Wayne Law News

Thank you to the donors who joined the Dean's Circle by making a gift or pledge of $1,000 or more to the Law School’s annual fund during the second quarter of 2015. 

Rasul Raheem, '84, LL.M. '03, has twice (2013 and 2014) been named First Chair Top Outstanding Assistant General Counsel for his work as senior vice president and assistant general counsel with Bank of America Corp.

Ebony Duff, '02, of Garan Lucow Miller and Jennifer Green, '05, of Clark Hill are among the six Top Young Lawyers named by DBusiness magazine for 2015.

A serious car accident caused by a drunken driver eventually led Dianna Collins, '98, to her career as a prosecutor.

Diane H. Fears, director of career services and the Student Voluntary Pro Bono Program at Wayne Law, has been named to the 16-member Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee.

Upcoming Events

Aug. 7 - Mark Weiss Day at Comerica Park 2015

Aug. 11 - Congressional Oversight Boot Camp in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 12 - Congressional Oversight Boot Camp in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 20 - Wayne Law Alumni Summer Happy Hour

Sept. 10 - How Lawyers and Journalists Can Better Collaborate During a Crisis

Sept. 15 - Techonomy Detroit

Sept. 16 - City as a Startup

Sept. 17 - Debate on the Meaning and Interpretation of the United States Constitution

Sept. 17 - Book launch for Frank Kelley, The People's Lawyer

Oct. 8 - Law School Alumni Reception during State Bar Annual Meeting

More Events

Alumni Accomplishments

Fadwa Alawieh, '10, was selected as a trustee for the Dearborn Board of Education to fill a vacancy. She is a Wayne County assistant prosecutor.  

Jill Bloom, '99, was named of counsel at Fragomen Worldwide's Phoenix office. She advises multinational clients in a wide range of industries regarding all aspects of U.S. business immigration and works closely with individuals involved in family based immigration matters.

Allison Christensen, '09, a litigation attorney with Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Collier County Women's Bar Association Inc. in Florida. Christensen also has been named chair of the Membership Committee.

Donald DeNault Jr., '96, a shareholder with O'Reilly Rancilio PC, became the 87th president of the Macomb County Bar Association.

Zeina Djurovski, '06, an attorney at Ayad and Associates and a board member of the Arab American Civil Rights League, accepted a position as constituent services representative with the office of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, '89.

Bradley Lerner, '95, was named as Beacon Health Options' first director of mental health parity compliance in addition to his current associate general counsel duties. In this new role, he will create strategies to implement the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Lerner also advises the Kennedy Forum and the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness on parity-related issues regarding implementation.

Tobias Lipski, '04, wrote an article, "Sheriff's Deed Purchaser's New Rights During Redemption Period," published in the July Michigan Bar Journal.

Jennifer Lord, '92, was the focus of a feature, Vindication:  Attorney goes to bat for terminated workers, in the Legal News.

Stanley Pitts, '81, was elected to a four-year term on the Board of Directors of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP. Pitts is a member of Honigman's Labor and Employment Department in the firm's Detroit office.

Robert Riley, '08, an associate in the Litigation Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, was elected president by the Detroit Center for Family Advocacy's recently formed board of directors. The center is an evidence-based program that improves outcomes for children by safely reducing the need for them to enter or remain in foster care.

Neil Rockind, '93, founder of Southfield-based criminal defense law firm Rockind Law, was invited to serve on the advisory board for the Washington, D.C.-based National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys. The board includes one criminal defense attorney from each state and considers issues such as continuing legal education and best practices in the criminal defense field.

Mark Rossman, '01, formed a new law practice, Rossman Law PC. The firm is in Troy and specializes in business litigation and transactions. In addition, Rossman created a publishing company, publishing313 LLC, which is focused on promoting, editing and publishing the literary works of Detroit area writers. The Michigan Bar Journal awarded Rossman second place for his short story fiction, "The Last Bullet," which examines the questions and contradictions inherent in an act of vigilante justice.

Paul Saba, '06, joined Marriott International for the Middle East and Africa at its office in Dubai, UAE, as corporate counsel.  

Elissa Koopmans Schwartz, '84, has self-published via Two Harbors Press a debut novel, Perceived Threat, a political thriller and murder mystery. The book earned an honorable mention from the New York Book Festival.

