SCRA Foundation

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Foundation

  • Home
  • About
    • Purpose
    • Programs
    • Founders
      • Matthew R. Cooper, J.D.
      • Frank B. Melchiore, J.D.
      • Lisa A Hudson, B.S.
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • News
    • Links
    • Upcoming Events

Matthew R. Cooper, J.D.


HURLEY Cooper photo bioMatt was nationally recognized for a case that he litigated for an Iraq War Veteran from Hartford, Michigan that protected the rights of all personnel serving in the United States Military. Matt effectuated amendments by Congress to the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, protecting the rights of men and women in the United States Armed Forces.

The Hurley case appeared on the front page of the New York Times, and every major newspaper around the world reported on the story. Sergeant Hurley and Matt appeared on a featured story on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, alongside General David Patraeus and his wife, Holly Patraeus.

CBS NEWS

FOX NEWS

NY TIMES

MSNBC

After graduating from Valparaiso University School of Law, with honor awards in contracts and criminal law, Matt clerked for a Circuit Court Judge. Matt then joined the Law Offices of Schuitmaker, Cooper, Cypher & Knotek, P.C. Over the last 25 years, Matt has represented clients in major litigation cases and has participated in jury trials in Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Barry and Wayne Counties. Further, Matt has prosecuted cases in Illinois, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan at the Federal and State Court levels. Matt has worked on both civil and criminal cases. Matt has appeared in Circuit Court in over seventeen (17) Michigan Counties. Matt has also handled cases in the Western and Eastern Federal District Courts, the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.

In 2011, Matt was selected by the Paw Paw Chamber of Commerce as the Community Volunteer of the Year. He is a charter member and past President of the Paw Paw Area Rotary Club. Matt is past president of the Optimist Club. For numerous years, he has worked for Paw Paw Rocket Football, Inc., and Paw Paw Youth Baseball, Inc. Matt formed both of these organizations into Michigan Corporations and obtained their 501(c)(3) charitable organization status from the Internal Revenue Service.

On a county-wide level, Matt has served on numerous county-wide boards such as the Van Buren County Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Southwest Michigan Legal Aid Bureau and the Tri-County Headstart Board.

On the state-wide level, Matt sat on the Michigan Bar District Character and Fitness Committee.

Matt and his wife Laurie reside on a small farm in Paw Paw with their children Anella, Drew and Bennett and loyal companion Buck.

SCRA-Cooper-Family-Pic-2

Bar Admissions
Michigan, 1989
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 1989
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2007
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2005

Education
Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana
J.D. – 1989
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
B.S. cum laude – 1986
Major: Public Administration, Political Science

Representative Cases
Hurley v Deutsche Bank, et al., 1:08-cv-00361 (MI W Fed Dis Ct 2007)

Honors and Awards
2011 Paw Paw Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year
Past President of Paw Paw Area Rotary

Professional Associations and Memberships
Michigan Association for Justice, 1990 – present
American Association for Justice, 1990 – present
Paw Paw Area Rotary Club
Van Buren County Fraternal Order of Police

Pro Bono Activities
Tri-County Headstart, 2006 – present
Van Buren County Emergency Planning Committee, 2003 – present
Paw Paw Rocket Football, Inc.
Paw Paw Youth Baseball, Inc.
State Bar of Michigan – District Character & Fitness Committee

Fraternities/Sororities
Phi Alpha Delta

To contact Matt via email, click here. You may also contact Matt by mail at SCRA Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box 100, Paw Paw, Michigan 49079 or by phone at (269) 207-4237.

The founders of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Foundation pioneered the modern day application
of this area of the law. They laid the groundwork for the United States Department of Justice to obtain the largest SCRA settlement in its history.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides critical consumer and other protections to the men and women serving our nation in the military, and to the Families of those Servicemembers. The enactment of the SCRA was recognition that those who are making great sacrifices to protect us mandate our full support at home. It is in this spirit of the law, and loyalty to those who are willing to lay down their lives for our freedom that the SCRA Foundation earns its daily breath.

To our Servicemembers and their Families:
Thank you for your service and for your sacrifices…….. ALWAYS!
News

“When the United States of America sends men and women overseas to serve our country, shouldn’t we, at least, be looking out for their homes?”

SCRA Foundation Chairman Matthew Cooper on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

October 13, 2016 marks the 6th Anniversary of the Congressional Amendments to the SCRA Drafters refer to as, "The Hurley Amendments." Please help us help Servicemembers meet and exceed the spirit and intent of the SCRA Amendments through supporting our programs.

prev next





OUR PURPOSE
The SCRA Foundation directly implements the necessary actions for the SCRA to be effective in its mission and purpose of helping our Servicemembers and their families in their role of defending our Nation.


HURLEY v DEUTSCHE BANK
Hurley v Deutsche Bank, et al., No. 08-cv-361, 2009 WL 701006 (W.D. Mich.) The landmark Servicemembers Civil Relief Act case. The first time in the history of our country that a jury was seated to hear a case brought by a soldier against a financial institution for violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The Founders of the SCRA Foundation and their team took the Hurley case to trial after over four years of litigation. As a result of the Hurley case, the SCRA was amended (Hurley Amendments) clearly stating that Servicemembers, and their dependents, can now bring suit to right civil wrongs against them: “Private Right of Action.” Learn More

book cover smallPurchase Matt Cooper's Book on Amazon



WMU COOLEY JUDGE'S GUIDE
The 2015 Revised Michigan Judge’s Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is a critical on-line and hardbound resource. The Revised Michigan Judge’s Guide to the SCRA serves to inform and educate (often for the first time) Servicemembers and their Families, judges, JAG Officers, attorneys, paralegals, media, anyone...on the purpose and application of the SCRA. The Revised Michigan’s Judge’s Guide to the SCRA is scheduled to be published and distributed to all Michigan federal, state and tribal judges FREE of charge, summer 2015. The costs of compiling, publishing, distributing and promoting the Revised Michigan Judge’s Guide to the SCRA are not covered by any taxpayer money, but from charitable donations. Please help support this most important resource for all Servicemembers and their Families impacted by violations of the SCRA, and donate today. Help us recognize the Military Consumer (Servicemembers) as equal in the eyes of civilian laws advocating consumer protection. Your donations are profoundly appreciated, and tax deductible. [IRS Code Section 170.]
Download the Guide
NOW AVAILABLE
INDIANA JUDGE'S GUIDE

Download the Guide

SOS: Serve Our Servicemembers


SCRA FOUNDATION
134 South Phelps Street, PO Box 64
Decatur, Michigan 49045
Phone: (269) 207-4237
Email: info@scrafoundation.org
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

SCRA Foundation - All Rights Reserved. Website Design