59 minute read
SERVICE AND INTEGRITY RABIH HAMAWI
FROM INSURANCE AGENT TO INSURANCE LAWYER
Sometimes seminal moments in one’s life can change a career path. For Rabih Hamawi (Story Class, 2015), who at the time, owned and operated an insurance agency in Livonia, Michigan, it was a not-so-ironic realization that led him to now battle in court against insurance companies on behalf of his clients.
Rabih Hamawi
“There are trigger moments in your life that kind of open your eyes,” Hamawi said. “During my days in the insurance agency, I had seen many, many times when policyholders who should have rightfully collected on a claim and the insurance company would either delay the payment or not make a payment at all. I saw insurance companies shortchanging the policyholder. So, when I opened my law firm, my mission statement was to advocate for the less fortunate in that relationship – the policyholder.”
Hamawi, who emigrated from Beirut, Lebanon, is a member of one of the largest Arabic communities in the United States. In Lebanon, he earned an LL.B., Bachelor of Laws and had begun the process of completing all required steps to practice as an attorney in his native land. But, when he decided to practice law in the United States, he didn’t want to leverage his LL.B. and earn an LL.M., but rather he sought a J.D. degree, and WMU-Cooley Law School seemed to be the ideal fit for that ambition.
“Cooley was closest to me, and I was working full time supporting my parents and three siblings, whom I brought here in 2005, and Cooley’s class schedule was very flexible,” Hamawi said. “Cooley also offered students more hands-on experiences than what other law schools could provide. It was the right size where I would get the one-on-one attention I wanted and structured so I could achieve the degree I wanted.
“Of course, like anything, at the end of the day, you get what you put into your education; but I really can’t count all of the positive experiences that Cooley provided me. Cooley also had the best professors. In my opinion, it is the best law school in Michigan,” he said. “I wanted to create this niche practice where I could help others,” he said. “Sometimes it might be defending someone who doesn’t understand the system and an insurance company is making them an offer they hope they might take. I wanted to open a firm that will fight exclusively for those who have lost their homes, businesses, and their most precious personal items due to disasters, and who now must persevere against an insurance company to get their lives back together,” says Hamawi.
And Hamawi’s multi-language and diverse background is a major asset for his clients. “That’s why I wanted my firm to give special attention to the needs of the several minorities in Metro Detroit, and Michigan, who sometimes are victimized by insurance companies due to race, ethnicity, religion, or inexperience with the judicial system,” says Hamawi.
“One of the advantages I have personally is my background,” he said. “My first language was Arabic, but more importantly, I understand all of the dialects of the Arabic language. I can’t tell you how many times I have encountered misunderstandings or misinterpretations during depositions and court proceedings. I have witnessed courtappointed interpreters who even misinterpret what the client is saying because they don’t know the particular dialect. The court interpreter might wrongly translate what a client is trying to say ... when I encounter that, I stop the whole proceeding until they get it right.” Today,Hamawi ranks as one of the top insurance lawyers in the state. He has been named to the Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in insurance law in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021; an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of exceptional young attorneys in Michigan who have demonstrated excellence in their areas of expertise. Hamawi was also selected to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Class of 2020 Up & Coming Lawyers, which is dedicated to saluting Michigan lawyers who have established a name for themselves by displaying the ambition, drive, and accomplishments that set them apart among their peers — in their first 10 years in practice. He is the current Chair-Elect of the Insurance and Indemnity Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and serves on the executive board of the Michigan Association for Justice.
While in law school, Hamawi interned for the Hon. John Corbett O’Meara, federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He also interned for the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit.
At WMU-Cooley, Hamawi served on the WMU-Cooley Law Review Board of Editors as a Symposium Editor, where he received the Law Review Board Award for the most significant contributions to the Law Review Board during his tenure. He also served on the Moot Court and Mock Trial executive boards, and was a member of WMU-Cooley’s National Trial Team. Upon graduation, Hamawi received the Student Leadership Achievement Award for his outstanding participation in a leadership role during law school.
Hamawi and his wife, Amy, live in Dearborn, Michigan.
Following law school, Rabih Hamawi knew he wanted to build a practice that would help those who have little or no means to navigate through the legal system.
Hamawi and his wife, Amy (left), and with his parents (right).
Annual Giving
For nearly 50 years, our law school has been on the frontline of innovation and change in legal education. From providing first of a kind, flexible, affordable programs to infusing technology to enrich student access to practical legal scholarship, WMU-Cooley Law School has, from its inception, pushed the Annual Giving boundaries to achieve its mission of providing transformational For nearly 50 years, our law school has been on the frontline of innovation and change in legal practical legal education. education. In the process, our law school has changed the face of the legal From providing first of a kind, flexible, affordable programs to infusing technology to enrich student profession and our graduates now lead in the legal profession and in access to practical legal scholarship, WMU-Cooley Law School has, from its inception, pushed the boundaries to achieve its mission of providing transformational practical legal education.communities around the country. In the process, our law school has changed the face of the legal profession and our graduates now lead None of this is possible without the ongoing support and generosity of in the legal profession and in communities around the country. our alumni and friends. None of this is possible without the ongoing support and generosity of our alumni and friends. Continue the tradition. Please join fellow alumni and friends by making Continue the tradition. Please join fellow alumni and friends by making your gift to WMU-Cooley today. your gift to WMU-Cooley today. Visit cooley.edu/giving to make your gift Visit cooley.edu/giving to make your gift online or return the enclosed Annual Fund reply envelope. online or return the enclosed Annual Fund reply envelope.
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support curricular Support curricular enhancements, recruitment enhancements, recruitment efforts, and scholarships to efforts, and scholarships secure a more diverse to secure a more diverse student body while student body while promoting promoting a diversity of a diversity of thinking and thinking and ideas in the ideas in the classroom classroom and, ultimately in the legal profession and, ultimately, in the legal profession.
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fuel the dreams of those who Fuel the dreams of those want to change the world who want to change the students who are just like world — students who want you to be just like you.
help keep Cooley affordable Help keep WMU-Cooley by providing support for day affordable by providing to-day operations and support for day-to-day immediate needs operations and immediate
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WMU-Cooley Hosts Virtual Event Series
Since May 2020, WMU-Cooley has been proud to host the WMU-Cooley Community Conversations special virtual event series featuring many top professors and legal experts who speak on important topics impacting society and our legal system. Thank you to the following keynote speakers for being a part of the discussions and solutions we face today. If you missed any of the conversations, you can catch up by watching them on the law school’s official YouTube page.
Mick Grewal, Trinea Gonczar, and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
September 30, 2021: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, Trinea Gonczar, and Manvir “Mick” Grewal, Sr.; At the Heart of Gold Panel Discussion
Cindy Stuart Marla Mitchell-Cichon, David Williams, exoneree Lacino Hamilton, and Tracey Brame
October 6, 2021: Cindy Stuart; Court Access = Access to Justice October 28, 2021: Former WMU-Cooley Innocence Project director Marla-Mitchell-Cichon; David Williams, past student and attorney with the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project; exoneree Lacino Hamilton, and WMUCooley Innocence Project Director Associate Dean Tracey Brame; Wrongful Conviction Panel Discussion November 10, 2021: Gary Watson, Kathryn Rattigan, Rick Conklin, Colin Maguire, Kati Komorosky, Brigadier General (ret.) Michael C. H. McDaniel, and Samantha Sliney; Drone Law Symposium Panel Discussion
WMU-Cooley School News
Graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School’s Florida and Michigan campuses were honored during graduation ceremonies held on Sept. 11 and Sept. 26, respectively.
