62 minute read
ELIZABETH DEVOLDER
BY TERRY CARELLA
CONNECTING LOVE OF ART AND LAW
Elizabeth Devolder (Hughes Class, 2016) was nothing short of a superstar in law school.
She excelled in classes and student competitions, even winning a national championship in the American Bar Association’s 2015 Client Counseling Competition. On top of that, she was selected as one of National Jurist’s 25 future lawyers honored in the national publication’s inaugural “Law Student of the Year” feature in 2016. With a nearly perfect GPA of 3.95, she earned the highest grade recipient award – the Certificate of Merit – in 16 classes, while serving as a teaching assistant and as editor-in-chief of the WMUCooley Law Review.
Succeeding in law school came after re-imagining her future at 40, despite living comfortably, being a mom, and enjoying a successful career in sales, sales management and operations.
Devolder knew she wanted to be a lawyer.
As a newly minted attorney, Devolder started focusing on estate planning and probate in a general practice with her then husband, Bryan. The bustling business found an immediate following and thrived for its first five years, when the couple decided to separate their lives and law practice.
She reimagined her life again – opening the Law Office of Elizabeth Devolder in 2021, specializing her solo practice in estate planning and probate work.
As an accomplished business woman and marketing expert,
Devolder put on her strategist hat and started brainstorming new areas of law where she could innovate, improve, and expand her legal services.
BUSINESS QUESTIONS
Devolder first reflected upon her passions and strengths to better understand areas she would find joy, not only in her career, but in her life.
What do I want to do that is new and different?
How am I going to be different from other firms in estate planning and probate?
Where do I want to spend my time and who do I want to be around?
It didn’t take long for Devolder to see that her love for the arts could enhance and expand her business. “I had always had an interest in art,” stated Devolder. “My aunt, Barbara Gallagher, was a fairly well-known artist in Alabama. In 1984, she took me to the Kimball Museum of Art in Fort Worth and talked to me about the different types of art, the different art movements. I remember her showing me the brush strokes on a 16th century portrait of Hendrick III by Mabuse - that’s when I was hooked. From that time, I have always gravitated towards artists.”
That includes Kevin Townsend, a high school boyfriend who is now a professional artist (www. kevin-townsend.com); college friend Inness Hancock, a contemporary watercolorist in New York (innesshancock.com); John Donahue, a Charleston sculptor (ideasinmetal. net); and Mishou Sanchez, an artist and architect who is the past president of the Gasparilla Art Festival (studiomishou.com). Devolder insists that artists bring an interesting perspective to any conversation, as well as a certain depth of culture to a relationship.
“I love being around creative people and have tried my hand at creative pursuits, but that is not my true strength; I am much better at legal analysis and drafting. I do find it exciting to apply my creative side to the law and to help people who are creative.” But it was her Aunt Barbara’s influence and experiences again that were the guiding light in figuring out how to connect these two passions.
“I grew up hearing about the problems my aunt or her artist friends were facing: a sale gone wrong, an unfulfilled contract. I tuned into the legal problems faced by artists and collectors: a gallery’s creditors claiming ownership of displayed art, damages incurred in shipping, art lost by a gallery, heirs who were misled about value, or trying to figure out whether the surviving spouse or the decedent’s trust actually owns an art collection.”
ART + LAW = ART LAWYER
Everything fascinated Devolder about being an advocate for artists and collectors: making sure their life’s creations or art collection would be handled with professionalism, expertise, and care.
She started by learning what she needed to know about Art Law, building a library of Art Law books and resources at her fingertips. Then she started networking with galleries and artists to make sure she fully understood their legal needs.
Her earnest desire is to protect artists’ legacies so that the value of their artwork can be maximized during their life and beyond. It is in that relationship where she feels she can help heirs manage their collections. And there’s much to consider.
“How do we ensure who holds the title of artwork and how do we help preserve the value of a collection for a person that has been collecting it over time? I find, time and again, that many estate planning clients haven’t put a lot of thought into inventorying their art collection and things inevitably get lost,” explains Devolder.
“Many times, it is a parent who is the only person who knows where these valuable items came from, their value, and how to sell them.”
Devolder explains how things from a parent’s collection, including visual artworks, Persian rugs, antique furniture, or that rare baseball card collection that gets forgotten, creates a challenge for an inheriting child, who might lack the information to establish provenance, or ends up calling someone unqualified to see ‘what’s this worth?’ She says these challenges can be avoided or at least minimized if the original owner has a completely cataloged, inventoried, and documented his or her valuables.
LAWYERS ARE LIFE-LONG LEARNERS
For Devolder, it wasn’t until after law school that she truly appreciated the body of knowledge she had to learn, and how invaluable that is to her now.
“I think one of the biggest surprises for me after law school was how much I really used every single class to be a good attorney,” declared Devolder. “In art law, I use the skills and knowledge needed to do this kind of work from lessons learned in lots of law school classes – Contracts, Wills and Estates, Business Organizations, Equity and Remedies, and Property Law. There are a variety of classes that you need to be an effective attorney.
“When you have a complete legal education that gives you a really solid foundation in those subjects, then you are truly prepared to practice and grow in your legal career. And if you couple some extra-curricular activities, like Law Review and Client Counseling, with that learning you have gained an even more valuable education.” Devolder finds happiness in her goals and aspirations. Looking ahead, she hopes to create a firm that can comprehensively answer the needs of Floridians in estate planning, probate, taxation, land issues, and valuable personal property, like artwork, throughout central Florida. That’s where she says she would like to take her career.
She finds joy every day in her children: her daughter, Sophie, 11, and son, Anthony, 7, both busy in school and doing great academically - even after surviving the pandemic and being homeschooled for over a year.
The most recent joy ride was a three-day Paris 20-year reunion trip with two of her college roommates! The friends enjoyed everything about Paris, and loved recreating 2002 photos during a 2022 photo shoot at the Louvre! #collegeroomates #parisisalwaysagoodidea
BY SHARON MATCHETTE
Back in 2006, when Jason Gower needed a file, he didn’t have far to look. Would it be in the front seat, or the back?
Jason Gower
The answer depended on where he’d plunked his banker’s box of case files that day, for Jason Gower was operating his law practice out of his car. “I was literally a street lawyer,” he chuckled.
Sixteen years later, Gower (Starr Class, 2005) looks back on that humble beginning with pride.
From his mobile law office, which he combined with a room in his house, a parttime secretary, and borrowed conference room space, Gower built his dream into a two-office, two-city empire with six attorneys, including himself, and full-time staff. Gower is a study in success.
The 47-year-old Bay City, Michigan lawyer was a businessman before he entered law school. Life was going well, but he remembers he felt a calling to the law. When he found out he didn’t need an undergraduate degree in pre-law to pursue his legal studies, he enrolled at WMU-Cooley and dove into his new adventure. With his business background and legal degree, he dubbed himself a “lawpreneur.”
Drawn to criminal law, Gower sought out and completed two externships at the Bay County Public Defender’s Office. While there, he began his lifelong commitment of getting to know people, making contacts, and making himself available to people who needed help. Those relationships gave him a good foundation when he began practice as a lawyer, as did his habit of handing out business cards everywhere he went – even at the mall. To this day, Gower still gets clients off those original business cards. Innately conversational, Gower would be shopping in a store, get into a conversation with a clerk or two, and leave a stack of business cards on the way out.