Erica Shell, '15, wrote Petcoke: How an Outdated & Inconsistent Regulatory Framework Defeats Environmental Justice in Detroit. The article was published in the spring-summer edition of the Michigan Environmental Law Journal.

Paul Sher, '91, was named as an administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration in Toledo, Ohio.

Francyne Stacey, '81, joined Hooper Hathaway PC in Ann Arbor as a member. Stacey's expertise in public employee law and representation of individuals rounds out the firm's labor and employment practice.

Holli Targan, '85, a partner at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC, has been appointed presidential advisor to the Merchant Acquirers Committee Board of Directors. The organization provides universal risk management solutions through ongoing communication and cooperation among acquirers, card associations and enforcement agencies.

Steven Weinstock, '89, was promoted to first vice president at Marcus & Millichap. Weinstock's most recent title was vice president/regional manager.


More Alumni Accomplishments

Student Accomplishments

Jaspreet Singh was featured in a WXYZ-TV segment, Detroit law student creates water resistant socks, plans to grow company 5 Water Socks, and in a Detroit News article, Wayne State student's sock business has legs. Singh hopes to grow his company in the city of Detroit and bring more creative design jobs to the city. He's also hoping to raise awareness about the problems affecting his native home of Punjab, India. The name 5 Water Socks was inspired by both Detroit (The Great Lakes) and Punjab, which means the land of five waters. He is a rising second-year student.

Justin Sterk with Assistant (Clinical) Professor Nick Schroeck wrote "What is a Pond? Michigan Court of Appeals Interprets 'Waters of the State' Under Michigan Law." The article was published in the Spring-Summer edition of the Michigan Environmental Law Journal. He is a rising third-year student.


More Student Accomplishments

Faculty Accomplishments

John Dolan has had three installments of "Insolvency in Letter of Credit Transactions" published in the April, May and June editions of the Banking Law Journal.  

Lynn Gandhi was elected to the board of directors of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

Nick Schroeck was a speaker during the Citizens Environment Alliance State of the Detroit River Boat Tour 2015.  


More Faculty Accomplishments

Professors in the News

Laura Bartell was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, 4 options loom as Wayne County weighs financial crisis.

Jocelyn Benson wrote a guest column, Voters can rule redistricting - let's do it, published in the Detroit Free Press, and was interviewed on WXYZ-TV for a report, Push to have nonpartisan committees draw district lines in Michigan, on the same topic.

Blanche Cook was quoted in a Deseret News report, Human trafficking survivors find hope in Mexico City.

Noah Hall was cited in a MINNPOST report, Waukesha wins Wisconsin DNR support in bid to export water from Great Lakes basin.

Peter Hammer was quoted in a Mother Jones piece, How Motor City Came Back From the Brink ... And Left Most Detroiters Behind.

Peter Henning was interviewed for a CBS This Morning report, Whistleblower on how he exposed cancer doc's fraud.

John Mogk was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, Duggan: Neighborhood improvements on record pace.

John Rothchild was interviewed for a WDET report, Closed Doors: Should Government Officials Ever Use Private Communications?

Nick Schroeck was quoted in an Inside Climate News report, Enbridge Expects $40 Million Fine, EPA's Stiffest Ever for a Pipeline Spill.

Robert Sedler was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, Muslim women fight for right to wear Islamic headscarf.

Jonathan Weinberg was interviewed for a report on data encryption issues aired on Bloomberg Law  radio.

Jocelyn Benson was interviewed by WXYZ-TV for a report, Supreme Court decision could help fix Congress, reform gerrymandering, and by other media outlets on the same topic.

Peter Hammer was quoted in a Detroit News report, Group to let conversation guide action on racial equity.

Peter Henning was quoted in a report, With No End in Sight, Dewey Jury Soldiers On, in The American Lawyer and in other media reports on the same topic.

John Mogk wrote a guest column, Busing failed then, would fail now, published in the Detroit Free Press.

Nick Schroeck was quoted in a Detroit Free Press report, MDOT says it wants feedback on I-94 expansion, and in other media reports on the same topic.

Robert Sedler was interviewed for a WDET report on the tradition of dissents on high courts.


More Professors in the News