SEPTEMBER 2021 MATTHEWS CLASS GRADUATION
The commencements included the opportunity for graduates from previous terms to participate since in-person ceremonies had been cancelled due to COVID restrictions.
During the commencements, 83 juris doctor degrees were conferred to members of the Stanley Matthews Class, and 58 past-term graduates participated in the ceremonies.
In Michigan, the Hon. Kwamé L. Rowe of Oakland County Circuit Court provided the keynote address, while Leanna Poole was selected by her fellow students to give the valedictory remarks.
During her remarks, Poole, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M University, reflected upon their journey through law school and the many challenges the law students faced, especially during the COVID pandemic.
“We have all heard the saying that ‘law school is a marathon and not a sprint.’ Well, I am happy to announce that we have finished this marathon,” said Poole. “From the long nights updating outlines, reviewing notes, and briefing cases, to late nights studying for finals, that was all a part of the marathon and what got us to the finish line today. Our time at Cooley has prepared us to face challenges head-on and be great advocates. We have earned our place in the legal field, and I am sure we will make an everlasting mark.
“Although COVID may have brought some tough times, I want us to focus on what we gained from this experience,” Poole added. “Going forward, we now know that nothing can stop us. We made it even when it felt like everything was against us. The next time you find yourself unsure of what to do, or you feel your back is against the wall, remember that you made it during a worldwide shutdown. You picked up the pieces and continued to walk with your head up. That is what we should remember about this pandemic: That we are strong, and we can get through anything that is thrown our way.”
During his keynote address, Judge Rowe spoke with students about how he overcame adversity and pushed aside the naysayers when he decided he wanted to go to law school.
“As many of you are aware, I sat in the very seats that you are sitting in just six years ago,” he said. “Yes, that’s right, just six years ago I graduated from law school, and here I am before you as a sitting judge. Not only just a sitting judge, but one of the
MICHIGAN CAMPUS
The Hon. Daryl Manning TAMPA BAY CAMPUS
President McGrath
youngest, if not the youngest appointed judges in Michigan history.”
During the ceremony, WMUCooley Professor Erika Breitfeld was presented with the Stanley E. Beattie Award for excellence in teaching. Each term’s graduating class votes on the faculty member who will be honored with the award.
In Florida, the Hon. Daryl Manning of Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit provided the keynote address, while Talece Hunter was selected by her fellow students to present the valedictory remarks.
Hunter, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Johnson C. Smith University and a master’s degree from Ohio University, spoke about many issues, including the pandemic that affected the graduates while in law school. “We probably had the most unique law school experience in law school history. We directly or indirectly survived COVID, depression, racism, and social ethical economic injustice. We survived the U.S. Capitol takeover, highly contested elections, natural disasters, and building collapses,” said Hunter.
“Rules were broken, ignored and rewritten. Sometimes there were no rules. In fact, much of what we lived through, was lawlessness. Yes, every part of our being is trained to support the rule of law. And maybe it was that lawlessness that helped us truly value the rule of law.”
Judge Manning shared how the events on Sept. 11, 2001 changed the nation and how those important changes relate to the work of future attorneys. “September 11th will always be a solemn day of remembrance and reflection,” said Manning. “It is a day that changed our country forever. It will also be a day recognizing your tremendous accomplishments. Just as those brave and courageous passengers on United flight 93 were game changers by fighting back and thwarting the attack of the hijackers, you all can do more. Be a game changer in the law. Congratulations to each of you for your tremendous accomplishments. Take some time to process what you have done and enjoy it. You are well along the way to joining a small community of legal professionals.”
Graduates from WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay commencement ceremony on Sept. 11.
MICHIGAN CAMPUS
(continued)
In the spring, WMU-Cooley held the last of its virtual commencement ceremonies put in place during the Covid pandemic.
MAY 2021 WOODS CLASS GRADUATION
WMU-Cooley Law School held commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 23. The virtual graduation honored 205 juris doctor and seven master of laws degree recipients from the law school’s campuses.
Buddy Faulkner and Roslyn Murrell were chosen by their classmates to present the valedictory remarks, and Judge Jessica Costello from the Hillsborough County, Florida, 13th Judicial Circuit, presented the keynote. During the ceremony, Melissa Heinz of the Grand Rapids campus and Kathryn Kucyk of the Auburn Hills campus were presented with the James E. Burns Memorial Award for graduating summa cum laude (highest GPA in the graduating class); and Comfort Aduwa was the recipient of the President’s Achievement Award (highest increase percentage in GPA from incoming credentials through law school).
During her remarks, Murrell, who attended the Lansing campus, spoke about the class’ journey through law school.
“We all remember the first day of orientation when we were told that time would go by quickly and by the time we finally look up, we will be done. My fellow graduates look up. We are here now. We have finished the course.”
She spoke about changing from in-person to virtual classes due to the pandemic.
“Suddenly we could not come to campus, but we adapted. It was a rough start for many of us, but we persevered,” Murrell said. “Our law school experience was like a seed that was planted. That seed was our law school application. When we were accepted we were covered by mountains of coursework that some of us have never experienced before, kind of like being covered with top soil and fertilizer. We knew it was good for us, but it was also suffocating at times. The seedling was watered by our tears of first-year law school exams. It was nourished by so many, our professors and staff who welcomed us openly, by our fellow classmates, and the sunny dispositions of our friends and family who championed us on and always gave us a positive uplifting word.”
Faulkner, from the Tampa Bay campus, thanked friends and family of graduates by saying, “without you this marathon might not have been quite as bearable.
“The network of friends we have made at Cooley will be with us for life. We have shared an experience that most people wouldn’t attempt. We know there are great things in store for all of
TAMPA BAY CAMPUS
us. The law degree is one of the most versatile degrees in the world. You can use it for most anything you want. Law school has taught us to think of things in ways most people cannot. It has taught us to value integrity and good relationships. It has taught us to be comfortable with uncertainty. So, go out there and accomplish whatever life brings you.”
Judge Costello spoke about the importance of the accomplishments of graduating from law school.
“Today we are celebrating 207 juris doctor recipients. We are celebrating seven LL.M. recipients, those who thought law school was so nice they decided to do it twice. The Class of 2021 represents 124 different undergraduate institutions from around the country. There are members from this graduating class hailing from every branch of the armed forces.” said Costello. Costello shared the importance of going through law school during the challenging times of the pandemic, the power of resilience.
“The resilience that comes from life-altering change, like the life-altering change of making it through law school during a once-in-a-century global pandemic.”
She shared advice on being resilient, by first referencing the definition of resilient from Black’s Law Dictionary. “‘The ability for something to return to its original form after being compressed or stretched, or the ability to recover from or adjust to adversity and change.’ You can definitely say the uncertainty of this past year compressed and stretched us. Importantly, over this past year, we’ve had to function without one of the most important aspects of the human experience, each other. Unfortunately, after the year we have experienced, and unlike the first definition, we will never return to our original form after what we have been through. For that reason, I think the second definition of resilience is much more helpful to describe our current state in light of the difficulties we face. We will and we have and shall recover from and adjust to adversity and change.”
Talking about her experience as a lawyer, and now a judge, she explained how her own resiliency got her to where she is today. Costello shared a time when delivering the closing arguments for a defendant. As the youngest lawyer in the courtroom, she had to “rise for the occasion and be resilient.” Costello said, today as a judge, “It does me great joy to see great lawyers do the same in a multitude of ways, because of the extraordinary impact you can have as an advocate for others.”