What he would soon learn is that the people who he gave his card to would often find themselves in conversations with other people – friends, customers, etc. – who were in need of an attorney. Out came the cards. The person giving out the card felt good because they had a line on someone who could help their friend. They felt good because they were helpful. Everyone wants to be able to say “I know a guy” and be able to help, Gower explained.
The key to success, Gower said, is to remain approachable. When people come to Gower with their troubles, he makes it clear to them that they can lean on him and his firm to help them. He takes a “Let’s talk and see what we can do” approach and lets people know they can count on him. If his firm can’t help them, he will find them someone who can. Referrals work both ways, of course, and Gower’s firm also gets clients referred to them by other attorneys. “Our mantra is: “Call us first. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can,” Gower said.
And help them, he can. Part of Gower’s approachability is the reassurance he gives clients that he’s here to lighten their load.
“We navigate the process for them. I say ‘Let me see if I can work this out.’ They love you for this,” he explained.
From the beginning, Gower understood that volume was going to be a key factor to success in growing a business from the ground up. He remembers thinking he could “keep the lights on” if he could just get a couple cases a week. He didn’t have to be concerned. With his networking and approachability, he was never lacking for work.
Volume and lower costs were the ticket to success in getting the law firm off to a fast start. One of his very first cases that he tried to verdict was a one-day misdemeanor that netted him exactly $500. Successful outcomes have also been an important factor. Gower’s very first appearance was a juvenile case for which he won a Not Guilty verdict. The business grew quickly and within a year he was able to bring on a Cooley student to help part-time.
Gower’s public service – a part of his life even before law school – also helped, not only for the contacts he made, but for his reputation of approachability and for being able to get
things done. Gower has been a Williams Charter Township trustee since 2000, taking time off from that elected post only during law school. Once he finished law school, he ran again and has held the post ever since.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
A career as an attorney is rarely a 9-5 job and Gower is no exception. He knows that crises don’t limit themselves timewise and when people need help, they need it right away. To help with both availability and the need for a healthy home life, Gower works with an organization called LEX Reception that answers the phone for them, giving clients 24/7 access.
That’s not to say that the law isn’t a visible presence in the Gower home, however. Gower, 47, and a single dad, has three daughters – Justice, 17, Liberty, 13, and America, 12. Even the Gower canine is part of the legal theme, a 10-year-old brown Shih Tzu, named – of course – Mr. Judge.
As thoroughly immersed in the law as Gower is, however, he’s careful not to push his career on his daughters. Currently, one daughter of the three has expressed an interest in following in her dad’s footsteps and Gower is quick to counsel her “only do it if it’s a calling.”
It’s not just home and the law that keeps Gower busy. He also owns and operates the restaurant/bar across from his law office. Taking approachability to new horizons, Gower can frequently be found catching up on his networking while working at the restaurant.
FOCUS AND SUCCESS
Gower’s calling is to focus on criminal defense and administrative matters such as driver’s license appeals. In recent years, the firm has branched out to assist people in additional areas, such as personal injury, divorce and bankruptcy, but Gower’s personal practice is still about 60 percent criminal law.
Success can be judged in a number of ways. Not only was Gower’s firm a million-dollar practice and the biggest law firm in Bay City within seven years, but the success rate is solid also. Out of 44 cases tried to verdict, only five were convicted on their original charge.
The true measure of success for Gower, however, seems to be the faith and trust that the community places in him. “It’s not just dollars and cents,” he said, explaining that when you are the person people trust to rescue them, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. “People come to you for help. They trust you.”
GOWER’S ADVICE
Be approachable. Make sure people feel comfortable in talking to you. You want to be the one they turn to for help.
Be available. When you’re starting out, availability can be challenging. If you don’t have a bricks-and-mortar location to meet, there are still plenty of options. Gower explained that courthouses often have conference rooms for attorneys to meet with their clients – take advantage of that, he counseled. In addition, more than one client has met with his or her attorney in the local Starbucks.
Network. Get out there and be part of the community. Whether you’re practicing in your hometown, like Gower, or embracing a new town as your own, get involved and stay in touch. When Gower first began his practice, he even chatted with former customers on the paper route he had as a boy to let them know he was an attorney now and was available to help them.
Get involved in professional organizations.
Gower joined the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) early on and found it to be a great organization for connections and advice. Get and carry business cards. In this digital age, it’s easy for many to overlook the importance of getting quality business cards in peoples’ hands. People keep these and when they find themselves in difficulty, you want to be “top of mind” and the one they call.
Don’t overlook billboards. Gower not only gets some clients via roadside advertising, but at least one of his attorneys connected with him that way also.
Be genuine and respectful with court staff.
Not only do secretaries and law clerks know more than most attorneys about the working processes of their court, but they have lives and families also – and you want them to think of you when they need their own attorney.
Be knowledgeable and respectful. Judges’ and attorneys’ time is valuable. Make them copies of everything they might need. Bonus points if the paperwork is all in the proper order. Sure, paper and toner is expensive, but the rewards of your legal colleagues remembering how well you treated them are great.
Get a mentor. Not only are they a good sounding board and full of advice, but they may be willing to loan you some meeting space also.
Be willing to give some advice away for free.
Sometimes a person just needs a little “word to the wise.” It takes no effort and little time, and the grateful person will remember you when they need full-fledged legal work done.
Gower has dubbed his law practice as The People’s Firm, with just the word “People” underlined to emphasize what they’re all about. Making that happen with him is an all-WMU-Cooley cast of graduates. He quipped that he wouldn’t discriminate against graduates from other law schools; but he appreciates the practice-ready attorneys from WMU-Cooley Law School. Gower’s firm is a single-owner PLC. Working for the firm with him in Bay City are Kimberly King (Ellsworth Class, 2012), Guy Cotter (Davis Class, 2020) and Benjamin Bragiel (Wilkins Class, 2011), while Jared Shouey (Hilligan Class, 2012) and Megan Bos (Davis Class, 2020) work in the Grand Rapids office.
THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL DEANS THROUGH HISTORY 1972 1974 1978 1980 1982
Thomas E. Brennan Acting Dean July 1972 - August 28, 1973 Thomas E. Brennan, Dean April 5, 1974 - May 13, 1978 Robert E. Krinock, Dean May 13, 1978 - July 1980 Keith J. Hey, Dean July 1980 - May 15, 1982 Don LeDuc, Dean May 15, 1982 - September 19, 1987
1987 1988 1996
Peter M. Kempel Acting Dean September 19, 1987-July 1988 Michael P. Cox, Dean May 14, 1988 - May 18, 1996 Don LeDuc, Dean May 18, 1996 - August 31, 2018 Amy Timmer, Interim Dean October 20, 2018 - June 30, 2019 James McGrath, Dean July 1, 2019 - Present
2018 2019
THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL
Presidents
THOMAS E. BRENNAN
July 1972 - January 1975
JOHN L. COTÉ
January 1975 - May 1976
LOUIS A. SMITH
May 1976 - May 1978
J. BRUCE DONALDSON
May 1978 - January 1979
THOMAS E. BRENNAN
January 1979 - January 2002
DON LEDUC
January 2002 – August 31, 2018
JEFFREY L. MARTLEW (INTERIM)
September 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
JAMES MCGRATH
July 1, 2019 - Present Justice Thomas E. Brennan Sr., was the founder and original president of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He served in the top spot twice, originally for two-anda-half years when the law school first started, and then for 23 years ending in January 2002.
THOMAS E. BRENNAN, JULY 1972-JANUARY 1975 AND JANUARY 1979-JANUARY 2002
Justice Brennan’s adventures in starting and growing the law school are well chronicled in Starting a Law School, authored by Brennan.
