M I C H I G A N
S TAT E
U N I V E R S I T Y
C O L L E G E
O F
L AW
G O O D P E O P L E B E C O M E G R E AT L AW Y E R S .
Meet Our Community.
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omm i t m e n t
Michigan State University College of Law’s leaders, staff, and faculty are committed to working together to create an inclusive environment where all members of our community can thrive. Future Spartan lawyers come from all over the nation (and around the world), sharing their unique talents and diverse points of view. Our students discover countless opportunities to grow, both as professionals and as people. During your time at MSU Law, you’ll build lasting relationships, develop broader perspectives, and use the law in our clinics and externships to make a difference for clients who desperately need compassionate advocacy. At some point, most students will find law school stressful. When that happens, we’re here to help. From connecting with caring peers to talk through academic (and personal) challenges to receiving one-on-one exam guidance and getting informal pep talks from staff and faculty, you’ll find support and encouragement in the MSU Law community. Historically, people of color have lacked access to legal training, and they remain underrepresented in law. For over 130 years, the College of Law has worked to build a legal profession that reflects our increasingly multicultural society. Today, we affirm our commitment to recruiting, retaining, and supporting future Spartan lawyers from all backgrounds.
Who Becomes A Spartan Lawyer? Just as there’s no one kind of Spartan lawyer, there’s no one kind of MSU Law student. Every member of our community contributes unique life experiences to our friendly environment.
OUR RECENT INCOMING CLASS INCLUDED:
RESIDENTS OF DIFFERENT STATES
29
49 DIFFERENT
113
ALUMNI OF UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS
MAJORS
Beyond The Numbers The Class of 2024 brings exciting life experiences to the classroom.
First-generation Americans and first-generation college students Athletes, including a competitive horseback rider and a drag racer
Environmental activists, paralegals, medical professionals, teachers, and small business owners
OUR 13,0 0 0+ GRADU ATES PRACTIC E LAW I EVERY S N TATE IN US AND THE ALL OV E R THE WORLD , AND T HE C L AS S O F 2021 T OOK THE BA R EXAM IN 24 STAT ES.
A nationally recognized child advocate, an Australian TV show producer, and a patent analyst
Meet the Diversity and Equity Services Office Who is the Diversity and Equity Services Office for? EVERYONE. Everyone in the Law College family contributes to our diverse
Dean Ferguson and the
environment, and the DESO has an inclusive mission: to make
Diversity Services
sure that all students have a positive, supportive law school experience. That mission extends from the classroom to the Academic
program constantly informed me of different
Success Program to cultural events to developing personal
scholarship opportunities
relationships with students of all backgrounds. All students
I was eligible for. Because
find law school challenging at times, and the DESO offers critical support services – and a listening ear. The DESO provides: Holistic student advising and support Comprehensive diversity programming Support for multicultural student groups Peer leadership development
of her help, I was able to locate financial resources for my law school tuition. — DEANDRE’ HARRIS, ’15 Labor & Employment Attorney Warner Norcross + Judd Grand Rapids, MI
Legal profession diversity initiatives Title IX compliance and expertise
MARY ANN FERGUSON, ’02 Assistant Dean for Diversity and Equity Services
Mary Ann Ferguson, ’02, came to MSU Law from the small town of Butner, North Carolina, after earning her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She brings a lifelong passion for justice and civil rights to her role in Diversity and Equity Services, playing a hands-on role in recruiting students, including traveling to HBCUs and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) forums. She has led Diversity and Equity Services at MSU Law since founding the office in 2006. Her passion for supporting future lawyers has inspired her to take on diversity-related leadership roles at LSAC, the State Bar of Michigan, and a wide range of other professional organizations. She is also active in a number of Michigan State University initiatives focused on creating a safe, inclusive campus environment for all students and community members.
Diversity Month Every year, the DESO partners with student-run organizations to host a monthlong series of thoughtful, inclusive programming. From faculty speakers to alumni,
Academic Success Program
Diversity Month celebrates the contributions of diverse communities and empowers students to enact social
The Academic Success Program (ASP) partners with
change through the law.
students throughout law school to build academic skills that will see you through an intense three years.