WMU-Cooley has become the new administrative home of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium. Amy Timmer, WMU-Cooley associate dean of Academic and Student Affairs, has been named the consortium’s new director.
“I am pleased that the consortium’s executive committee has given me the honor of being its new director, and has approved the consortium’s move to WMU-Cooley,” said Timmer. “These two changes will ensure continuation of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium, whose mission of supporting legal mentoring programs is crucial to our profession.”
The National Legal Mentoring Consortium was established in 2011 at the Center on Professionalism at the University of South Carolina School of Law. It was supported by the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough law firm, now Nelson Mullins, and one of the firm’s partners, Ed Mullins, Jr. After 10 years of supporting the consortium, the University of South Carolina School of Law now passes on the reins to WMU-Cooley.
“We plan to be excellent stewards of the consortium, following in the footsteps of the University of South Carolina,” WMU-Cooley President and Dean James McGrath said. “The NLMC has supported legal mentoring programs in law schools, law firms, and state bar associations around the country. As law students and new lawyers prepare to meet the needs of our ever-changing legal profession, support for those programs is critical. In the hands of Dean Amy Timmer, I am confident the consortium will continue to thrive under our stewardship.”
Chair of the NLMC’s Executive Committee, attorney Nathan Alder, added, “We absolutely supported the move to WMU-Cooley. Amy is a founding member of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium, and has served on the executive committee since its inception. She is clearly dedicated to preserving and maintaining the Consortium through her and WMU-Cooley’s generous offer to take the helm. Having Amy as director will give us the internal support we need to continue to promote and assist legal mentoring programs around the country.”
For those seeking ongoing information, go to National Legal Mentoring Consortium on the WMU-Cooley website.
ABOUT WMU-COOLEY LAW SCHOOL:
WMU-Cooley Law School was founded on a mission of equal access to a legal education and offers admission to a diverse group of qualified applicants across the country. Since the law school’s founding in 1972, WMU-Cooley has provided a modern legal education to more than 20,000 graduates, teaching the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. WMU-Cooley enrolls classes yearround at its Michigan and Florida campuses. WMU-Cooley is an independent, non-profit law school, accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Multicultural Lawyering: Professors Kim O’Leary and Mable Martin-Scott
69% BENCHMARK ALUMNI MAGAZINE
69% BENCHMARK ALUMNI MAGAZINE
BY SHARON MATCHETTE
How can lawyers help their clients when the clients’ experiences – often traumatic and oppressive ones – are not like anything the lawyers have ever experienced or encountered?
WMU-Cooley Professor Kim O’Leary can relate to the inability to relate. As a white middle class law student, transplanted from southern Indiana to Boston in the early ’80s, O’Leary remembers being overwhelmed by the neighborhoods her clients lived in and the problems they were encountering. She feared that she didn’t have the life experiences to help clients with such vastly different backgrounds. But her clinical teacher, who’d run into a similar culture shock 20 years previously, had the answer. As a self-described 33-year-old Jewish kid who found himself representing the Black Panthers in Los Angeles in the 1960s, Gary Bellow told O’Leary he’d been in the same boat – he had no clue what his clients were experiencing. “So, I sat in people’s kitchens and listened,” O’Leary recalled Bellow telling her.
Who you are and how you grew up does not define what you can be.
Both as humans in general, and lawyers in particular, people have the ability to stretch and grow so that they can effectively help others – even if their life experiences are so vastly different as to make that seem impossible at first.
What it takes is talking – and even more important, listening.
Enter “Multicultural Lawyering,” a course created by O’Leary and fellow WMU-Cooley Professor Mable Martin-Scott and taught for the first time in January 2020. A limited-enrollment elective now offered two out of every three terms at the law school, Multicultural Lawyering is a game changer on many levels.
This isn’t yet another trendy consciousness-raising seminar designed to tell one side that the other side has value. Martin-Scott, who grew up in inner-city Chicago, has seen plenty of well-meaning courses taught elsewhere that led only to arguments, divisiveness, and hard feelings. She didn’t want that at WMU-Cooley, a law school with a nearly 50-year track record of inclusiveness. But the more that she read the material that O’Leary was sending her way, the more she realized this new course was very different and she signed on as a partner.
“This class avoids getting people on the defensive or on the offensive. My job as the Assistant Dean of the campus, was to not have that conflict,” Martin-Scott said. “This class is not about that.”
O’Leary explained that the class is designed to equip soon-to-belawyers with the tools and the skills to engage with others in a meaningful way. Martin-Scott added that the number one principle the class seeks to instill is “You have to represent your client. To do that, lawyers have to understand their clients.
“A lawyer’s job is to help other people. You can’t help them if you don’t understand what they want and need.”
There are no sides.
Instead, there are a multiplicity of cultures. Even people who don’t think of themselves in cultural terms have a culture. And that culture informs how they see the world – and the people in it – and how they react and conduct their daily lives. The key, especially in training lawyers, is to get students to not only understand how they view things, but how others - particularly their clients - view those things. Lawyers cannot fully represent their clients without an understanding of what makes them tick – how the culture they are a part of affects them and even determines what they do.
And it’s no longer just a “nice” thing that a good lawyer does to create a connection with clients – it’s an American Bar Association rule. With the advent of ABA Model Rule 8.4G, lawyers now have a professional obligation to be culturally competent. With this course, Martin-Scott said, “the law school is poised as a leader in that field. We can make a difference.” They already are. As the class got rolling, O’Leary and MartinScott realized there really was no textbook that presented the material in the way they wanted. So, they wrote one. The resulting volume, Multicultural Lawyering – Navigating the Culture of the Law, the Lawyer, and the Client, was published by Carolina Academic Press in 2021. The book, with its colorful design, clear explanations by the authors, and plentiful case studies (including “when failure to understand culture results in bad things”), is not only used in the WMUCooley course, but it’s catching on in the wider legal arena. The royalties, a bemused MartinScott reported, are already starting to come in.
The course has proven so popular that more than one student review has called for it to be made a required class. But the course will remain an elective, Martin-Scott and O’Leary said firmly. For the course to work, they explained, the students have to want to be there. They might not agree with everything they hear, but for the messages to resonate, for growth to occur, the foundation has to start with an audience willing to listen.
This is the message that O’Leary and Martin-Scott are communicating to law schools and organizations around the country that are now clamoring for the two to bring their message and training to them. Conversations have been held with law schools at the University of Michigan, University of Memphis, Syracuse University, and Wayne State University among others. The duo also participated in a panel discussion on preparing multicultural lawyers for the AccessLex Institute.
It’s also the message that was communicated far and wide at a two-day online conference on multicultural lawyering that WMU-Cooley hosted in March 2021. The conference proved to be very popular and was soon filled to capacity, with guest speakers, interactive questions and answers, and a large volume of shared information.
Going forward, O’Leary and Martin-Scott will continue to teach the course and speak around the world. The two are already talking with interested people in Australia and New Zealand, and hope to expand to Europe in the near future. O’Leary also plans to start a blog about multi-cultural lawyering that will post on a regular basis, and the WMUCooley faculty have adopted a three-part Diversity, Equity and Inclusion proposal that includes self-education, voluntary study groups and collaborations with student groups.
The future looks filled with positive developments. “The legal community and the world are multicultural and rapidly changing,” Martin-Scott said. “Lawyers have to lead that change.”