He was born May 27, 1929, the son of Joseph T. and Jeannette Brennan. He graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School, attended the University of Detroit for pre-law studies 1947-1949, and earned his LL.B. from the University of Detroit Law School in 1952.
He began his law career in 1953 with the law firm of Waldron, Brennan, Brennan, and Maher. In 1961, he was elected to a seat on the Common Pleas Court. Two years later, he was appointed by Michigan Gov. George Romney to the Wayne County Circuit Court, and in 1954 he was elected to that same seat. His career on the Michigan Supreme Court began in 1966 when he was elected as an associate justice on the court. In 1969-1970, he served as the court’s Chief Justice, the youngest justice to hold that position.
While serving on the court, Brennan frequently received requests for assistance from individuals trying to get into law school. Noting that many qualified students were refused law school admission, he was determined to eradicate academic elitism and make legal education accessible to all capable students.
Brennan incorporated the law school in 1972, and he resigned from the court on Dec. 6, 1973 to dedicate his time to getting the school up and running. He was known for his innovations,
1976 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Seated, left to right: Thomas E. Brennan, John L. Cote, Phillip Marco, Louis A. Smith, James L. Ryan; Standing, left to right: Jack W. Warren, John W. Fitzgerald, J. Bruce Donaldson, Forest Evashevski, Robert E. Krinock, John R. Des Jardins, Robert A. Fisher; Not Pictured, James H. Brickley
including a year-around academic calendar that entered three freshman classes each year, and founded the school’s Legal Authors Society, Student Bar Association, Scholastic Review Board and the Law Review. He also composed the school’s alma mater. In addition to writing Starting a Law School, Brennan also authored a novel, The Bench, about eight justices of the Michigan Supreme Court. In his official role on the actual court, Brennan authored 83 Opinions of the Court, joined in 16 concurrences, and wrote an additional 71 dissents. Thomas E. Brennan, Sr. died Sept. 29, 2018.
JOHN COTÉ JANUARY 1975-MAY 1976
John L. “Jack” Coté was a member of the original cadre of attorneys who organized and found support for the fledgling law school. He was one of the first members of the Thomas M. Cooley Board of Directors and served as a member of the board for 24 years.
He was a founding member of the law firm of Willingham & Coté P.C., in East Lansing, Michigan. In addition, Coté served as president of the Ingham County Bar Association in 1974 and was also a past president of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Michigan.
At his law firm, Coté served as head of the litigation department and specialized in admiralty and maritime law. In this area, he helped solve the mysterious disappearance of boats on Lake Michigan and in the Atlantic Ocean, and appeared on national television as an expert witness in solving maritime cases. He was also a retired member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
He also represented hundreds of attorneys, including judges. He was a military veteran, having served in the Korean War where he was attached to the 3rd Armored Division. He died Dec. 6, 2015.
LOUIS A. SMITH MAY 1976-MAY 1978
Louis A. Smith is one of the three incorporators of the school with Brennan and John Gibbons, Brennan’s law clerk. In the publication, Starting a Law School, Brennan reported that Smith donated a working oil well near Traverse City, Michigan.
In addition to serving Cooley Law School for a term as its third president, Smith was also a member of the school’s board of directors from 1972-1994, and served as the board’s chairman.
He retired as shareholder of Smith & Johnson Attorneys, P.C., in Traverse City, Michigan. He served on several boards and commissions, including the State Tenure Commission, the State Board of Law Examiners, and the Grand Traverse County Hearing Panel #2 for the Attorney Discipline Board. He was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve 1957-1965.
(continued)
J. BRUCE DONALDSON MAY 1978-JANUARY 1979
In addition to a term as president of Cooley Law School, J. Bruce Donaldson served on the school’s board of directors. He was a tax attorney from Detroit. In his book, Starting a Law School, Brennan told the story of how Donaldson connected him with one of the relatives of the school’s namesake. Donaldson had been talking to a lawyer from Toledo about his association with Cooley Law School. The lawyer told Donaldson about an adjunct professor whose last name was Cooley and the two wondered if there was a connection. Brennan found the man at the University of Pittsburgh and brought him to Lansing to meet with others while they worked on accreditation as the law school got started.
DON LEDUC JANUARY 2002-AUGUST 2018
Don LeDuc joined WMU-Cooley Law School in 1975 as a professor of law. He served as Dean from 1982 to 1987 and then again from 1996 to 2018. He was named president of the law school in 2002 and served in both capacities until August 31, 2018 when he retired from those offices. He remains with the school as a tenured professor and Dean Emeritus.
LeDuc served as vice chair and chair of the Faculty Conference and as the chair of the Curriculum, Readmissions, and SelfStudy Committees, where he authored the first Cooley Self-Study. He also served on the Committee on Committees and on the Academic Policy, Admissions, Budget, Client Counseling, and Promotion and Tenure committees, as well as on the Dean’s Special Committee on Affiliation.
Before joining the law school, he served as administrator for the Office of Criminal Justice Programs for the Michigan Department of Management and Budget from 1972-1975, having previously served there as Deputy Administrator in 1971 and as Director for Program Planning during 1970 and 1971. In 1969 and 1970, he served in the Executive Office of Governor William G. Milliken as the Law Studies Coordinator for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
While working in the governor’s office and the Department of Management and Budget, he was a member of the National Conference of State Criminal Justice Planning Agencies, where he served as chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Appropriations and as a member of the Fund Flow Study Group, the Grant Management Information Systems Committee, and the Legislative Committee.
From 1967 to 1969, he served as a Special Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As a member of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, he was assigned to the Detroit Organized Crime Strike Force in 1968 and 1969, which was the first full-time deployment made by the Justice Department.
LeDuc has been a member of several boards of directors and commissions, both with Cooley and outside of the school.
He was a Hearing Officer for the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Training Council (19952002), the Michigan Department of Treasury Bureau of State Lottery (1991), the Michigan Department of Public Health (1976-1984), and at various times for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulation. From 1987 to 2002, he also served as an administrative law judge for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
His text, Michigan Administrative Law, is published annually by the West Group. He is a member of Scribes, the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects.
He was honored by the Legal Writing Institute with the Golden Pen Award and by the Grand Rapids Bar Association with the President’s
Award. He received awards from the Michigan Capitol Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration for Public Service in Academia and from the Michigan Business Monthly for support of entrepreneurialism.
Jeffrey L. Martlew served as Interim President of WMU-Cooley Law School from Sept. 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. He joined the fulltime faculty of WMU-Cooley after 14 years on the bench at the 29th Circuit Court in Michigan. He was first elected to the circuit court in 1993. He was named Chief Judge in 1994 and served in that capacity until he retired in May 2007. Previously he served for eight years as judge of the 65th District Court in Clinton County, Michigan. He was an adjunct professor at Cooley from 2005-2007, then as a visiting professor until his appointment to the full-time faculty. He has also served as a member of the WMU-Cooley Law School Board of Directors.
He began his legal career in private practice, first as an associate in the Law Office of David C. Newland, P.C., in Mt. Morris, Michigan 1976-1978, then in his own practice, Matson & Martlew in DeWitt, Michigan 1979-1984.
President Martlew has served as a faculty member of the Michigan Judicial Institute, as presiding judge for a multi-county citizens grand jury that was part of a nationwide drug trafficking investigation, and as a member of the executive board for the Michigan Judges Association.
