Wayne Law News

You are invited to a networking reception Thursday, Dec. 10, for all Wayne Law alumni in and around the D.C. area.

The legal career of Debra Nance has been touched by synchronicity – seemingly small, unrelated events that resonate and become meaningful.

Five Wayne Law alumni discussed “Law in the Health Industry” on Thursday, Nov. 19, as part of the Wayne Law Alumni Speaker Series.

Michael Gibbs worked for 15 years in the business world before deciding what that arena really needed was a lawyer who understood it better.

Dana Nessel, '94, the principal lawyer in the Michigan case that was part of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision holding unconstitutional the ban against same-sex marriage spoke Monday, Nov. 16, at Wayne Law.

Distinguished Professor Alan Schenk garnered the most votes from students, “winning” a contest where the prize is to wear a hideous holiday sweater for an entire day of teaching at Wayne Law.

More than 100 people attended a panel discussion Monday, Nov. 2, at Wayne Law about Congress’ ability to oversee classified programs.

John Cerone, a noted international law expert, presented “International Humanitarian Law in the News: Recent Developments in Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan” on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Wayne Law.

Congratulations to law students Brandon Barlog and Lauren Potocsky, who won the Wayne Law Moot Court Arthur Neef Competition finals Monday, Nov. 16.

Congratulations to the winners in the transactional law competition Friday, Nov. 13, at Wayne Law.

Congratulations to Anthony Casaletta and Matt Opperman, winners of the Wayne Law Mock Trial in-house final competition Monday, Nov. 9.

Upcoming Events

Dec. 3 - Race and Society: The Dignity of People, the Destiny of Detroit

Dec. 10 - Wayne Law Alumni Club of D.C.

More Events

Alumni Accomplishments

Robert Bennett, '90, was appointed 34th Circuit Court judge for Roscommon and Ogemaw counties. Prior to this appointment he was an assistant prosecutor in Roscommon County.

Melissa Brown, '14, has joined Pitt McGehee Palmer and Rivers as an associate attorney.

Lori Buiteweg, '90, was featured in the October Michigan Bar Journal. She is State Bar of Michigan president. 

John Cabaniss, '81, was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona and has opened an office in Phoenix. He also will maintain his Milwaukee office and focus on plaintiffs' legal malpractice and personal injury matters in both locations.

Daniel Chojnowski, '15, has joined Howard and Howard Attorneys PLLC. He will focus on intellectual property law and will practice out of the firm's Royal Oak office. 

Kris Dighe, '87, presented at the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Conference in Chicago. He was on a panel, "Behind the Scenes: An Insider's View on Environmental Enforcement Priorities, Results, and Strategies." Dighe is senior counsel in the U.S. Justice Department's Environmental Crimes section.

Dennis Hertel, '74, was appointed professor by the National Defense University for the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. The former congressman has addressed defense officials from 28 nations, and he remains of counsel to the Franklin Partnership in Washington, D.C.

Michael Hindelang, '04, was recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of 30 "Up and Coming" attorneys for 2015. He is a partner with Honigman Miller Schwarz and Cohn LLP. 

Lee Hornberger, '82, has joined Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan, a group of respected alternative dispute resolution neutrals.

Paul Isso, '11, of The Isso Law Firm, was selected to participate in an event with the NBA's Phoenix Suns. The Isso Law Firm, an Arizona-based law practice, focuses on entertainment, media and sports law.

Darnell Jackson, '81, gave a TED talk on "The Value of Human Worth." View his talk here. He is a judge with the Saginaw County Circuit Court. 

Chris Jacobson, '11, has been named senior counsel at Grand Rapids law firm Bloom Sluggett Morgan. 

Lawrence Jordan, '77, was elected to the council of the State Bar of Michigan's Arts, Communication, Entertainment and Sports Section. He is managing partner of the Ann Arbor office of Jaffe Raitt Heuer and Weiss PC. 

Thaddeus J. Kedzierski, '79, was re-elected for a second four-year term as mayor of Grosse Pointe Shores. Kedzierski is of counsel to Charfoos and Christensen PC and practices in Royal Oak.

Judge Damon J. Keith, LL.M. '56, was honored at a dinner during a conference at Duke Law School. The conference was "Present and Future of Civil Rights Movements: Race and Reform in 21st Century America."

Rachael Kohl, '14, has joined Pitt McGehee Palmer and Rivers as an associate attorney.