Multicultural Lawyering – Navigating the Culture of the Law, the Lawyer, and the Client, by Kimberly E. O’Leary and Mable Martin-Scott
MABLE MARTIN-SCOTT
WMU-Cooley Alumni News
I am excited to serve WMU-Cooley Law School and the alumni community as your new director of advancement and alumni relations. I am committed to leading the law school’s effort to engage and connect our alumni and other constituents with the important work of supporting our current and future students. In conjunction with our faculty, staff, and Alumni Association, we will work to provide events, services, and opportunities that best serve the needs of both the law school and the alumni community.
Together, we can achieve the law school’s commitment to advance justice and equity by providing transformative practical legal education that prepares and inspires our students and alumni to become lifelong learners and agents for positive change in their communities and in the legal profession.
This issue of the Benchmark provides a glimpse at the law school’s latest strategic plan and priorities. Having perused the preceding pages, you’ve had the opportunity to read the new vision and mission statements and to get a better sense of those areas in which the faculty and staff will be directing their energy over the next several years. In the process, I hope you found yourself intrigued, perhaps even excited, by the things you read because we need your help to address these priorities and to fulfill this strategic plan.
In the weeks and months ahead, I, along with members of the faculty, staff, and Alumni Association, will be inviting the alumni community to partner with us in this effort. You can expect to hear from us as we seek to increase externship, clinical, and other experiential learning opportunities. You may also be asked to help us recruit, enroll, prepare, and graduate the next generation of Cooley alumni. And yes, you will see appeals for gifts to support scholarships, programs, departments, and the overall financial strength of the law school. Each of these forms of support are critical to the school’s ability to achieve our mission, sustain our distinctive approach to legal education, and to fulfill our commitment to opportunity, inclusivity, fairness, and equality.
Like every other private college and university, WMU-Cooley Law School depends on the generosity of those who believe in the school’s mission and its founding premise “that the strength of a democracy depends upon the ability of people to understand their laws.” That is as true now as it was 50 years ago when Judge Thomas E. Brennan, Sr. and the small cadre of lawyers and judges supplied the initial vision and the commitment of time and financial resources necessary to establish the law school.
As director of advancement and alumni relations, I look forward to partnering with you and generations of alumni in sustaining and expanding the tradition of volunteer and philanthropic support for the law school. Together, we can ensure that WMU-Cooley’s transformative practical legal education remains accessible and affordable to current and future generations of students.
WMU-Cooley Alumni Association Executive Committee
PRESIDENT
Susanne Harris (Carpenter Class, 1993)
VICE PRESIDENT
Bradley Merritt (Kavanagh Class, 2008)
SECRETARY
Robert Johnson (Boyle Class, 2018)
PAST PRESIDENT
Kirstyn Wildey (Hughes Class, 2016)
MAJOR EVENTS COMMITTEE
Steven Heisler (Iredell Class, 2001)
NOMINATION COMMITTEE
Kirstyn Wildey (Hughes Class, 2016)
OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Sheila Lake (Burger Class, 2017)
REGIONAL AMBASSADOR COMMITTEE
Helen Haessly (Cushing Class, 2000) LAW SCHOOL SUPPORT COMMITTEE
Bradley Merritt (Kavanagh Class, 2001)
PAST PRESIDENT COMMITTEE
Sharon Ellis (North Class, 1980)
PAST PRESIDENT (CO-CHAIR)
Tiffany Foskey (O. Smith Class, 2003)
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
Karen Poole (Witherell Class, 1990)
SCHOLARSHIP (CO-CHAIR)
Susanne Harris (Carpenter Class, 1993)
Steven Balkema (Swayne Class, 2019) Alecia Chandler (Swainson Class, 2003 Nina DiPadova (Woodbridge Class, 2010) FaCheryl Dixon (Moore Class, 2013) Jason Downs (Curtis Class, 2019) Sharon Ellis (North Class, 1980) Matt Fendon (CJ Adams Class, 2008) Tiffany Foskey (O. Smith Class, 2003) Audra Foster (Fellows Class, 1997) Steve Fox (Dethmers Class, 1981) Jackie Freeman (Reid Class, 2006) Germese Gee (Todd Class, 2014) Patrick Griffin (Riley Class, 2009) Catherine Groll (Montgomery Class, 1992) Helen Haessly (Cushing Class, 2000) Danielle Hall (Blair Jr. Class, 2001) Rabih Hamawi (Story Class, 2015) Susanne Harris (Carpenter Class, 1993) Steve Heisler (Iredell Class, 2001) Ieisha Humphrey (Sibley Class, 2011) Shawn Jiles (Swainson Class, 2003) Robert Johnson (Boyle Class, 2018) Melaney LaGrone (Sibley Class, 2011) Sheila Lake (Burger Class, 2017) Julie Lawler-Hoyle (Warren Class, 2017) Michael Marcum (Sibley Class, 2011) Kathy Martin (Weadock Class, 1999) Bradley Merritt (Kavanagh Class, 2008) Joel Montilla (Taft Class, 2016) Matt Newburg (Sharpe Class, 2008) Samuel Onyegam (Wilkins Class, 2011) Joni Orandello (Moore Class, 2013) Alice Pai (Swift Class, 2004) Karen Poole (Witherell Class, 1990) Tom Rombach (Morse Class, 1987) Daphnee Sainvil (Chipman Class, 2011) Jim Samuels (Dethmers Class, 1981) Trovious Starr (Todd Class, 2014) Peter Tomasek (Todd Class, 2014) Kirstyn Wildey (Hughes Class, 2016) Adam Zickerman (Swainson Class, 2003)
Distinguished Student Awards Presented
Distinguished Student Awards (DSA) were announced in July 2021 to graduating students from the Stanley Matthews Class. The recipients were Madison Mazer and Leonard Peoples 69% BENCHMARK from the Lansing campus, Joeie Skelly ALUMNI MAGAZINE from the Tampa Bay campus, and Leanna Poole from the Auburn Hills campus. In November 2021, DSA awards for the Gray Class of graduating seniors included Amanda Ingraham, Katie Komorosky, and Casey Strong from the Lansing campus and Ashley Palmer and Yasmin Rammaha from the Tampa Bay campus.
2021 Alumni Events: June-November
JUNE 2021
Michigan virtual alumni event hosted by Alumni Association Vice President Susanne Harris (Carpenter Class, 1993) and graduate Steve Heisler (Iredell Class, 2001).
JULY 2021
Tampa, Florida virtual alumni event hosted by Alumni Association Secretary Bradley Merritt (Kavanagh Class, 2008).
SEPTEMBER 2021
Lansing Lugnuts game social with the alumni association, students and employers, hosted by Helen Haessly (Cushing Class, 2000) and Karen Poole (Witherell Class, 1990). Chicago in-person alumni social event hosted by Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Lena Bailey and graduate Steve Heisler (Iredell Class, 2001).
OCTOBER 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina in-person alumni social event hosted by Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations Bill Arnold.
Central States Virtual Alumni Event hosted by John Heugel (Bushnell Class, 1980).
NOVEMBER 2021
Tampa, Florida in-person alumni social event hosted by Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations Bill Arnold.
WMU-Cooley Graduate Spotlight: Steven Heisler
Steven Heisler is the Managing Partner of the Heisler Law Group in Port Huron, a firm specializing in criminal, family, appellate, and business law.