JAMES MCGRATH JULY 2019 - PRESENT
James McGrath, President, Dean and Professor of Law at WMU-Cooley Law School, joined the school in July 2019 after a nationwide search for a new president and dean. He most recently served as the Associate Dean of Academic Support and Bar Services, as well as professor, at Texas A&M School of Law.
He was associated with Texas A&M Law School (formerly known as Texas Wesleyan University School of Law) since 2005, first as a visiting associate professor, then an associate professor, and professor.
McGrath was a Fulbright Scholar at Beijing University of Chemical Technology from August 2011 to July 2012. He also served as a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco, the University of Texas at Arlington, Appalachian School of Law, the University of San Diego, and Temple University Beasley School of Law.
He has specialized in legal pedagogy and empirically based approaches to teaching and learning. His focus was on public health and the law issues, particularly the law’s effect on the health of populations with little or no political power, including lesbian and gay, transgender, and intersexual legal issues.
Anniversaries THREE IN ONE 3
50 YEARS OF LEGAL EDUCATION
The year 2022 is a banner year for WMU-Cooley Law School. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school, but it’s the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project, and the 10th anniversary of the school’s Tampa Bay, Florida campus.
Cooley Law School started in rented space on Grand Avenue in Lansing, Michigan. The school would grow to include numerous buildings and now resides in two sizeable locations — the 10-story red brick building in the downtown area of state capitol, and the 130,000-square-foot structure in Riverview, Florida, near Tampa.
From 76 students who began their studies in January 1973, to the present day, WMU-Cooley has graduated more than 21,000 people who have made – and continue to make – their mark on the world. Over the years, WMU-Cooley became known for a number of innovations, including evening classes, weekend classes, year-around education, and required practical experience through clinics and externships where students hone their craft in the real world under the mentorship of practicing lawyers. The school also instituted the Sixty Plus, Elderlaw Clinic, which services the needs of seniors throughout a large tri-county area; and the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project, which provides practical experience for selected students and a life-changing service for the wrongfully convicted.
As WMU-Cooley looks back over 50 years and celebrates its decades of success, it also looks forward to the future and the innovations it will bring in the years to come.
TAMPA BAY
CAMPUS Celebrates 10 Years
In 2012, Cooley Law School opened its campus in Riverview, Florida, just minutes from downtown Tampa. Cooley became Florida’s 12th law school.
At the time, Cooley already reached 900 graduates throughout Florida.
Renovations to turn the former Progressive Insurance building into a state-ofthe-art law school began in September 2011, and the inaugural class began its studies on May 7, 2012. A formal dedication ceremony to open the new campus was held Oct. 31, 2012.
The 132,000-square-foot building includes a 25,000-squarefoot law library, 336-seat auditorium and 24 classrooms. The 13.3-acre property also contains on-site parking.
WMU-COOLEY
Innocence Project TWO DECADES OF RIGHTING SERIOUS WRONGS
In May 2001, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project began as a fullfledged clinic five months after Michigan enacted its DNA Testing Statute. Celebration of the project’s anniversary would have been held in 2021, but was delayed due to pandemic restrictions still in place.
The project got underway full-steam in November 2002 when they filed their first motion for DNA testing under Michigan’s recently enacted Post conviction DNA Testing Law. A month later, that motion bore fruit when the Michigan State Police Crime Lab was directed to conduct DNA testing on all evidence in the case of Kenneth Wyniemko, who’d been falsely convicted of 15 counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct almost a decade previously. Six months later, on June 17, 2003, Wyniemko walked out of prison a free man.
The Cooley Innocence Project was on its way to becoming a force in identifying, providing legal assistance to, and securing the release of individuals who were wrongly imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
Each term, the project accepts a few WMU-Cooley students who work with faculty experienced in criminal and post-conviction law. They screen cases for strong evidence of factual innocence and prepare the appropriate cases for court action.
Now, in 2022, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project has helped overturn the convictions and secure the release of eight individuals.
2022 - GEORGE DEJESUS 2021 - COREY QUENTIN MCCALL 2021 - GILBERT POOLE 2021 - KENNETH NIXON 2017 - LEDURA WATKINS 2014 - DONYA DAVIS 2008 - NATHANIEL HATCHETT 2003 - KENNETH WYNIEMKO
In May 2022, the law school was able to celebrate in style, holding a gala and fundraiser at the Country Club of Lansing. At the gathering, the project had a new reason to celebrate, accepting a $250,000 donation from Novi, Michigan attorney Wolfgang Mueller.
Annual Giving
For 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. Visit cooley.edu/giving to make your gift online.
Visit cooley.edu/giving to make your gift online or return the enclosed Annual Fund reply envelope.
Three opportunities to make a difference Three opportunities to make a difference:
DEI Champions DEI CHAMPIONS
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.
Merit Scholarship Fund MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FUND Cooley Annual Fund COOLEY ANNUAL FUND
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
needs.
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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 distinguished panels and experts who have presented January through June 14, 2022. We thank them for being part of the conversations and solutions we face today. If you missed any of the WMU-Cooley Community Conversations virtual events, you can find them under the Playlist for Community Conversations on the law school’s official YouTube page.
Voter Suppression & Voter Protections: January
18, 2022, Civil Rights attorneys Mark Brewer and Harold Pope were the keynote speakers for our Martin Luther King Jr. Day virtual event.
Race and Society: February 18, 2022,
Yesterday and Today, WMU-Cooley Law School hosts a Black History Month WMU-Cooley Community Conversation with University of South Florida Professor David Ponton.
Gender Equality and Women’s Rights: March 3,
2022, WMU-Cooley Professor Amanda Fisher was the keynote speaker in honor of Women’s History Month.
Mark Brewer
David Ponton Amanda Fisher
Harold Pope Warrior Lawyers Defenders of Sacred Justice Native American
Panel: May 17, 2022, The distinguished panel included the Hon. Allie Greenleaf Maldonado, John Morseau, Stacey Rock, and WMU-Cooley Professor Joan Vestrand.
(Top, L to R) Hon. Allie Greenleaf Maldonado, John Morseau, Stacey Rock, and Joan Vestrand LGBTQ+ Law: Outrageous Laws & Everyday
Rebellions: June 14, 2022, Attorney Christine A. Yared was the keynote speaker for our PRIDE Month virtual event.
Christine Yared
WMU-Cooley School News
Graduations return to in-person ceremonies
DECEMBER 2021
(L to R) Hon. Richard Bernstein, James McGrath Katrina Davis Kimberly Lewis Desmond Meade speaks in a livestream event
GRAY CLASS COMMENCEMENT DECEMBER 2021 MICHIGAN
Michigan campus graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School were honored during a graduation ceremony on Dec. 18. The commencement, which was held live at Michigan State University’s Wharton Center, allowed family and friends the opportunity to join the ceremony remotely through a YouTube livestream event.
During the commencement, 56 juris doctor degrees were conferred. Chosen by her peers, Katrina Davis presented the valedictory remarks. The Hon. Richard H. Bernstein, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, gave the keynote address.
Mina Woodard ranked first in her class with a perfect cumulative grade point average of 4.0 and was named summa cum laude.
Woodard is employed at the Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices PLLC as a law clerk, where she hopes to stay on as an associate attorney after passing the Michigan bar exam. Chalgian and Tripp practices elder law, estate planning, probate litigation, and special needs planning with various locations across Michigan.
GRAY CLASS COMMENCEMENT – DECEMBER 2021 FLORIDA
Graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a graduation ceremony on Dec. 19. The commencement, held live at the University of South Florida Music Hall Center, allowed the opportunity for family and friends to join the ceremony remotely through a YouTube livestream event.
