Cooley grad named a winner of Ralph M. Freeman Scholarship

Recent Cooley Law School graduate Joshua Van Laan, of the Auburn Hills campus, has been named a winner of the prestigious Ralph M. Freeman Scholarship. Each year the Federal District Court in the Eastern District awards a scholarship to one student from each of the five law schools in Michigan. The scholarship is called the Ralph M. Freeman Memorial Scholarship, endowed by a former U.S. District Judge. Litigation Concentration professors from all Cooley campuses nominate students in their last year of law school who have demonstrated excellence in litigation. By unanimous vote, Van Laan was named this year's winner. He was awarded the scholarship at a ceremony led by Chief Judge Gerald Rosen at the U.S. District Courthouse. Van Laan, of Oakland Township, Mich., graduated cum laude and earned a Leadership Achievement Award at Cooley. He was part of Cooley's National Mock Trial Team, served as the Mock Trial Executive Board Competitions Chair, was a finalist in the Intra-School Mock Trial and Criminal Law competitions, and a Gold Medal Finalist in the Intra-School Client Counseling Competition. He also received the Outstanding Senior Litigator Award from the Mock Trial Board. He served as a Student Bar Association Senator, a Grade Appeals Magistrate, as Student Ambassador, and founder and president of the Intramural Sports Organization. Van Laan has also served as the Scholarly Writing Editor of the Cooley Law Review, and as a Teaching Assistant in Torts I and II. He earned Certificates of Merit in Scholarly Writing and Trial Skills, and was on the Dean's List and Honor Roll. Published: Wed, Jun 15, 2011