Heisler is a lifetime member of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association, and a current member of the National Alumni Board. He chairs the Major Events Committee, which is the committee that organizes the bar admission ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court each year; plans the annual meeting of the association, and works with the staff at the law school to plan other major events involving the association. For several years, Steve has participated in regional networking events around the country, including hosting virtual alumni events this year, and he has also attended fundraisers for the school. He participates in the Mentor Jet programs for students organized by the Career and Professional Development Office.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE WMU-COOLEY ALUMNI GROUP?
A: I co-chair some of the major alumni events, like golf outings and retreats, and I’m on several mentoring committees.
Q: CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES AS A LAW STUDENT AT WMU-COOLEY?
A: One of my fondest memories at WMU-Cooley was a remark by Cooley Professor John Nussbaumer during my very first class on the first day of law school. I can’t remember his exact quote, but what I do remember is that he indicated we have a moral duty to give back to the community. And now, I try to live that throughout my life, including giving back to Cooley. I’ve always had a philosophy, I call it “Guilter’s Gain.” I know it has a funny name, but it’s something that I made up. What it means is if you give blindly to others they will likely feel guilty that you’ve given of yourself and will want to give back either to you or to others. If you live that philosophy, I think it really pans out for you at the end of the day.
Q: SINCE GRADUATING FROM WMU-COOLEY TWO DECADES AGO, WHY DO YOU REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE LAW SCHOOL AND ARE INVOLVED IN ITS ALUMNI RELATIONS?
A: I’m a big believer in networking. The more you network, the more you continue to grow that network of people who will refer to you later on down the road. I also believe that being involved with and connected to Cooley has helped me when it comes to intern and employee searches as well. Networking has also been instrumental when I practice outside of my county. I have a pool of people who I can pull from to help me with a case, so networking is very important.
Q: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND. HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, OPENING YOUR OWN LAW FIRM?
A: I received a business degree from St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron and a bachelor’s degree in business leadership with a concentration in marketing from Baker College. Then, while I was at Cooley, I worked at a law firm in Genesee County, and had gained clients through my time there. I decided to use that experience and my knowledge from my two undergraduate business degrees to open my own firm right after I graduated law school.
Q: WHAT TYPES OF CASES DOES YOUR FIRM MAINLY HANDLE?
A: It’s a general practice firm in St. Clair County. It’s a wider area of practice, which includes family law, criminal law, and some appellate, business and probate work as well. Family law is our biggest focus, followed by criminal law and business, which could include collections, business formation, those types of things; appellate as it relates to family law, and then probate.
Q: HOW BIG IS YOUR LAW FIRM NOW?
A: Right now it’s me and my assistant, but I have openings for various positions.
Q: DID YOU HAVE A SLOW-DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC IN THE CRIMINAL SIDE? Q: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR UPCOMING LAWYERS AND MAYBE EVEN POTENTIAL CLIENTS?
A: On the criminal side, I would say probably yes. Family side, just the opposite – and it’s creating a backlog. We try to prioritize everything the best we can for our clients. But because of safety and protocols, we just can’t get everything done for each client right away.
Q: HAVE YOU EVER HIRED ANY COOLEY GRADS TO WORK AT YOUR LAW FIRM?
A: Yes. In fact, I have hired a few Cooley graduates and they are now working in the court system. One is now a Friend of the Court referee, and one of my former assistants is now an assistant prosecutor. I’m very happy for them. It’s a blessing to see them succeed in the legal profession.
Q: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF LAW.
A: I met my wife on New Year’s Day 2000 – I was halfway through law school. We were married in June 2008 and have three pet birds. We love to travel. Prior to the pandemic, we traveled to Alaska, Europe and the Caribbean. My wife and I have been on over 50 cruises together.
A: I tell my clients the same thing, using my “Guilter’s Gain” philosophy. I say to them, if I give to you and I take care of you and I’m fair with you, you’re going to feel guilty and refer me to others for legal services. And then they laugh, and it’s kind of funny. But I explain to them that’s how you came to me – because of a referral. So, don’t think Guilter’s Gain doesn’t work, because it does.
Heisler and his wife, Alicia.
Faculty Briefs
Erika Breitfeld, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor
Recipient, of the Stanley E. Beattie Teaching Award from the Trinity 2021 graduating class. Appointed, to the Oakland County Inns of Court.
Appointed, to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Racial Justice Advisory Board.
Served, as a member of the board of directors, for the Macomb County Veterans’ Treatment Court monthly meetings. Served, on the State Bar of Michigan Access to Justice Committee, in her capacity as a member.
Mark Cooney, Professor
Accepted, an invitation to present for a national webinar on “Appellate Advocacy and Citing Authority in Briefs and at Oral Argument.” Published, an article called “The Benefits of Accessible Compliance Forms” in Corporate & Ethics Professional (CEP) Magazine.
Published, an article called “Decluttering Sentences” in the Michigan Bar Journal’s Plain Language column. Accepted, for publication in the Michigan Bar Journal’s Plain Language column, an article called “Make Your Case in a Minute (With a Little Help from Aristotle).” Accepted, an invitation to present at the Michigan Appellate Bench-Bar Conference Foundation’s Moderator & Reporter Training. Judged, for the Center for Plain Language’s 2021 ClearMark Awards. Quoted, in WalletHub blog “Ask the Experts: Liability Car Insurance,” about factors to consider when determining appropriate liabilitycoverage limits.
Renalia DuBose, Associate Professor
Signed, on Oct. 4, 2021, a Letter of Intent with Mitchell Hamlin Law Review to publish an article entitled “An Unexpected Result of Gender Equality Initiatives in Sports - The Sexualization of Female Athletes,” in Volume 48 of their Law Review. Recent international media coverage of female athletes’ backlash against sexualized athletic attire by the Norwegian women’s handball team and the German female gymnastics team serve as the introduction to the article. The history of women’s participation in sports is examined from the ancient Olympics to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Significant historical events that changed the social order in the United States and ultimately increased female participation in sports are analyzed, including the Civil War, Women’s Suffrage Movement, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement. The positive and negative impacts of Title IX on female participation in sports are explored, especially the removal of women from significant decision-making roles regarding female athletics. Changes in female athletic attire from an era of modesty to an era of sensuality are documented, as are suggested steps forward to protect female athletes more effectively.
David Finnegan, Professor
Presented, “The Numerus Clausus Principle and Land Law in Africa” at the annual meeting of the American Society of Comparative Law, on Oct. 21, 2021.
Attended, the annual meeting of the Law & Society Association, in May 2021.
Served, in Winter 2021, on the Law & Society Association’s Herbert Jacob Prize Committee. The committee reviewed nominated books and gave the prize for best book in law and society scholarship published in 2020. Published, a book chapter on “Private Ordering, Dynamic Merchant Tradition, and the Uniform Commercial Code,” in Research Handbook on International Commercial Contracts (Andrew Hutchinson & Franziska Myburgh, eds.) in December 2020.
Amanda Fisher, Visiting Professor
Presented, at the South Florida Regional ASP Conference.
Presented, at the New England Consortium of Academic Support Professionals.
Published, “Convergent Roles: How The Pandemic Has Caused An Identity Crisis For Mothers” (March, 2021), available at https:// abovethelaw.com/2021/03/ convergent-roles-how-thepandemic-has-caused-an-identitycrisis-for-mothers/.
Published, “Asynchronous Teaching Methodologies: Pandemic Reflections and Best Practices” (Summer/Fall 2021), The Learning Curve.