During the commencement, 51 juris doctor degrees were conferred. Chosen by her peers, Kimberly Lewis presented the valedictory remarks. Desmond Meade, executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, gave the keynote address.
MAY 2022
(L to R), James McGrath, Karen Walksnice, Hon. Sara Schimke Rosemary Armstrong (FL) Karen Smithman (FL)
BLATCHFORD CLASS COMMENCEMENT MAY 2022 MICHIGAN
Michigan campus graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School were honored during a graduation ceremony on May 12 at the Michigan State University Auditorium.
During the commencement, 60 juris doctor degrees and five master of laws degrees were conferred. Karen Walksnice was selected by her classmates to present the valedictory remarks, and the Hon. Sara Schimke, Macomb County Probate Court, gave the keynote address.
Scott Nowling was named summa cum laude of the Samuel Blatchford Class. He ranked first with a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. Nowling is one of 17 WMU-Cooley students who have graduated with a 4.0 GPA since the law school’s first graduating class in 1976.
Nowling, who has enjoyed a 27-year career in field management at Johnson & Johnson, joined McKeen & Associates in Detroit, in June – first as a law clerk and then as associate attorney.
BLATCHFORD CLASS COMMENCEMENT MAY 2022 FLORIDA
Graduates of the WMU-Cooley Tampa Bay campus were honored during a graduation ceremony on May 14 at the University of South Florida Oval Theater.
During the commencement, 33 juris doctor degrees were conferred. Chosen by her peers, Karen Smithman presented the valedictory remarks. Attorney Rosemary Armstrong of Crossroads for Florida Kids, Inc. gave the keynote address.
Anniversary Honored, Donation Celebrated
On Friday, May 6, the WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project celebrated 20 years of screening legal cases, which has led to the exoneration of eight individuals.
During a gala celebration and fundraiser at the Country Club of Lansing, the keynote speaker was Anthony Ray Hinton, who was wrongfully convicted of the 1985 murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama.
During the celebration, Novibased attorney Wolfgang Mueller donated $250,000 to the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project.
Hinton, who was the 152nd person exonerated from death row, spoke about injustices found in our criminal justice system. Hinton serves as community educator for the Equal Justice Initiative, where he is an advocate for abolition of the death penalty. As one of the longest-serving death row prisoners in Alabama and the longest-serving condemned prisoner to be free, Hinton said, “I come here today to tell you that the system is broken. I come here to tell you that we all need to stand up. We must join hands and fight.”
In recognition of the WMUCooley Innocence Project’s 20th anniversary Mueller, founder of the Mueller Law Firm, presented a donation of $250,000. Mueller has been a speaker at seminars for the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ). He is a past member of the MAJ’s executive board and is a member of the Council for the State Bar of Michigan’s Negligence Section. Mueller often speaks at law schools on the issue of police misconduct.
The WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state. Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of eight individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), Corey Quentin McCall (2021) and George DeJesus (2022). The project is staffed by WMU-Cooley Law School students, who work under the supervision of WMU-Cooley Innocence Project attorneys.
WMU-Cooley and Barbri Bar Review Enter into Partnership
Beginning with the WMU-Cooley Law School May 2022 incoming class, the BARBRI Guided Pass bar preparation course will be included and made available to all students following graduation. Additionally, any current student will be able to purchase the BARBRI Guided Pass bar preparation course at a reduced rate.
Through a recently announced partnership with BARBRI, the largest U.S. bar preparation and legal exam company, WMU-Cooley faculty and students will have access to many new resources to enhance the study of topics covered on bar exams.
“We know that one of the best indicators of bar exam passage is meaningful completion of at least 80 percent of a quality post-graduate commercial bar prep course,” said WMUCooley President and Dean James McGrath. “The partnership with BARBRI underscores WMU-Cooley’s commitment to continue supporting our law students even after graduation by helping them tackle the last obstacle of becoming a practicing lawyer.”
WMU-Cooley Innocence Project Partners with Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
In 2018, the Department of the Michigan Attorney General received a Post-Conviction DNA Testing of Evidence grant from the Department of Justice to screen claims of innocence and conduct DNA testing in appropriate cases. In 2019 and 2021, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project received an Upholding the Rule of Law grant from the Department of Justice to review cases in which unreliable forensics played a role in the conviction. Since 2018, the two offices have been partnering on DNA and other forensic casework.
In March 2022, Oakland County (Michigan) Circuit Court Judge Martha D. Anderson set aside the conviction of George and Melvin DeJesus, who were wrongfully convicted of murder and felony firearms in 1997.
At the request of the WMUCooley Innocence Project and the Michigan Innocence Clinic the Attorney General’s CIU reinvestigated the DeJesus brothers’ cases.
Assistant Attorney General Robyn Frankel, director of the Michigan Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) moved to have the DeJesus brothers’ convictions vacated and requested dismissal of all charges. The statewide conviction integrity unit is one of the first of its kind, reviewing claims of innocence in all Michigan counties, except Wayne County, which has its own unit.
George DeJesus was represented by Jessica McLemore of the WMUCooley Law School Innocence Project. Melvin DeJesus is represented by David Moran of the Michigan Innocence Clinic.
The two innocence organizations worked collaboratively with Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office to achieve justice for these two men who served over two decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.
Faculty Briefs
Amy Bandow, Assistant Professor
Named, by the president-elect of the Florida Bar, to chair the bar’s Clients’ Security Fund Committee for the 2022-2023 bar year. This is her second year chairing the committee.
Erika Breitfeld, Professor
Volunteered, as an expungement attorney, spending numerous hours assisting pro se litigants with their applications and paperwork to expunge criminal convictions. She volunteered at the Oakland County Racial Justice Advisory Expungement Clinic and with the WMU-Cooley Expungement Fair hosted with Safe and Just of Michigan. Presented, to the Oakland County Inns of Court, about Professionalism and the Bounds of Zealous Advocacy, along with other Oakland County lawyers and judges. Served, on the State Bar of Michigan Access to Justice Committee in her capacity as a member.
Mark Cooney, Professor
Notified, that his article, “Make Your Case in a Minute (With Some Help from Aristotle),” reached #2 on the SSRN Legal Writing eJournal Top 10. Notified, that his article, “Decluttering Sentences,” made the Top 10 SSRN downloads for four different eJournals.
Presented, “Article Selection: The Good, the Bad, and the Political,” for Scribes’ Second-Sunday National Webinar Series, in April 2022.
Presented, “The Extra-Stuff Rule” for the Legal Writing Institute’s One-Day Workshop at South Texas College of Law, in December 2021.
Presented, “Appellate Advocacy and Citing Authority in Briefs and at Oral Argument” for a Strafford National Webinar, in November 2021.
Presented, for the Michigan Appellate Bench-Bar Conference Foundation’s Moderator & Reporter Training, in April 2022. Completed, editing volume 20 of The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing, his sixth volume as Editor in Chief.
Invited, by the Center for Plain Language to serve as lead judge for the 2022 ClearMark Awards in the Legal Documents and Posters/ Charts/Fliers categories.
Mary D’Isa, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Accepted, a part-time legal editor position with the Michigan Supreme Court Office of the Reporter of Decisions. Served, on the 2022 ABA Silver Gavel Screening Committee for Silver Gavel Awards to select finalists, which were announced in March https://www.abajournal. com/news/article/aba-announces22-finalists-for-2021-silver-gavelawards.
