I said, ‘you used to be a farmer; when did you retire?’ He looked at me and said ‘I haven’t retired’ and I said you haven’t retired, why not? He said, ‘when I get up in the morning I’ve got a hot cup of coffee and a place to go.’ I thought about that. He’s done that his entire life and he enjoys it, so I have somewhere to go and a hot cup of coffee waiting for me.”

Larry has been married to his wife, Laurel, for 42 years. His daughter, Bridget, is a psychologist, and his son, Patrick, is a physican. They have two grandchildren, Nolan (5) and Emmersyn (3).

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH FIVE5 Retired Faculty Members

Faculty are essential to the academic success of students. In a law school, what they teach must translate into passing the bar exam and years of practice afterward. At Cooley Law School, there have been many faculty over the years who have left a lasting impression on both students and the law school community. Many have passed away including Bob Krinock, Roger Needham, Gerald Boston, Peter Kempel, Judy Frank, and Pete Jason. Fortunately, we have a significant number of emeritus faculty (and deans) and their answers to five questions follow.

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS:

Q1. WHAT WAS THE MOST COMPELLING REASON(S) FOR YOUR DECISION TO JOIN COOLEY LAW SCHOOL AS A PROFESSOR? Q2. WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY AS A PROFESSOR AT COOLEY LAW SCHOOL? Q3. WHAT MAKES YOU MOST PROUD ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE HISTORY OF COOLEY LAW SCHOOL? Q4. WHAT COURSE DID YOU ENJOY TEACHING THE MOST AND WHY? Q5. WHAT IS ONE FUNNY EVENT OR SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY? DEAN AND PROFESSOR MIKE COX

Q1. My years at Thomas Cooley can be divided into two parts: the decanal years (1988-1996) and the full-time teaching years (1996-2013). Each was distinctive in its own way. I should say, however, I’ve always considered being a faculty member the more important and satisfying of the two. In my opinion, a dean (for however long (s)he serves) is merely first among equals — always a member of that collegial body called “the faculty.” Q2. For me personally, I saw my personal growth from simply being a teacher and colleague to that of being a mentor of younger colleagues as they grew into effective teachers. This was very satisfying.

It was gratifying how the faculty met, discussed, and grew after its coming together at a weekend retreat at Whitmore Lake.

Q3. During my first visit to Thomas Cooley (at that time, the entire school was located in the Temple), I noticed several things which needed fixing: There was no air conditioning in the Temple (large “propeller” fans attempted to move air in the classrooms and made hearing difficult), the basement library was small and dark, and there was rust on the revolving door at the front of the Temple — all three of which were eventually corrected: The Temple was renovated (with A/C and made fully handicap accessible); the Brennan Library was opened with the latest technology; and the Cooley Center (with expanded classroom and office space and a bookstore) became a reality.”

Q4. After leaving the deanship in 1996, I resumed full-time teaching (Contracts, Federal Administrative Law, and Conflict of Laws) which is, in my opinion, the best part of being in education. I was appointed chair of the Contracts Department; its members worked well together and were a strong, competent group of educators who taught well and communicated.

Q5. All of this (and more) was accomplished while the school remained true to Thomas Cooley’s underlying philosophy: Make basic, legal education accessible to as many people as possible. While maintaining its founding, admissions criteria — an average LSAT score and a college degree — enrollment stabilized at between 1,600 -1,800 full-time and part-time J.D. students. Bar passage rates remained competitive as a result of Thomas Cooley students working hard as they worked their way through a required curriculum which included every area tested on the Michigan bar exam. These subjects were taught by a dedicated faculty who, unlike colleagues at many other law schools, were persons who had actually practiced law. It gave them an advantage and credibility. However, none of these decanal and teaching experiences would have been possible without the support of Tom Brennan and his management team (Ray Brennan, Bill Robinson, and Jim Hicks). Needless to say, I have very fond memories of my 25 years at Thomas Cooley.

