Don LeDuc, president of the Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School, has one piece of advice for students interested in entering the legal profession.
“Think like a professional from day one,” says LeDuc, who began teaching at the law school in 1975, served two stints as dean and was appointed President of the law school in 2002. “Act like the lawyer you hope to become.”
That means being prepared; taking responsibility for your own actions and anticipating the effect of those actions; treating people appropriately, respectfully and mindful of the demands on and limitations of others and “coming up with your own solution to problems; correcting misunderstandings and misinformation; and committing to your own personal growth and learning,” he says.
For LeDuc, who earned his law degree from Wayne State University and worked both in and outside of government, he is intent on challenging the perception of elitism within the legal profession.
“Shocking as it may seem these days, there are law schools, lawyers, and judges who believe strongly that certain people should not be admitted to law school—should not have the chance to obtain a legal education—often on the basis of a three-hour test that is not validated to predict anything more than first year success in law school,” says LeDuc.
Under his leadership, LeDuc has been credited with making the law school more open and inclusive, by broadening access to the university while also keeping the standards quite rigorous.
“We are committed to providing a legal education to people from all walks of life,” says LeDuc, adding that the law school has pushed back against “discriminatory and elitist” initiatives peddled by accrediting bodies. “We believe that the study of law should not be an esoteric pursuit and that the practice of law should not be an elist profession.”