Celebrated, her one-year anniversary with Quimbee.com serving as a contributing author. Joined, Alllaw.com/Nolo.com as a contributing author. Published, “Do You Have to Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Adjuster?” https://www.alllaw.com/ law-authors/mary-phelan-disa. html May 2022.
Mark Dotson, Professor
Submitted, the spring case and practice update for: https://store. legal.thomsonreuters.com/law-products/Treatises/ Stein-on-Personal-Injury-Damages3d/p/100027595. Submitted, the yearly update for: https://store.legal.thomsonreuters.com/law-products/Treatises/Emotional-Injuries-Law-andPractice/p/100029369
Katherine Gustafson, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor
Published, “Mentorship is not all about the Mentee” in the ABA Journal – Your Voices in March 2022. The article encourages lawyers to become mentors by focusing on the benefits to the mentor.
Joseph Kimble, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Named, by the Michigan Supreme Court as the style (drafting) consultant to a committee that will revise the Michigan Rules of Evidence to conform to the Federal Rules of Evidence. Professor Kimble was also the drafting consultant when those federal rules were completely rewritten, effective 2011.
Published, an article called “Nielsen v. Preap, the Futility of Strict Textualism, and the Case for Universalism in Judging” in volume 20 of The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing.
Published, an article called “More Examples from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Bankruptcy” in the Plain Language column of the Michigan Bar Journal. Professor Kimble is a drafting consultant on the current project to rewrite those rules for clarity and consistency.
Learned, that a draft version of his article “Dictionary Diving in the Courts: A Shaky Grab for Ordinary Meaning” was a top-ten download, multiple times, on SSRN for five different eJournals: the Legal Writing eJournal, the Law and Rhetoric eJournal, the Judicial Decisionmaking eJournal, the Legislation and Statutory Interpretation eJournal, and the Applied Linguistics eJournal. The article will appear in the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process.
Learned, that his article “Scouring Dictionaries: Their Use and Overuse in the Courts”—published in Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America—was a top-ten download on SSRN for the Legal Writing eJournal.
Learned, in March that he was in the top 10% of all authors downloaded on SSRN in the previous 12 months. Many of his papers are collected at ssrn.com/author=624332.
Published, his latest “Redlines” column in Judicature, the scholarly journal for judges. The column was called “The Importance of Signposting—and Following Through.” Interviewed, for the podcast “Science Diction,” a spinoff of the National Public Radio show “Science Friday.” https://www. npr.org/podcasts/813012842/ science-diction (Nov. 2, 2021). And his children’s book, Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson, even got an honorable mention.
Presented, a session at the Central States Legal-Writing Conference. It was called “Better Legal Drafting: Tips, Examples, Exercises.” Presented, a session at the Rocky Mountain Legal-Writing Conference. It was called “What Our Students Need to Know About Textualism: Canons, Supreme Court Cases, and Classroom Exercises.”
Presented, a talk on textualism to the student chapter of the American Constitution Society at the Sandra Day O›Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Recorded, a presentation for a virtual class visit to students in the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program at Austral University in Buenos Aires. Attended, the virtual winter meeting of the Standing Committee on Federal Rules, which oversees all new and amended federal court rules. Professor Kimble has been a drafting consultant to the committee since 2000.
Linda Kisabeth, Professor
Awarded, a Distinguished Alumni Service Award for 2021 by the WMUCooley Alumni Association.
Don LeDuc, Retired President, Dean Emeritus, and Professor
Accepted, for publication, his fully revised edition of Michigan Administrative Law (Thomson Reuters).
Accepted, for publication, by the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, a second edition of Michigan Administrative Law Primer.
Matt Marin, Professor
Obtained, Leaders of Learning certificate from HarvardX, Harvard University. Presented, “EXCELerate: A Seamless Skills Curriculum From Pre-Orientation Through The First Term,” for The South Florida Regional ASP Conference, January 28, 2022.
Invited, to present, “The Power of Now: A Mindset for Teaching in Times of Uncertainty,” for AALS Annual Conference, January 5, 2022.
Published, “Be on your GAME: Etiquette tips for law students,” in the ABA Student Lawyer, December 13, 2021.
Published, “Two, Three, or Four Prongs? The Contractual Defense of Unilateral Mistake in Florida,” in The Florida Bar Journal, November/ December 2021, Vol. 95, No. 6 at 16.
Michael Molitor, Professor
Co-wrote, an amicus brief to the Michigan Supreme Court in the case of Murphy v. Inman. The Business Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan was the overall entity that submitted the brief. In early April, the Michigan Supreme Court decided the case, ruling 7-0 in favor of the positions that Cooney and his co-writer advocated in the brief.
Devin Schindler, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Argued, a case, before the Michigan Supreme Court, May 4, 2022.
Otto Stockmeyer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Presented, a paper, “Showcase Your Scholarship,” at the 2022 annual conference of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts & Letters, available at https://ssrn. com/abstract=4050947
Published, an article, “What Should Be Done About Michigan’s NoGood, Very Bad Way of Selecting Supreme Court Justices?,” on LinkedIn, available at https://www. linkedin.com/pulse/what-shoulddone-michigans-no-good-very-badway-court-otto-stockmeyer/
1977
Felch Class
Bello, Mark, completed his eighth Zachary Blake legal thriller, titled “You Have the Right to Remain Silent.” He also completed his first installment of his social justice picture book series for children, titled “Happy Jack, Sad Jack, A Bullying Story.” He recorded his first Hole-inOne on Jan. 26, 2022 at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Florida.
1979
Wiest Class
Nusholtz, Neal, had an article, “The Uneven Playing Field in Criminal Tax Cases,” published in the March 2022 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal. He is a tax law specialist with Neal Nusholtz, PLLC, in Troy, Michigan.
1985
T. Smith Class
Bailey, Mark R., of Bailey & Terranova, in Okemos, Michigan, was named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Class of 2022 Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame program recognizes Michigan’s legal leaders who are over the age of 60 or who have been in practice for 30 years for their successful careers and valuable contributions to the community.
1986
Miles Class
Carolan, James A., returned to Michigan from North Carolina and joined EWM Legal Services as the senior estate planning attorney. Previously, he had a career in the wealth management/banking industry. He provides estate planning services, as well as probate and trust settlement services at offices in Northville and Brighton, Michigan.
Sherwood Class
Zucker, Craig E., was appointed to the Executive Committee of Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller, P.C., in Southfield, Michigan. He is a shareholder with the firm and co-chairs its Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Debtor-Creditor Rights group.
1987
Champlin Class
Dietz, Michael, president and founder of Dietz Sports & Entertainment, just completed a five-year term on the board of directors at the Oakland Hills Country Club. He also served as the club’s president in 2021.
Mauro, James F., a member of Dickinson Wright PLLC in the firm’s Lansing, Michigan 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, a partner with Plunkett Cooney, was reelected to the firm’s board of directors. She serves as senior vice president of the board. Audrey is the managing partner of the firm’s Flint, Michigan office and is co-leader of the Governmental Law Practice Group. She focuses her practice primarily in the area of municipal liability with particular expertise in police pursuits, alleged excessive force, civil rights cases, whistleblower claims, labor and employment issues, zoning disputes and personal injury litigation. In addition to her municipal practice, Forbush has extensive experience in the area of professional liability where she defends physicians and hospitals in malpractice claims.
1992
McGrath Class
Flores, Anthony, was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as judge, 54-A District Court, in Lansing, Michigan. He has been a full-time professor at WMU-Cooley since 2005, teaching criminal procedure and evidence. He was previously an assistant prosecuting attorney in Mecosta County.