Multicultural Executive Council The MEC brings together MSU Law’s multicultural student organizations to foster collaboration among
Assistant Dean for Academic Success Goldie Pritchard offers workshops and individual consultations to: Answer questions about bar applications
its members and support diversity initiatives. MEC
Explore commercial bar prep programs
member organizations include:
Develop a study timeline
American Constitution Society
Build your essay skills
American Civil Liberties Union African Heritage Alliance - Sisters United (DESO) Asian Pacific American Law Student Associatio Black Law Student Association Christian Legal Society Criminal Defense Association First Generation Law Student Association Latino Law Society Middle Eastern Law Student Association Native American Law Students Association Progressive Legal Society Public Interest Law Society Student Bar Association Diversity Liaison Triangle Bar Association Women’s Law Caucus
GOLDIE PRITCHARD Assistant Dean of the Academic Success Program
Assistant Dean Pritchard leads MSU Law’s Academic Success Program, which she founded in 2009. A national leader in the field of academic support, Assistant Dean Pritchard brings extensive experience in student affairs and academic programming to her role. She serves as a valued resource and trusted mentor for students navigating law school and preparing for the bar exam.
Putting People First A passionate environmental justice advocate, Jeremy
see the influence they had in bringing about the Clean
Orr, ’16, leads with the community in mind. He started
Water Act and the Clean Air Act and so many other
his career as a community organizer, working with
environmental regulations over the last 50 years.”
Michigan residents on various social justice issues. After joining an initiative to clean up a contaminated site in a low-to-moderate income community of color in Kalamazoo, where he and others addressed the Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, he realized that organizing for change is one way to have an impact, but directly going to the source as a lawyer is another. Orr recognized that no impacted community members were making decisions, and that perspective was missing from the process, prompting his decision to position himself in that space by getting a legal degree. “Prioritizing people in environmental decision-making in Michigan is going to be critical for our success as a state,” said Orr. PREPARING WITH PURPOSE At MSU Law, he jumped right into the curriculum. With years of work experience under his belt and a targeted set of interests to guide him, he knew what he wanted to do and what would help him to succeed in doing it. “I didn’t need to figure out what I was interested in because I knew. I knew coming into law school that once I had the opportunity to do electives that they would be environmental law, administrative law, and constitutional law classes – things that would prepare me for a career in environmental law,” he explained. TAKING CHANCES, CULTIVATING CHANGE For three years, Orr worked to advance drinking water and source water protection efforts with the Safe Water Initiative team for the National Resource Defense Counsel (NRDC), a national and international advocate for environment protection. “It’s always been a dream to work at a place like the NRDC, where you can see the impact that they’ve had on policy,” he said. “You can
He was appointed to the Environmental Rules Review Committee in 2019 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, ’98, and the committee oversees all laws and rules that come through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He hopes to advance the process of replacing all lead service lines in the state with a focus on the most vulnerable communities who are hardest hit.
At the end of 2021, Orr transitioned to a new role with Earthjustice, a non-profit public interest law organization, as its Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships, where he develops strategies to engage and expand organizational relationships with partners in the communities they serve. He was also named the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy’s Senior Fellow in Residence for 2022, and he will serve at the Boston College Law School, promoting water, energy, and environmental justice.
For me, there’s nothing more significant than the physical health and wellbeing of human beings, and there’s nothing that plays a greater role in that than the physical environment that you interact with every day. JEREMY ORR, ’16 Director of Litigation & Advocacy Partnerships Earthjustice Detroit, MI
Build Lasting Relationships
At MSU Law, Doaa Al-Howaishy, ’17, was heavily involved in organizations and courses that allowed her the space to establish connections and practice critical skills, which included receiving her litigation certificate through the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute. Al-Howaishy, a “people person,” emphasized the importance of comradery amidst the chaos of law school, and she made a natural effort to be a friendly face to her peers. As a member of the Michigan State Law Review, she found community among her classmates – a place where they could commiserate and connect. “I found really great friends there,” she said. “The relationships I made there still last to this day, even though we don’t see each other every day in the Law Review office.” Her involvement went beyond the Law College during her studies. She completed several internships, including a summer associate position with Butzel Long, which led to a full-time associate job after graduation. Al-Howaishy worked for two years in private practice at the firm, researching and writing, meeting with clients, and building relationships with her colleagues.
