Former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer, who is considering running for governor in 2010, largely avoided politics during his talk with a group of about 25 law school hopefuls Tuesday night in the Michigan Union. Instead, Archer encouraged those in attendance that they could approach his level of success through hard work and taking advantage of the University’s networking resources.

Archer, who introduced himself to the audience as “a recovering politician” also never mentioned Kwame Kilpatrick, his sucessor who recently resigned as Detroit's mayor in a plea deal for two criminal charges.

He talked instead about the rewards that accompany studying law.

Archer was the first black person to ever serve as president of the American Bar Association.

“The majesty of the power of the law in terms of what you can do with it is enormous,” he said.

Though he stressed the importance of doing well in school, Archer said students should reach out and develop relationships with classmates. The former mayor, who served two terms from 1993 to 2001, also cited the various networking possibilities available to students at the University. He cited his son — a Law School alum — as an example of someone who benefited from the school’s resources.

Recognizing his audience, mostly comprised of members from the Black Undergraduate Law Association — the group that sponsored the event — Archer recalled his experience of trying to pass the bar exam.

“It’s what you put into it that you get out. Trust me, if I can pass it, anyone can pass the bar,” he said jokingly.

Though his talk centered on preparing for the legal profession, Archer touched on a broad range of issues toward the end of the session. His prose took a more serious turn when he spoke about his youth in the small town of Cassopolis, Mich., near the Indiana border, where he grew up in poverty.

Archer said that upbringing helped shape his passion for the law and civil rights.

He acknowledged that things are different for this generation’s children, but that he felt there were still numerous deficiencies in the Detroit public school system. Archer also spoke out against how the controversial “No Child Left Behind” Act has been funded.

BULA president Ryan Norman, an LSA senior, said he appreciated the “insider knowledge” Archer imparted during his talk.

“He gave a lot of useful information,” said Norman, who invited Archer to speak. “He was very knowledgeable about how to be successful.”

Archer, who was scheduled to speak for two hours, left the event after an hour to participate in a conference call with the Obama campaign.