PRESIDENT, DEAN AND PROFESSOR DON LEDUC

Q1. As administrator of the Michigan Office of Criminal Justice Programs under Governor William Milliken, I had worked with then-Chief Justice Tom Brennan on Supreme Court initiatives. I also worked with his administrative assistant, Bob Krinock, on those projects and with him later with criminal justice projects for Wayne County after Bob became the county’s federal grant coordinator. I was aware of the founding of the law school by Justice Brennan and of Bob Krinock’s role at the school. As I looked for a new position, law professor was an obvious alternative and I had great confidence in the school’s founders. Along with Jack Rooney and Bill Weiner, I joined the full-time faculty on January 1, 1975, before it won the hard-fought battle for provisional accreditation. Q2. Restricting this question to the early years of the law school, it was the school’s response to the ABA’s attempt to take away its accreditation only a year after that accreditation was granted, based on 10 alleged grounds for removal. The ABA rules of procedure at the time provided for a hearing before an (almost) independent hearing panel or commission. The panel found in favor of the law school on each of the 10 items. Quoting from then-Dean Brennan’s summary of the event from his memoir Starting a Law School: “on point after point, the Commission concluded that it was unable to find support for the ABA’s allegations, that it found no evidence to support the allegations, or that the evidence was insufficient to justify the ABA’s conclusions.” Tom Brennan’s 80-essay memoir summarizes the events well; the document should be required reading for employees and students alike. Q3. Cooley has openly offered nearly everyone who dreamed of becoming a lawyer the opportunity to realize their dream. We made clear that the opportunity should be broadly provided to all, but that the outcome had to be earned. That philosophy remains anathema with legal education in general

and with the Council of the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar in particular. We have spent these 50 years fighting the efforts of the council to impose its elitist views on our School. Q4. Ironically, after law school graduation I was employed in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, followed by employment in the Michigan Office of Criminal Justice Programs. Naturally, I thought I would be teaching Criminal Law and maybe Constitutional Law. That was not to be–Dean Krinock informed me shortly before the semester started that Bill Weiner would get those courses, while I would be teaching Torts and Administrative Law, and after classes began he added Advocacy. Administrative Law became my favorite: how could it not? As Dean Krinock said “you already know all that government stuff.” I never did teach either of my early choices.

Q5. One night in my Torts class, a student came to me with what was then an unprecedented request: his wife who usually had the kids while he was in class could not perform the task that night, so could they sit with him. I said yes, if they were quiet. As class unfolded, I presented a question to a different class member who was reciting. He was stumped, as were his peers as I pressed the class for an answer. The situation grew a little awkward. Then, I could see that one of the kids was engaged. I looked at her and her hand went up. I called on her. She answered the question correctly. I praised her, but left the lesson she had just taught the class unspoken.

I cannot resist offering another less profound story involving a different Torts class about a year later on Halloween night. Nearing the end of the first hour, I heard bells tinkling down the hallway, getting closer to the open door. A face appeared; I beckoned enter. A woman came in – dressed as a belly dancer and carrying a couple of pizzas. She said this is from the members of the class who were not present. Right away, I surmised that this gift is from the bar across the street, a favored hangout of students and faculty. At the time, the lower level of the Temple building was still a cafeteria. I declared our usual break, and we adjourned to the cafeteria, where the class and I shared the pizzas. The belly dancer declined to join us.

PROFESSOR CHARLIE SENGER

Q1. Why did I give up being Chair-elect of the Detroit Young Lawyers and the chance to pursue an LL.M. in tax at NYU? Simple. At that time, everyone working at Cooley seemed united in a determination to change and improve legal education. That was an exciting goal, and I joined the effort to bring it about. Q2. The power transformers for the Temple Building sometimes blew out leaving the building without power. One day, while teaching in a second floor Inn of Court, the room suddenly went completely dark. A blind student, hearing the commotion, calmly stood up, took hold of her guide dog, turned to face the class, and asked: “Does anyone need my assistance in guiding you out?” As often happened, I was filled with pride at the spirit and talents of our wonderful students. Q3. I am most proud of how my prior computer employment allowed me to bring more technology to Cooley. For example, I saved staff time by converting both student evaluations and multiple choice exams from hand scoring by staff to computer readable forms that I processed for years on my personal MSU account. On the administrative and faculty side, this same computer processing produced item analysis feedback that both allowed improvement of student grading but also better guidance on how the information could be used in decision making generally. Further examples would include the first use of a personal computer, a Radio Shack TRS80 Model 1 (that I still have), for classroom and other faculty work, and the introduction of classroom “clickers” which allowed real-time student feedback to be displayed on the classroom screen.