The relationships I made there
As an assistant prosecutor now working in the District
still last to this day, even though
Courts Division of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Al-Howaishy relies on her people skills more than ever in a position that requires constant communication with witnesses, co-counsel, the community, and more – and she couldn’t be happier. “I like interacting with people. I’m good with people, so it is exciting for me,” she said. “I’m an extrovert. I get energy from being in those situations.”
we don’t see each other every day in the Law Review office. DOAA AL-HOWAISHY, ’17 Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Detroit, MI
Broaden Your Worldview Living in Michigan really helped broaden my view of things and give me an open mind, which I think education is supposed to do. And it made me a better person when I moved back home. ANDREW W. DUNLAP, ’11 Partner, Josephson Dunlap, LLP Houston, TX
Andrew W. Dunlap, ’11, grew up in Corpus Christi – deep in South Texas. Before coming to Michigan State University College of Law, he’d only been outside of Texas a handful of times. While you may find it hard to believe that you can experience culture shock without leaving the country, Dunlap confirmed that it can – and does – happen. Growing up in a city heavily influenced by Hispanic culture, he saw major differences between Texas and the Midwest. “You go up to Michigan and it’s an entirely different culture,” said Dunlap. “The thinking is different. The politics are different. Living in Michigan really helped broaden my view of things and give me an open mind, which I think education is supposed to do. And it made me a better person when I moved back home.” Being an out-of-state student and learning as an outsider how law is practiced in Michigan gave Dunlap the confidence to practice in other states. Today, he represents employees whose wages are being wrongfully withheld from them by multi-national companies across the United States. Dunlap spends a significant amount of his time in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Louisiana, and California, while his office is in Houston, Texas.
Meet the Spartan Nation Our most recent alumni represent MSU Law in private practice, public prosecutors’ and defenders’ offices, Fortune 500 companies, and the Portland, OR ADRIENNE ANDERSON
federal government.
Deputy District Attorney Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office
Boulder, CO Denver, CO ANNE STRAWBRIDGE GARY GONZALEZ Oakland, CA ASHLEY BYERS
Associate Attorney Fuerza Immigration Lawyers LLP
Policy and Regulation Services Manager Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Corporate Attorney Elevate
Kansas City, MO PAUL VOGEL
Associate Patent Attorney Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
Bernalillo, NM TAMERA BEGAY
Assistant General Counsel Pueblo of Sandia
Randolph Air Force Base, TX MAURICE CHEEKS
JAG Officer United States Air Force Information accurate as of 03/09/2022
Austin, TX APRIL LIWANAG
Assistant General Counsel Texas Board of Nursing
Chicago, IL KATILA HOWARD
Toronto, ON CARL ALPHONSE
Associate Attorney McGuireWoods LLP
Lawyer EY Law LLP
Kitchener, ON CARRIE CUMMINGS Senior Legal Counsel D2L
Minneapolis, MN EVAN BONNSTETTER Associate Attorney Faegre Drinker
Chicago, IL CHRISTIAN DAMON Counsel Allstate
Detroit, MI ANGELA BALDWIN
Detroit, MI SHELBY AVERY
Attorney Associate Attorney The Miller Law Firm, P.C. Zausmer, P.C.
Stamford, CT VANESSA HENDERSON Manager, Counsel Charter Communications
Chicago, IL BRENDA GARCIA Staff Attorney National Immigrant Justice Center
Chicago, IL CHRISTIANE MURRAY Attorney Borkan & Scahill, Ltd.
Washington, DC DANIEL SHERWOOD Nashville, TN LAURA BASSETT
Senior Correspondent The Capitol Forum
Attorney Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC
Baton Rouge, LA SHEILA LAMAR Senior Consultant EY
Tampa, FL JANEE PRINCE
Associate Attorney Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP
Miami, FL SAMIR PATEL
Associate Holland & Knight LLP
Washington, DC SARAH FARIS Attorney–Advisor US Department of Veterans Affairs
Make A Difference Through Clinic Work
If children are part of a tribe, they’ll always know where they’re from, where their family is. They’ll always know that they were wanted.
