Thomas E. Brennan

Thomas E. Brennan (born May 27, 1929) is an attorney, former jurist and educator in the U.S. state of Michigan. He served as the 81st Justice and Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Early life

Brennan was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from the private Detroit Catholic Central High School, where he excelled in forensics. He attended the University of Detroit and earned a LL.B from the University of Detroit Law School in 1952. In 1951, he married Pauline M. Weinberger. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives from the Wayne County 1st District in 1952 and from the 6th District in 1954. In December 1955, he was the Republican Party candidate in the special election for the U.S. Representative from Michigan's 15th congressional district to fill the seat of John Dingell, Sr., who had died in office. Brennan lost to Dingell's son, John Dingell Jr.

In 1953, he joined the law firm of Waldron, Brennan, Brennan, and Maher, with whom he worked until 1961, when he was elected to a seat on the Common Pleas Bench. In 1963, he was appointed by Michigan Governor George W. Romney to the Wayne County Circuit Bench, and in 1964 he was elected to that same position.

Michigan Supreme Court

In 1966, at the urging of Governor Romney, Brennan, sought the nomination of the Republican Party as Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Brennan won the nomination, and the election. In 1969 and 1970, Brennan served as Chief Justice, the youngest Justice to serve in that capacity.

Founding the Thomas M. Cooley Law School

During his service on the Bench, Brennan received many requests for law school recommendations. This was the basis of his vision for a new, private, law school in Lansing, Michigan. In 1972, he incorporated the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Brennan left the Supreme Court on December 6, 1973, to dedicate his professional career to the newly-formed law school.

Brennan served as first Dean of Cooley Law School until 1978, when he became its first president. Today, Cooley Law School has over 11,000 alumni, and has three campuses in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, located in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Rochester. In 2008, Cooley Law School will celebrate its thirtieth year of American Bar Association accreditation.

Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society

Brennan is a charter member of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society, and served as Treasurer until 2001. "My greatest joy is found with my family," said Brennan. [(Michigan Supreme Court. Michigan Reports: Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of Michigan. Rochester, N.Y.: Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Co., 1949--1998, Vol. 409.) [http://www.micourthistory.org/resources/tebrennan.php] ]

Later career

Brennan was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senator from Michigan in 1976, losing to Marvin L. Esch in the Republican primary election. In 1982, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, losing to Democrat Martha W. Griffiths in the general election.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.cooley.edu/overview/thomasbrennan.htm#articles Thomas E. Brennan's "Starting a Law School"]
* [http://www.ilrg.com/rankings/ Internet Legal Research Group: Thomas E. Brennan's "Judging the Law Schools"]
* [http://www.cooley.edu/ Thomas M. Cooley Law School]
* [http://www.cooley.edu/library/about_index.htm The Thomas E. Brennan Law Library at Thomas M. Cooley Law School]
* [http://courts.michigan.gov/supremecourt/ Michigan Supreme Court]
* [http://www.micourthistory.org/ Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/brennan.html#RTU0OEX97 The Political Graveyard]