Welcome to the Ronald Jay Cohen Student Center at the College of Law at Arizona State University. The Cohen Student Center opened in early February 2003, offering students, faculty, administration, and alumni a beautiful, engaging gathering place in which to converse with friends and colleagues, to enjoy a creative menu of delicious food and beverages, and to meet with each other to organize a wide array of student events and activities. We invite you to visit all of the links on the Cohen Student Center web page to find out more about the Rebecca White Berch Pro Bono Center and the Olivia Birchett Student Organization Center, but even more important, we invite you to come to the Cohen Student Center and see for yourself the energy and synergy that exists in this wonderful space.
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is proud and honored to have the name Ronald Jay Cohen attached to our Student Center. Ron is the founding partner of the boutique commercial litigation law firm of Cohen Kennedy Dowd & Quigley, and was previously a senior litigation partner at Streich Lang. In his distinguished career, Ron has been a faculty associate in evidence at our law school; was visiting professor of evidence and trial technique at Indiana University College of Law; has authored or co-authored numerous articles; was elected chair of the 60,000-member American Bar Association Section of Litigation; was a founding master for the Sandra Day O'Connor Inn of Court; has served as an instructor, faculty member, lecturer and demonstrator for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA); and was the recipient of the NITA's Honorable Robert E. Keaton Award, which honors a NITA faculty member who exemplifies the highest standard of professionalism and trial advocacy in the United States. Above all, he is a truly outstanding attorney, a professional of the highest order, a cherished member of our community and a true friend to the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
As the College of Law continues to enhance and expand its Pro Bono Program, we proudly announce the opening of the Rebecca White Berch Pro Bono Center. This new center is a generous gift to the law school from Professor Michael Berch in honor of his wife, Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch. The Berch Pro Bono Center will provide our law students with a home for their numerous Pro Bono organizations; a place to organize and execute the many service projects that students undertake. The Center consists of a workroom/conference room with custom storage for individual organizations and three private offices, all of which are equipped with wireless Internet capability. The Rebecca White Berch Pro Bono Center will play a pivotal role in helping our students help members of our community who are in need.
"When students of former years gather here at the school, I am sure they will want to express again their gratitude to this gracious lady of iron who has worked so effectively to make her dream for this Law School come true." These words were spoken by the College of Law's first dean, Dean Willard Pedrick, on the occasion of the retirement of the College of Law's first registrar (and Dean Pedrick's first employee), Ms. Olivia Birchett. The College of Law is proud to announce the opening of the Olivia Birchett Student Organization Center, generously gifted to the law school in loving memory of Ms. Birchett by scores of alumni who were touched by her support and kindness during their law school years. This workroom/conference room will enable our students to work collaboratively and help our student organizations to thrive, enriching the law school experience for all involved.