Academic Specialist and Indian Law Clinic Director Kathryn Fort, one of the nation’s leading experts on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), founded the ICWA Appellate Project in 2015 to assist tribes across the country in their efforts to raise Native children in Native communities – and the work hasn’t stopped since. ICWA was instituted in 1978 in response to a national epidemic of the removal of Native children from their families and tribes. Studies showed that 25-35 percent of all Native children were being removed, and 85 percent of them were placed in homes outside their families or tribes*, even when family members were willing to foster or adopt. In her ICWA advocacy, Professor Fort points to the many long-term benefits conferred by tribal membership: lifelong no-cost healthcare, access to supplemental childhood resources, and often college scholarships or tuition waivers. She also believes that enrollment offers powerful cultural advantages, particularly for children who have entered the foster care system. The negative impact of adverse childhood experiences (like family removal) can be mitigated by experiencing belonging, love from family and adult caretakers, spiritual practices, and physical security. Professor Fort admits the work can be disheartening. “You’re often facing anti-tribal sentiment and racism head-on – and no one wants to admit it,” she said. “We see this a lot: there may be investment and lip-service to ICWA. But when it comes down to decisions about an individual child, then it becomes ‘well, you don’t mean it in this case.’”
Professor Kathryn Fort
KEEPING CHILDREN WITH THEIR TRIBES
Professor Fort will go to the U.S. Supreme Court in fall 2022 as a co-representative of the Cherokee Nation, the Oneida Nation, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and the Quinault Indian Nation as they seek to uphold their ICWA rights in the case of Brackeen v. Haaland. * Source: The National Indian Child Welfare Association
There just aren’t that many services
Impassioned and skilled advocacy changes lives. Clinical
available for our clients, so I keep going.
Professor Veronica Thronson understands that and makes sure that her students in the high-stakes Immigration Law Clinic know it, too. Professor Thronson began her legal practice at Legal Aid in Las Vegas, Nevada, representing victims of domestic violence in family law proceedings. Her cases often involved victims of domestic violence who were also immigrants. She worked at Legal Aid for eight years as the director. Her clients lacked resources and support. She visited them at shelters, changed their children’s diapers in her office, and helped them find basic life necessities like clothing. Opposing parties in her cases verbally harassed her and occasionally her clients’ estranged partners resorted to stalking Professor Thronson. And yet, despite the physical danger and the challenging nature of her daily work, Professor Thronson continued to do it. She would spend four to five days a week in court and admitted that after a while it “got old.” But at the end of the toughest days, she returned to her own stable home, which gave her the stamina to put in the hard work to provide her clients with that same opportunity for stability. Since coming to MSU Law in 2010, Professor Thronson has worked in the Immigration Law Clinic alongside students to represent clients in a wide variety of immigration matters. The clinic’s clients include refugees, trafficking victims, and minors apprehended at the border. The MSU Immigration Law Clinic has represented people from over 80 countries. Professor Thronson explained that while not
Professor Veronica Thronson
FIGHTING FOR IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS
all of the students who participate in the clinic aspire to become immigration lawyers, they leave with a skill set and experience that can be applied to nearly all areas of the law. “If you can do immigration work,” she observed, “you can do anything.”
Meet the Michigan State University Campus Family With a student population of nearly 50,000, Michigan State University provides a one-of-a-kind student experience. The campus connects people from all over the world into an energetic, friendly community. MSU’s student body is: 10% first-generation college students 25.9% students of color 51.6% female-identified students
MSU FACTS:
49,000 11,000
THERE ARE STUDENTS INCLUDING GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS.
5,200
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES STUDY AT MSU.
140
MSU HAS
502,000 LIVING ALUMNI.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES MSU has 900 active student organizations, from the Accafellas to the Zoological Students Association, and everything in between. Spartans participate in dozens of intermural sports teams, multicultural affinity groups, profession-oriented networking organizations, and exceptionally specific interest-based clubs (including parkour, archery, and true crime).
Affinity-based student organizations bring together students, faculty members, and the Greater Lansing community. MSU’s student-run groups include: 20+ Black groups, including community service groups, mentorship programs, Greek life, and lifestyle/social clubs 15 LGBTQ+ groups 15 Latinex groups 15 Asian-American groups 7 Native groups
MSU TEACHES
EVERY 27 LANGUAGES
SEMESTER, INCLUDING HOUSA, OJIBWE, SWAHILI, TURKISH, AND ZULU.
275
THERE ARE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS COUNTRIES. IN
60
AS A TOP-LEVEL RESEARCH
325
INSTITUTION, MSU HAS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN COUNTRIES
80
College of Law MSU College of Law is more than just a building: we’re a community committed to embracing and uplifting all the members of our diverse, far-reaching MSU Law family. No matter who you are, where you’re from, or where you’re going, the Law College will support you, teach you, learn from you, and welcome you.