Defended, and published doctoral dissertation, “Gendered Stigma in the Legal Profession” (September 2021), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Gerald Fisher, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Authored, the book, Local Government Law, A Practical Guidebook for Public Officials on City Councils, Community Boards, and Planning Commissions, published in May 2021 by Routledge. Published, an article, “Michigan Has a Deep-Rooted Public Policy of Strong Local Control … If We Can Keep It,” in the July 2020 edition of the Michigan Bar Journal. Published, an article, “Billboard Cases in the Sixth Circuit Raise Questions on the Application of Reed v Town of Gilbert,” in the January 2021 issue of Briefly, a publication of the Government Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Served, as chairperson of the advisory board for the publication of the Michigan Sign Guidebook, created and published by Scenic Michigan. Presented, two online workshops in May 2021 with MSU Extension Service, on the Michigan Sign Guidebook for professional planners and attorneys.
Joseline Hardrick, Visiting Professor
Published, the article, “The Importance of Pipeline Programs in Diversifying the Federal Bench and Bar,” in The Federal Lawyer, Sept/Oct. 2021, Vol. 68, Issue 5.
Organized, the first-ever “Law Student and Young Lawyers Division Track” for the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Annual Bench Bar Event in commemoration of its 125th anniversary on Oct. 12, 2021.The event included a private breakfast with judges, and two sessions titled “Professional and Legal Development While Mixing and Mingling in the Virtual World” and “Job Searching in the Post COVID-19 Era.” She also helped coordinate scholarships for several WMU-Cooley students to become members of the association and attend the event for free, and to secure a $1,000 discount on Kaplan and Themis bar prep course for several students.
Joseph Kimble, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Gave, a keynote address at the joint international conference of Clarity, the Center for Plain
Language, and the Plain Language Association International. He spoke on the medical power of attorney developed by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting. Learned, that the medical power of attorney had won a prestigious ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language.
Learned, that the ABA Journal published an article praising the Michigan Bar Journal’s Plain Language column, which he has been the editor of since 1988. https:// www.abajournal.com/magazine/ article/celebrating-plain-english-inmichigan Published, his latest “Redlines” column in Judicature, the scholarly journal for judges. The column was called “Another Plea to Hold the Acronyms.” https://judicature.duke. edu/articles/another-plea-to-holdthe-acronyms/ Published, an article called “Scouring Dictionaries: Their Overuse and Misuse in the Courts” in Dictionaries, the journal of the Dictionary Society of North America.
Spoke, on that same subject at the virtual annual meeting of the Dictionary Society. Spoke, to the Health-Literary Work Group of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His topic was “How to Work with Lawyers on Your Plain-Language Projects.” Notified, that his longer article, “Dictionary Diving in the Courts: A Shaky Grab for Ordinary Meaning,” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process.
Discovered, that his article “The Straight Skinny on Better Judicial Opinions” had been cited prominently in a lecture by Lord Neuberger, then the President of the (UK) Supreme Court. The article appears in Professor Kimble’s first book of collected essays, Lifting the Fog of Legalese. Testified, before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight regarding Senate Bill 2019, an Act Providing for Plain Language in Certain Government Documents.
Attended, the virtual summer meeting of the Standing Committee on Federal Rules. Professor Kimble has been a drafting consultant to the committee since 2000.
Continued, working on a complete redraft of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy.
Matthew Marin, Visiting Professor
Co-Presented, “Creating and Administering an Asynchronous Course: Why it Works, and Why We Plan to Keep Doing it This Way,” for the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer 2021 Conference on June 10, 2021.
Published, “Asynchronous Teaching Methodologies: Pandemic Reflections and Best Practices,” in The Learning Curve, AALS Section of Academic Support.
Daniel Matthews, Professor
Passed, the Florida Bar Exam, in February 2021. Admitted, to the Florida Bar, in May 2021.
Michael Molitor, Professor
Co-authored, an amicus brief by the Business Law Section of the state bar to the Michigan Supreme Court. Case name is Murphy v. Inman.
Kimberly O’Leary, Professor
Presented, with Professor Mable Martin-Scott, on a panel at the AccessLex Institute’s LexCon ‘21, on the topic of “Preparing Multicultural Lawyers,” on Nov. 2, 2021.
Presented, with Professor Mable Martin-Scott, a session on “Developing Cultural Competence Lessons in Doctrinal Courses” on Dec. 3, 2021, for an in-house training course at the law school of the University of Memphis. This will be followed by a session in February 2022 on “Creating a Flagship for Culturally Competent Lawyering.”
Charles Senger, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Contributed, a photograph, for the cover of the July/August 2021 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal.
Co-authored, an article with Donald C. Frank (North Class, 1980), on aviation insurance, for the July/ August 2021 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal.
Otto Stockmeyer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Contributed,
monthly posts for the WMUCooley blog, archived at https:// info.cooley.edu/blog/author/ottostockmeyer Honored, with Scribes’ Kimble Distinguished Service Award, named for his esteemed colleague Joe Kimble.
Quoted, in the October 2021 Michigan Bar Journal, in support of journalist Tim Skubick’s Liberty Bell Award.
Ranked, in the top 10 percent of authors for all-time downloads by SSRN, the Social Science Research Network.
Amy Timmer, Associate Dean and Professor
Named, Director of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium, now housed on the WMU-Cooley Law School website.
Patrick Tolan, Professor
Participated, in the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) conference discussion group on evolving pedagogy in Wills, Estates, and Trusts.
Instituted, a welcome reception for SEALS newcomers and was recognized by SEALS for outstanding support to the Hospitality Committee. Wrote, “Floridians Right to Choose or Refuse Vaccines,” accepted for publication in the forthcoming Barry Law School Children and Family Law Journal.
Chaired, the professionalism committee for Hillsborough County Bar Association, Military and Veterans Assistance Committee: prepared and submitted annual professionalism report to the 13th Judicial Circuit.
William Weiner, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Elected, to a three-year term on the board of the West and Mid-Michigan Chapter of the Fulbright Association. He will serve as vice-president. His Fulbright was in Germany in 2004.
1976
Campbell Class
Bronson, Terrence, retired in 2019 after serving 30 years as a district court judge in Monroe, Michigan. Following retirement, he was appointed to the Michigan Military Appeals. He also published an article in the May 2021 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal on Veterans Treatment Courts entitled “Wounds Decriminalized: The Progress of Justice for Veterans From Vietnam to 9/11 and Beyond.” He spoke at a press conference at the Hall of Justice on Specialty Courts on behalf of Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) because at the time he was the only VTC judge who was a veteran.
1977
Felch Class
Bello, Mark, published Supreme Betrayal, the sixth in a series of legal thrillers. The book is based loosely on the appointment of Brent Kavanagh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bello’s legal career focused on trying cases for social justice. In retirement, he has continued that passion in writing and publishing the Zachary Blake legal thriller series of books.
1979
Butzel Class
Bahrie, Ron, announced that the Lansing, Michigan, Bahrie Law firm’s Writ for Certiorari was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court for the fall 2021 docket. The court will hear the firm’s veterans Social Security disability matter, a case the firm has been prosecuting since 2014.
1980
Bushnell Class
Otis, David. K., a partner with Plunkett Cooney in Lansing, Michigan, was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022, in the field of Municipal Law and Litigation.
1987
Champlain Class
James F.
Mauro, a Member in Dickinson Wright PLLC Lansing office, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the “Best Lawyers in America 2022 edition” for his work in Corporate Law and Real Estate Law.