Q4. During a difficult time for Cooley, Thaddeus Cook came to my office with the idea of starting another law review. Since I had been a Managing Editor at University of Detroit, I was able to help with the logistics, including obtaining faculty approval for credit, etc. Thad put together a great team of students, whose names are printed in the early issues for all to read and know, and Dean LeDuc soon offered more space and funding. The Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law, grew from those roots.

Q5. CLANK! Clank? Heads all turned toward the Inn of Court door. First, the door swung open. Then a mop head appeared, followed by a mop handle, followed by a loping Earl Dayton crossing the front of the classroom and exiting out the far door.

The professor just smiled. Before its very eyes, the class was seeing an enactment, of sorts, of the Pierson versus Post fox hunt, a case they would not soon forget. Educational research indicates that a janitor vitally affects educational outcomes of a school. On that day, Earl clearly did his part.

PROFESSOR OTTO STOCKMEYER

Q1. The most compelling reasons for my decision to join Cooley Law School were:

(1) The school had just received full ABA approval, (2) Don LeDuc, and (3) Bill Weiner. I knew these two, who were already on the faculty, and they were straight shooters. So I felt confident that the school was on the up and up. Q2. One certainly was when the Torres brothers, law students from Saipan, roasted a whole pig, Pacific Island-style, at an annual APALSA picnic at our place on Lake Lansing. It was a very festive affair. Q3. I am most proud that our full-time professors teach classes year-round, mornings, evenings, and weekends. This offers students the most flexible scheduling anywhere, while providing them with top-flight teachers. Very few law schools offer weekend classes, and evening classes at most schools are taught by part-timers.

Q4. I enjoyed teaching Equity and Remedies the most. It’s a wide-ranging course.(“For every wrong there is a remedy,” and often more than one—which is where the fun really begins.) Particularly when taught by the “problem method,” it’s as close to actual law practice as almost anything short of working in a clinic. Q5. Once a student visited my office for help after flunking Contracts I. She refused my advice to retake it from someone else, declaring that I was “the god of Contracts.” Most unfortunately, she flunked it again. On her third try she received a B from Maurice Munroe, who thus became the new “god of Contracts.” But realizing that she needed to defuse the F’s on her transcript, she asked me to write a letter of recommendation. It began: “I am the S.O.B. who gave this student eight credits of F.” She landed a federal clerkship.

ASSOCIATE DEAN AND PROFESSOR BILL WEINER

Q1. I was working at the Prosecuting Attorneys Appellate Service in 1974 and my boss was teaching Cooley’s first-year course in Criminal Law. He had some work conflicts and I covered the class for him a time or two. Those early students were both engaged and engaging. So when President Brennan offered me a faculty position (there was no hiring committee process then) I jumped at the chance. I had no idea that this would turn out to be both my best and last job! Q2. So many great memories...it’s hard to choose. Overall, building our foreign programs had to be a continuing highlight. In retrospect, our celebration in Toronto of the 20th year for that foreign study program was probably my single best memory. We had current students, program alums, and international faculty present and past, all attending a wonderful evening event. Q3. The pride for me is in the end product. Our thousands of productive graduates, making valuable contributions to their communities and constituencies, remain a constant validation of our educational efforts. Q4. Without a doubt, my International Law class was my favorite. Because it was an elective, most everyone who took it wanted to be there. As a small class, we all could contribute without the pressure of reciting. And the subject matter broadened student perspectives immediately and easily. Q5. Sometime in 1984 President Brennan saw me in the parking lot and waved at me to stop. He had heard I was engaged (to Paula Latovick) and offered congratulations and a handshake. Then he stepped back and quizzically asked “What took you so long?” I answered, “It took me a while to find someone named Polly.” He was temporarily stunned, which in my experience was quite unusual. Then we both laughed.”