A Thomas Cooley Thanksgiving

The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Euphoric School of Law has filed a lawsuit and for a Temporary Restraining Order against the American Bar Association.

The lawsuit alleges "that a letter made public about the school’s accreditation compliance violates the Higher Education Act and common law due process."  The TRO requests that "the ABA be restrained from publishing or dispersing the letter."

In both the lawsuit and the TRO motion, thankfully posted by the ABA Journal despite purporting to bitch-slap the ABA, Cooley's lawyers have redacted pertinent information.  Apparently in reckless disregard to the relentless damage its hurtful, libelous correspondence causes, the ABA has posted the letter from the article above. 

ABA:  Always Brazen.  Always.

I could get into the legal details of this tete-a-tete, but why bother?

We're coming off of Thanksgiving weekend, that hallowed time of year when we see those relatives at the intersection of convenience and likability, where we sit around a table, get food-drunk, and tell our second-favorite cousins, nieces, and nephews that yes, law school is still a great idea.

Did you do your duty this year, to God and your country?  To justice?  To your bloodline?  To your future need for a divorce lawyer?

The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Traveling All-Stars and Motor-Kings School of Law sure did.

Did this letter-publishing situation call for litigation?  It's correspondence from an accrediting organization that may be disclosable under open government laws.  It was relatively obscure, doesn't really say anything that anyone who researches legal education wouldn't already know, and let's face it - your average Cooley applicant will likely need a semester of top-notch legal education to comprehend it.

But why miss a good opportunity to employ the fine lawyers at Miller Canfield?  A good law school talks the talk.  Cooley?  It litigates the litigation. 

What better example to its students and applicants that this law school is as good as pumpkin pie than to file a completely pointless lawsuit six weeks before the end of the year?  Wisdom, and beneficence to whatever associate got to pad hours on redacting things that are already public.

I normally don't take sides in an ABA vs. law school grudge match, but I relish good sport for what it is.  And besides, much like that whole settlers vs. natives kerfuffle, the holidays are when we set aside our differences and commune together in good faith.  And remember: if there's still leftovers in the fridge, there's still time to text your cousin that law school is a great idea!