1988
Pratt Class
Forbush,
Audrey, an attorney with Plunkett Cooney, in Flint, Michigan, was named by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine to its 2021 Super Lawyers list in the area of state, local, and municipal law.
1989
Douglass Class
Millenbach, Paul, was named a Super Lawyer in Michigan Super Lawyers/ Rising Stars 2021 edition in Business Litigation. He is an attorney with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith P.C., in Lansing, Michigan.
1990
Witherell Class
Cox, Bill, was named to Best Lawyers for 2021 in D Magazine. He is a criminal lawyer with the Law Offices of William Cox III, in Dallas, Texas. He frequently handles criminal law matters for high-profile clients and executives.
1991
Krinock Class
Kreucher, Jon D., was elected president and CEO of Howard & Howard, a business law firm in Royal Oak, Michigan. He will take office Jan. 1, 2022. He has been an attorney with Howard & Howard for 18 years and has practiced law for 30 years.
1994
Person Class
Desmond, John, attorney with Dickinson Wright PLLC attorney was named a “Super Lawyer” in the 2021 issue of Mountain States Super Lawyers, in the practice area of Commercial & Business Litigation. Desmond, a member in the firm’s Reno, Nevada, office, focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and appellate work.
1999
Fead Class
Stratton, Timothy A., an attorney with Gust Rosenfeld, was appointed to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. The board oversees 550 public charter schools in the state. In his law practice, he focuses on public finance and Section 103 tax law. He represents colleges and universities, special districts, cities, towns and other Arizona local government entities in all matters related to the issuance of municipal securities. He also maintains an active practice as underwriter, disclosure and bank counsel on publicly and privately offered debt issues.
2000
Rutledge Class
Marshall, Kristina, was named Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Oakland Community College Oakland County, Michigan. She most recently served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, as well as the Director of the Human Services Program, for Baker College.
2002
Chase Class
Klockow, Dawn N., was elected to a two-year term as a director on the Wisconsin State Bar Government Lawyers Division Board. She is corporation counsel for Green Lake, Wisconsin.
2004
Needham Class
Walker, Joel, was appointed to be a judicial magistrate judge for the 7th Judicial District of Muscatine County in Iowa.
2006
Fitzgerald Class
Parker-Lagrone, Alisa, was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the bench in Kalamazoo County’s 8th District Court. She takes over for former judge Ann Blatchford, who retired July 1, 2021. The appointment ends Jan. 1, 2023. She has been the managing attorney for Legal Services of South Central Michigan. She is the chair of the State Bar Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
2007
Fisher Class
Hudon, Kathleen “Katie,”
Pensacola State College’s Director of Student Affairs, was named one of Pinnacle Award winners by 850 Business Magazine. The Pinnacle Awards spotlight leading women in business and education across 18 northwest Florida counties. Hudon was one of 12 women to receive the award this year. She volunteers with United Way, First City Art Center, Ronald McDonald House and Lions Club International’s SightFirst program. Hudon joined Pensacola State College in November 2019. She was selected as the Santa Rosa County Woman of the Year by the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce for 2019-2020. Previously, she was an instructor and administrator at the University of West Florida and practiced law in Florida and Alabama.
Langley,
Peter, joined Plunkett Cooney as a senior attorney in the firm’s Lansing, Michigan office. A member of the firm’s Government Relations, Public Policy and Regulatory Practice Group, he also assists clients as a member of the firm’s Environment, Energy and
Resources Group. He was formerly deputy chief of staff and legislative director to Michigan Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekof.
2008
C.J. Adams Class
Genovich, Laura J., was named a Rising Star in Michigan Super Lawyers/ Rising Stars 2021 edition in the area of Bankruptcy: Business. She is an attorney with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith in Lansing, Michigan.
Johnson II, Vassal, was named to the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association 2021-2022 Board of Directors.
2009
Riley Class
Foster, Jessica Harbeson, was commissioned as a judge of the General District Court of the 20th Judicial District, for Fauquier and Rappahannock counties in Virginia. She was previously a partner at Foster McCollam Wright, where she practiced criminal and family law.
Nugent, Ivan, became a shareholder with Krigel & Krigel in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his partners specialize in employment litigation, commercial and consumer disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Patel, Rahul B., is a cofounder and managing partner of Patel Gaines, with offices in San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Houston, Texas. The law firm focuses on commercial and civil litigation, commercial real estate, property tax litigation, and corporate and business law. He also operates Fundamental Sports Management venture, PG Commercial, focusing on developing modern and innovative real estate development projects in south central Texas; and F45, which features high-intensity, circuit-training workouts designed to maximize one’s time at the gym. Patel has been featured in Forbes, Money, BusinessWeek, USA Today and Texas Monthly, among a number of other publications. He has received numerous recognitions, including the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Man of the Year, and one of the Top 100 Influencers in Law across the nation. He is nationally known as the resource to speak on topics including leadership, business, innovative management practices, personal branding, entrepreneurship, sports representation, commercial real estate, property tax litigation and more. Scott, Patricia J., was named a Super Lawyer in Michigan Super Lawyers/Rising Stars 2021 edition in the field of Civil Litigation: Plaintiff. She is an attorney with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., in Lansing, Michigan.
2010
Witherell Class
Coyle,
Emily, a partner with Plunkett Cooney in Detroit, Michigan, was selected for inclusion in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants.
Zapczynski, Jesse A., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in the field of Insurance Coverage.
Woodward Class
Burrell,
Aaron, has been named a “40 Under 40” Honoree by the National Bar Association. The award honors the nation’s top lawyers under 40 who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, including in innovation, vision, leadership and legal and community involvement. Aaron is a member of Dickinson Wright and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He serves on the board of directors of WMU-Cooley Law School and the Oakland County Bar Association. He has served in leadership positions in numerous organizations including the State Bar of Michigan, the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, and the National Bar Association. Aaron is recognized by numerous publications as a leader in his field including Diversity MBA Magazine, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Crain’s Detroit Business, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, and Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars.
Woodbridge Class
Pryor, Felecia, was named by Lincoln Educational Services to its board of directors in August 2021. She was also named to the board’s Compensation Committee. She serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at BorgWarner Inc. where her primary focus includes executive planning and compensation, talent and leadership development; culture, engagement and sentiment; internal communications; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She previously served more than 16 years in human resources at the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln Educational Services Corporation provides career-oriented post-secondary education for recent high school graduates and working adults at 22 campuses in 14 states.
2011
Sibley Class
Malott,
Scott, W., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in the field of Civil Litigation: Defense. Chipman Class
Barlaskar,
Abe, an attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in the field of Personal Injury: Defense.
Wilkins Class
Flores, Victor, was appointed the city attorney for Brownsville, Texas.
2012
Ellsworth Class
Green, Mikai, was named secretary of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association 2021-2022 Board of Directors.
Washington Class
Mennie,
John, of Slavi Schostok & Pritchard, in Chicago, Illinois, has been included in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. He focuses his practice on personal injury, medical malpractice and products liability.
2013
Moore Class
Boora, Kal, of the Boora Law Group in Temperance, Michigan, was nominated to Who’s Who in America as a featured lawyer.
Marshall Class
Moran, Luke P., was admitted to the prestigious Million Dollar and MultiMillion Dollar Advocates Forum. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million- and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements. He is a partner in his family’s Scranton, Pennsylvania-based law firm, The Moran Law Group.
W. Johnson Class
Hamor, Robert J., was named a Rising Star in Michigan Super Lawyers/Rising Stars 2021 edition in the area of Real Estate. He is an attorney with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith in Lansing, Michigan.