Montgomery Class
Giguere, The Hon. Gary
C. Jr., was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court as Chief Judge of Michigan’s Ninth Circuit Court and the Kalamazoo County Probate Court. He was first appointed to the circuit bench in 2007.
Durand Class
Gardella, Robert (Bob), is an appointed member of the Michigan Military Appeals Tribunal. He was first appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, and then was reappointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
1993
Hooker Class
Ruddock, Eldonna, joined Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss as Of Counsel in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group in Southfield, Michigan. She specializes in public and private financing and other legal and regulatory complexities that come with the multi-family housing projects.
1993
Moore Class
Mathes, Paula Baker took the bench on January 1, 2021 as judge, 60th District Court of Michigan.
1996
Black Class
Field-Foster, Monique, was named a partner with Warner Norcross + Judd. She is a governmental affairs attorney.
1997
P. Adams Class
Roragen, Kevin, joined Clark Hill, in Lansing, Michigan, as a member in the firm’s Real Estate practice. He represents clients in commercial and real estate transactional matters and litigation, primarily in the areas of affordable housing, tax credit finance, municipal land use regulation, oil and gas, and other commercial matters and business matters.
Ziegler, Stephen J., was the lead author of an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Ruan v. United States.
2002
T. Johnson Class
Hitchcock, Anita, an attorney with the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was named to the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s list of 50 Most Influential Women. Hitchcock and her team provide legal advice to the city commission, city manager, and other departments. She recently was tasked with organizing a Police Policy and Procedure Task Force to come up with recommendations to improve police-community interaction.
2005
Boyles Class
Patel, Sima, was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to a seat on the Michigan Court of Appeals. She most recently has been an attorney with Fieger Law in Southfield, Michigan.
2006
Edwards Class
Hall,
Lisa, a partner with Plunkett Cooney in the firm’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, office, was selected a 2022 Top Lawyer in banking and finance litigation by Grand Rapids Magazine.
2007
Fisher Class
Hudon, Kathleen “Katie,”
was named a Pensacola Rising Star in 2020.
Boston Class
Hubbard, Aaron, of Largo, Florida, was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as judge on the Pinellas County Court. He previously served as an assistant state attorney in the 13th Judicial District since 2007 and as Felony Division Chief.
Brickley Class
Mathews, Sara
(Wilkinson), was appointed by Chief Judge Susan L. Dobrich as the next Cass County (Michigan) Circuit/ Probate/Family Court Administrator and Friend of the Court Director.
2008
Sharpe Class
Smith,
Lori K., joined the O’Reilly Rancilio legal team in Sterling Heights, Michigan, as a shareholder in the firm’s Litigation and Disputes practice group. She focuses her practice on Family Law. She is the president-elect of the Macomb County Bar Association and director of the Macomb County Bar Foundation. She also serves as the secretary for the Friends of the Macomb County Veterans’ Treatment Court, secretary of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Macomb Chapter, on the Advisory Council for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen Jefferson House, and as an assistant coach for the Sterling Heights Adaptive Softball League.
CJ Adams Class
Schimke, Sara A., was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as Macomb County Probate Court Judge. She was most recently an attorney with Chalgian & Tripp, PLLC, where she specialized in probate law, estate planning, and advocacy.
2009
Comstock Riley Class
Evans, Dana M. was named by American Banker as one of the 15 up-andcoming women in banking and financial services who demonstrated strong leadership throughout the last year. The annual list of rising stars in banking and finance is called the “Most Powerful Women in Banking: Next 2022.” Salavantis, Stefanie J., was elected judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
2010
Woodward Class
Morrison, William V., was named a partner with Goldberg Segalla, in the firm’s Albany, New York office. He focuses his practice on representing employers, insurers and carriers in workers’ compensation matters throughout New York. Witherell Class
Morgan, Todd M., was appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to serve as judge for the Lenawee County District Court. He most recently served as an assistant public defender with the Lenawee County Public Defender’s Office, working primarily in the district court. Before joining the public defender’s office, Morgan had a general practice law firm. Morgan is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served as a nuclear machinist mate.
2011
Sibley Class
McCarthy, Nicole, has joined the firm of Goodman Acker as an associate attorney. Her practice focuses on personal injury.
2012
Hilligan Class
Cunningham, the Hon.
Jacob, Oakland County Circuit Court, was voted to Oakland County Executive’s Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Program that recognizes and spotlights dynamic leaders under the age of 40 who are making a difference in Oakland County, Michigan, and beyond. Rios, Dominic, joined Clark Hill, in Lansing, Michigan as a member in the firm’s Real Estate practice. He represents syndicators, lenders, and developers in all aspects of affordable housing transactions utilizing low-income housing tax credits pursuant to Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.
2012
Washington Class
Gardner, Jaebadiah S., announces that his firm, Gardner Global, is collaborating with the Washington State Department of Ecology with plans to develop a mixed-income urban infill project in King County, Washington, specifically designed to create mixedincome housing that will include affordable rentals and affordable for-purchase units with a vision to help build wealth for Black and under-considered communities.
MacKenzie, John A., a shareholder with Maddin Hauser, was selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Up & Coming Lawyers for 2022. He is a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory Group. Mennie, John, was named an Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2022. He is an associate attorney at the Illinois Personal Injury law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. He concentrates his practice on cases concerning serious personal injury, medical malpractice and products liability.
2013
Moore Class
Milner, Nathan J., was named a partner with Goldberg Segalla, in the firm’s Syracuse, New York office. He focuses his practice on defending diverse workers’ compensation claims. Marshall Class
Gallagher, Steven P., joined Fox Rothschild LLP, in Los Angeles, California as an associate in the firm’s Corporate Department. He is an experienced litigator who defends businesses against a broad range of high-stakes employment litigation, including complex class and collective actions and Private Attorney General’s Act (PAGA) actions, as well as single- and multipleplaintiff lawsuits in state and federal courts and in arbitration.
McGee, Alexander, a partner with Howard & Howard in Royal Oak, Michigan, was named to Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” for 2022. McGee has been a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group for eight years.
2014
Livingston Class
Ruffin, Trevis L. is an assistant chief counsel for the Department of Homeland Security.
Todd Class
Karamouzis, Fotini, was named a partner with Goldberg Segalla, in the firm’s Garden City, Michigan office. She focuses her practice on workers’ compensation matters.
2015
Trimble Class
Frieder, Lauren, has joined Adams and Reese as Special Counsel in the firm’s Tampa, Florida office. She primarily focuses on real estate, insurance and commercial law.
Israel, Farah R. was promoted in January 2022 to associate principal at the Detroit, Michigan offices of Kitch Attorneys & Counselors.
Sawyer, Scott, Saginaw ISD Deputy Superintendent, was elected to the board of directors for the Michigan Council of School Attorneys affiliated with the Michigan Association of School Boards.
2017
Warren Class
Gorski, Sarah L. joined Buckfire Law in January 2022 as a trial attorney. She focuses primarily on first-party automobile claims, third-party auto negligence, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents. She previously served as an associate at a full-service litigation firm in metro Detroit.
Burger Class
Zajac,
Mitchell, was elected a shareholder of the Butzel law firm in Detroit, Michigan. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. His practice includes a focus on automotive, intellectual property, regulatory and emissions compliance, and sports and entertainment law. He is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Zajac has been named to DBusiness magazine’s 2022 Class of “30 in Their Thirties,” which profiles metro-Detroit business professionals who have achieved notable success in their respective fields. In addition, he was named to DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers of Metro Detroit, Intellectual Property and Patent Law, 2021 and 2022. He is profiled in the May/June 2022 edition of DBusiness. Zajac is also a member of the WMU-Cooley Board of Directors.