Brian Mackie, '75, was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Crime Victim Services Commission. Mackie is the prosecuting attorney of Washtenaw County.  

Robert Murkowski, '09, was named a 2015 "Up & Coming Lawyer" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He is an associate at Miller Canfield in Detroit.

Patricia Nemeth, '84, reported that her firm, Nemeth Law PC, was recognized as a tier-one law firm by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in its 2016 list of "Best Law Firms" in the category of employment law - management. The metropolitan rankings encompass 185 major U.S. markets. Nemeth Law also received this honor for 2015.

Valerie Newman, '92, was featured in The Legal News. She is an attorney with the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office.

Michael O'Neill, '80, was lead plaintiff's counsel in the longest civil jury trial in the history of the New York City courthouse. Jury selection began Sept. 8, 2014, and the final verdict was rendered Aug. 3, 2015. The trial arose out of a fatal construction crane collapse that occurred May 30, 2008. The jury awarded his clients $56 million in damages.

Kristen Benvenuti Pytel, '09, has joined Bodman PLC as a staff attorney with the enterprise procurement group in the firm's Troy office.

Neil Rockind, '93, presented a seminar, "Identifying Theme and Theory," at the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan fall conference. He is founder of Southfield-based criminal defense law firm Rockind Law. 

Stephen Schultz, '78, co-wrote "Public-Sector Collective Bargaining" for the September Michigan Bar Journal. He is a founding member of Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC.

Erica Shell, '15, has joined Bodman PLC's Detroit office as an associate with the litigation and alternative dispute resolution practice group.

Michael J. Thomas, '10, was quoted in the Oct. 31 Albuquerque Journal about the resolution of a case involving the sale of property at a delinquent tax auction. Thomas had filed an answer brief in the New Mexico Supreme Court on behalf of the purchasers at the 2011 auction, who had previously proceeded pro se.

Jermaine Wyrick, '96, was honored as one who is "Committed to Make a Difference in the World" at the first World Changers Banquet for C.H.O.I.C.E.Z. He is with the Law Offices of Jermaine A. Wyrick PLLC. 


More Alumni Accomplishments

Faculty Accomplishments

Jocelyn Benson spoke at the YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region Women's Empowerment Symposium. Her talk was "Backwards and in High Heels: Challenges Facing Female Executives Today."  

Kirsten Carlson has been selected to present a paper to the Legislation and Law of the Political Process section at the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting. The paper is "Gambling on Congress: Indian Nations' Federal Recognition Strategies."

Blanche Cook was a presenter at a conference on race and politics at Duke Law School. The title of her talk was "Biased and Broken: The Criminal Justice System and the Profiling, Policing, and Peril of Unarmed Black Bodies."

Noah Hall moderated a panel discussion at the 15th annual Great Lakes Water Conference sponsored by the University of Toledo College of Law and the University of Toledo College of Law Legal Institute of the Great Lakes. 

Christopher Lund spoke at the Notre Dame Law Review annual symposium. This year's event examined the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom.

Nick Schroeck was part of the opening keynote panel on Current Michigan Water Issues at the joint conference of the East and West Michigan chapters of the Air and Waste Management Association and the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.


More Faculty Accomplishments

Professors in the News

Jocelyn Benson was quoted in The Economist in its report, Automatic voter registration.

Noah Hall was quoted in a Toledo Blade report, Straits of Mackinaw pipeline draws concern at UT water talk.

Peter Hammer was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, Detroit Rising: Life after bankruptcy. 

Peter Henning was quoted in a Deutsche Welle report, Volkswagen's governance questioned as emissions scandal widens.

Carl Levin wrote an opinion column, Church Committee demonstrated value of bipartisan oversight, published on The Hill's Congress Blog.

John Mogk was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, $3.7M extra paid in Detroit's blight fight. 

Nick Schroeck was quoted in a Downtown Publications report, Safe or not? about a chemical called glyphosate.

Robert Sedler was cited in a Detroit Free Press report, Emagine theater in Birmingham changes teen policy.

Peter Henning was quoted in a Cleveland Plain Dealer report, Torture allegations offer insight into rural Ohio's drug plague.

Carl Levin talked about ISIS on WDIV news program Flashpoint. 

John Mogk was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, After Flint water crisis, families file lawsuit.

Nick Schroeck was quoted by WDET radio in its report, The Detroit bankruptcy and the regional water authority.


More Professors in the News