2014
Livingston Class
Dickey,
Ashley S., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in the field Personal Injury: Defense.
Todd Class
Bourjaily,
Ryan P., an attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine in the field of Estate and Trust Litigation. Mashburn, Xena, has joined the Los Angeles, California office of Wood, Smith, Henning and Berman as a senior associate.
2015
Story Class
Ollie, Callana, Chief Legal Officer at Oakland Community Health Network, was recognized by the National Bar Association as a 2021 “40 under 40 Nation’s Best Advocate Award” recipient.
Trimble Class
Rowe, The Hon. Kwamé, was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the Oakland County Circuit Court. Rowe, of Pontiac, Michigan, previously served as an Oakland County assistant prosecutor. He fills a seat on the bench left vacant by Judge Leo Bowman, who stepped down April 30. He will fill the remainder of Bowman’s term, which expires Jan. 1, 2023. As a special assistant prosecuting attorney with the Trafficking Unit, he worked on felony cases involving human trafficking, complex narcotics, and homicide. He previously served as Judge Bowman’s clerk.
2016
Taft Class
Haney, Erin M., joined Bodman PLC as an associate in the firm’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, office. She is a member of Bodman’s Business Practice Group. She is a certified public accountant and a former senior auditor for the Michigan Department of Treasury. She has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch as an up and coming practitioner in tax law.
Washington, Heather, was named to the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association 2021-2022 Board of Directors.
Hughes Class
Brunetti, Marisa
(Grifka), joined the Torts and Litigation Practice Group of Plunkett Cooney in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, office. She has experience handling claims involving business disputes, toxic torts, product liability and class actions. Her litigation practice also includes defending major pharmaceutical companies in state and federal opioid actions and representing clients in consumer default matters and foreclosures. Thomas, Toi, was named to the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association 2021-2022 Board of Directors.
2017
Warren Class
Walker, Kimlyn M., has joined the law firm of Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen, and Ginsburg, P.A., as an associate in the firm’s Sarasota, Florida, office. Walker focuses her practice in the areas of land use, zoning, municipal law and real estate. Before obtaining her law degree, she worked for the Hillsborough County Planning Commission as a land-use planner. She has in-depth knowledge and expertise in rezonings, special use requests, land development regulations, comprehensive plans, plan amendments, developments of regional impact, community redevelopment area plans and neighborhood studies. Walker has counseled and advised clients on development issues in both unincorporated counties and city municipalities.
2018
Boyle Class
Fatmi, Ali, joined the firm of Barclay Damon in Buffalo, New York, as an associate in the firm’s Property Tax & Condemnation and Commercial Litigation Practice Areas. He primarily practices in the areas of general commercial and property-related litigation involving property tax and eminent domain. Nelson Class
Smith, Chanavia, joined Collins Einhorn Farrell PC, in Southfield, Michigan, in the firm’s general and automotive liability practice group. She focuses on first- and third-party automotive defense and other general liability matters.
2019
Curtis Class
Hoff, Lawrence, joined Fox Rothschild LLP in Princeton, New Jersey, as an associate in the Intellectual Property Department. He has experience handling a broad range of intellectual property matters for domestic and international clients, including patent preparation and prosecution. Forrest, Renita (Wilks), was named treasurer of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association 2021-2022 Board of Directors.
2020
Davis Class
Witte, Allison, has joined the Ionia County, Michigan, Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor.
In Memoriam
1976
Cooley Class
Tiscornia, Gary Waldo, 75, died Oct. 14, 2021. He was the director of corporate affairs with the Michigan Humane Society, where he worked for 17 years, the last 11 as executive director. In 2000, his career took him to SPCA Monterey County in California. He retired in 2016 to Tucson, Arizona.
1977
Felch Class
Makulski, Michael A., 78, of Pearland, Texas, died July 24, 2021, after a short illness. He spent the majority of his legal career with Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan. Also with Dow, he served as Dow’s General Counsel for Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas, retiring from the Dow legal department in 1993. He served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain, and completing a tour of duty in Vietnam 1969-70. He was awarded the Bronze Star.
1978
Marston Class
Sandler, Jon L., 69, of Columbia, Maryland, died June 12, 2020, following a lifelong battle with cancer.
Ransom Class
Neeb, John C., 69, of Bad Axe, Michigan, died May 31, 2018. He had a general law practice in Bad Axe and Harbor Beach, Michigan. He was a former chairman of the board of Millennium Industries Corporation as well as general counsel for Millennium Industries.
1980
Bushnell Class
Gahan, Joanne, 82, of DeWitt, Michigan, died March 18, 2021. After earning her law degree, she developed and directed the Department of Risk Management and Legal Services at Ingham Medical Center in Lansing, Michigan.
1981
Kavanagh Class
Benedict, David Michael, 67, of Port Huron, Michigan, died May 31, 2021, after a short illness. He maintained a private practice in Port Huron.
Walsh, John Farrell, 78, died May 30, 2021, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He practiced law as a juvenile criminal attorney until his retirement in 2012. He was an Air Force veteran during the Vietnam era, stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
1982
Goodwin Class
Waldron, Donald, 67, of East Lansing, Michigan, died Oct. 17, 2020. He practiced law for more than 35 years, specializing in Workers Compensation litigation. He retired as a partner with the law firm Rappaport, Pollok, Farrell and Waldron in 2019.
1985
Morell Class
Coleman, Stephanie, 64, died Aug. 5, 2021, in Lansing, Michigan. She practiced law for UAW-Legal Plan Services.
1991
Lawrence Class
Woodruff Sr., David C., of Branch, Michigan, died Jan. 3, 2020. He practiced law in Newaygo County, Michigan, before becoming the prosecuting attorney of Lake County, Michigan. He served in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer during the Vietnam War. He volunteered his time as a scuba diver search and rescuer.
1993
Carpenter Class
Legere, Henry Joseph Jr., 70, of Holt, Michigan, died May 1, 2021.
1993
Moore Class
Olson, David Walter, 58, of Wahkon, Minnesota, died July 25, 2021, of cancer.
1994
Ostrander Class
Ryan, Katherine M., 55, of Westchester, Illinois, died June 7, 2021, of cancer. She was a former Cook County prosecutor.
1996
Black Class
Lawter, Anne Elizabeth, 53, died June 22, 2021, of pancreatic cancer. She managed structured legal settlements with Ringler Associates since 2015. Previously, she was with Kitch Law Firm as a lead trial counsel, defending hospitals, physicians, and other providers in malpractice, general liability, and commercial matters for almost 20 years. She was also an adjunct professor at WMU-Cooley.
2018
Boyle Class
Penny, Alex, 32, of Comstock Park, Michigan, died April 23, 2021.
2000
Cushing Class
Gonzalez, Jill A., 61, of Portland, Indiana, died April 11, 2021. She was a criminal attorney for Delaware, Jay, and surrounding counties in Indiana. She was a deputy public defender for Delaware County since 2015. She was chosen to attend, and graduated from, the National Forensic College taught by Barry Scheck in 2016.
2012
Ellsworth Class
Syed, Omarr, 39, died July 23, 2021, of an illness complicated by underlying cancer, at Toronto General Hospital in Ontario, Canada.
2013
Moore Class
Britt, DeOnna, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, died Aug. 17, 2021.
WMU-Cooley encourages all graduates to contribute information to Class Notes. We want to learn about your law career and other accomplishments in the legal profession. E-mail communications@ cooley.edu
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