2018
Boyles Class
Mendez,
Daniela, received the Florida 13th Judicial Circuit Outstanding Pro Bono Service By a Young Lawyer Award.
2019
Curtis Class
Ayers, Troy Brandon, who is Regulatory and Corporate Counsel at Amerisure, recently received the Golden Gavel Award from the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Association. The Golden Gavel Award is given to an individual who has practiced law for less than 10 years, and who is recognized for significant achievement within their area of practice, community and the advancement of young attorneys.
2020
Davis Class
Banks, Amia, joined Clark Hill in Lansing, Michigan, as an associate in the firm’s Real Estate practice.
Field Class
Grantham, Crystal, of Grantham Law PLLC, in Richland, Michigan, took her first case as an attorney following graduation to the Michigan Court of Appeals and won. The case is now on Westlaw. Lawler, Brittany E., was promoted in January 2022 to senior associate at the Mt. Clemens, Michigan, offices of Kitch Attorneys & Counselors. Sayej, Lona H., joined Goldberg Segalla, in Chicago, Illinois, in the firm’s Workers’ Compensation group. She was previously with Strom Yen in Chicago. She concentrates her practice on counseling and defending employers, insurers, and thirdparty administrators in complex workers’ compensation claims throughout Illinois.
2021
Hunt Class
Smith, Maya, joined the Detroit, Michiganbased Butzel law firm as an associate attorney.
Matthews Class
Joslin, Arthur C., accepted a position as Director of Legal Citizens with the Armed Citizen’s Legal Defense Network in the state of Washington.
In Memoriam
1976
Cooley Class
Schwedler, Carl Joseph (Joe), 73, of Crystal Falls, Michigan, died March 12, 2022, of kidney cancer. He worked in private practice until 1990, when he was appointed to serve as district court judge for Dickinson and Iron counties. He then served as Iron County Probate Judge, becoming the county’s longest-serving probate judge. Overall, he served nearly 30 years on the bench, includes tenure as the trial court judge handling probate, district and circuit court dockets. He retired in 2018.
Fletcher Class
Kail, Stephen C., 75, of Ludington, Michigan, died April 6, 2021.
1977
Felch Class
Nobile, Alexander, 69, of Jupiter, Florida, died Dec. 9, 2021. He worked as general counsel for Jewelcor Inc., for nearly 20 years, spent several years with Helvetia Time Inc. as the president, chief operating officer and general counsel, and most recently with Ambit Funding as executive vice president and general counsel. Palmieri, Angela, 70, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, died Jan. 12, 2022.
1978
Kelly Class
Gleeson, Kevin J., of Troy, Michigan, died Sept. 16, 2021 after a long battle with cancer. He was a senior partner, member of the executive committee, and a member of the board of directors of the law firm of Sullivan, Ward, Patton, Gleeson & Felty, P.C., in Southfield, Michigan.
1981
Dethmers Class
Ryan, John P., 68, of Brighton, Michigan, died Oct. 19, 2021. He was a senior partner and head of the Lansing, Michigan office of the Kitch Law Firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense litigation.
Long Class
Henney, Douglas L., 68, of Olivet, Michigan, died March 9, 2021, following a long battle with cancer. He was a stockbroker and financial planner in the Lansing, Michigan area at various institutions.
1982
Goodwin Class
Blackhurst, Steven M., 64, of Midland, Michigan, died Oct. 6, 2020.
1983
O’Hara Class
McNulty, Ronald E., 66, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, died Dec. 12, 2021.
1984
McAlvay Class
Blais, Gary E., 66, of New Hampshire, died March 18, 2022, after a long illness. Formerly of Scituate, Rhode Island, Gary practiced law in that state since 1984, and served as district attorney and chief legal counsel for the Public Utilities Commission from 1988-1994. He opened his private practice in Providence in 1994, which he operated until 2019.
1987
Grant Class
Flannery, James (Jim) F., 77, of Bay City, Michigan, died Nov. 19, 2021. He was a U.S. Navy officer and a Vietnam veteran. He spent 25 years as a Michigan State Police trooper, retiring from both the Navy and the State Police in 1991. He then worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Tuscola County for 10 years.
1988
Green Class
Munk, Larae G., 70, of Garden City, Kansas, died May 15, 2021. She operated her own law practice in northern Michigan and was a pioneer in the charter school movement in the state.
1989
Copeland Class
Graving, Richard J., 62, of Shelby Township, Michigan, died Nov. 23, 2021. He operated a law practice in Shelby Township.
1991
Lawrence Class
Butler, Jeffrey J., 56, of Okemos, Michigan, died Jan. 14, 2022 after a battle with ocular melanoma. His career included clerking for the Chief Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals. He spent nearly a decade with the Michigan Department of Attorney General before entering private practice, becoming the principal owner of LaPointe and Butler, P.C., then joined Clark Hill in 2017. He formed the Butler Law Group, P.C. in 2020, then joined Thrun Law Firm.
1992
Durand Class
Bankert, Terry R., of Flint, Michigan, died Nov. 11, 2021. He was the clerk for the city of Flint, and then the city’s ombudsman, serving as the liaison between citizens and the city. He wrote and spoke extensively about the use and abuse of police power. Following his time in public office, he opened a private practice specializing in family law for almost 30 years.
1994
Williams Class
Kunasek, Anthony, 55, died April 30, 2022. He was an Assistant State Attorney in Fort Myers, Florida, serving most recently as Chief of Special Prosecutions for the 20th Circuit for State Attorney Amira D. Fox. He taught law enforcement recruits at the Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy in Fort Myers, and served as an adjunct professor of criminal law and procedure at Florida Golf Coast University.
1995
Bird Class
Brower, John F. Sr., 73, of Brighton, Michigan, died July 27, 2021. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and served on the USS Forrestal in the Tonkin Gulf. He formed his own law firm, Michigan Educational Law Center, which specialized in advocacy for children with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
1999
Flannigan Class
Simpson, Everett F., 71, of Audubon, New Jersey, died Aug. 26, 2021.
2005
Starr Class
Greenawalt, Fred Alan, 71, of Goshen, Indiana, died Aug. 10, 2021. He worked for Schult Homes, Middlebury, as vice president of finance for 26 years. During the pandemic, he spent many hours on the phone connecting with those who were isolated.
2008
Kavanagh Class
Greene, Megan, 38, of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, died Jan. 6, 2022, after a long illness. She worked for many years for the Internal Revenue Service Office of Taxpayer Advocate.
2009
Sandoval, Caleb Andrés, 44, died March 13, 2022. He was a team member with the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.
2011
Sibley Class
Severe, Luc El Art, 35, died Nov. 14, 2021. He was the vice president of Small Business and Workforce Development with United Way of New York.
2014
Duvall Class
Tangorra, Rossella De Astis, 33, died Feb. 25, 2022, in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Her funeral was held March 7, 2022 at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Itsaca, Illinois.
2015
Story Class
Mashni, Boulos Naim, 58, of Northville, Michigan, and Ramallah, Palestine, died Sept. 15, 2021
2016
Taft Class
Rivera, Xiomara J., 48, of Ruskin, Florida, died Jan. 2, 2022. She was retired from the U.S. Air Force.
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