Law aficionado talks to James Madison College on constitution

By Rachel Jackson | Originally Published: 10/04/11 9:55pm |Modified: 10/04/11 9:56pm | No comments

Justin Wan | The State News

Former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice and Cooley Law School founder Thomas Brennan speaks to a group of James Madison students at James Madison College Library on Tuesday night. After resigning from the Supreme Court, Brennan served as president of the law school from 1979 to 2002.

After a short civics lesson on the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, former Michigan supreme court justice Thomas Brennan spoke about his judicial history to a small group of students Tuesday night gathered at the James Madison College Library in Case Hall.

Brennan, the youngest chief justice in Michigan history, spoke about his experience in Michigan’s political and court systems before encouraging student interest in a national constitutional convention.

James Madison College Student Senate President Amy Bratzel said she marketed the event to the entire college but expected students interested in the constitution to attend.

“We have a lot of students interested in constitutional institutions or interested in law school,” Bratzel said. “I figured that he was a good guest considering he founded a law school and has been a lawyer and a judge.”

In 1966, on a recommendation from then-Gov. George Romney, Brennan sought the nomination for supreme court after years of working in other state courts.

“I ran and surprised everybody, and I won,” he said.

Brennan said after he stepped down from the chief justice position in 1970 to found Cooley Law School in Lansing, of which he also was the president and dean.

The event was sponsored by the James Madison College and organized by the James Madison College Student Senate.

Brennan, who is retired, spoke about creating more interest in constitutional conventions at a national level. He said about 50 people from 20 states are represented in a plan to have thousands of people signed up as delegates for a convention.

He said a convention would not be used as a “runway” to make alterations to the Bill of Rights but rather serve as a starting point for discussing future constitutional amendments.
“It’s a free country, and we have the right to petition. So why not?” he said.

Political theory and constitutional democracy junior Lingao Tong said he decided to come to Brennan’s speech because he is interested in going to law school and wanted to hear about Brennan’s professional experience.

Tong said Brennan’s life story was impressive and encouraged him to get involved with law in the future.

“It’s a great opportunity to hear from a man who has been participating in law for such a long period (of time),” he said.