Wayne Law News

The second Tuesday in April is designated as International Be Kind to Lawyers Day.

WSU announced on March 11 the creation of the Levin Center at Wayne Law, named in honor of Carl M. Levin, Michigan’s longest-serving U.S. senator.

Stephen Ross, '65, a world-class real estate developer, philanthropist and owner of the Miami Dolphins, will visit Wayne Law on Thursday, April 9.

Morris Dees, who is widely celebrated for his civil rights work with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which he co-founded, will speak Monday, April 13, at Wayne Law.

Wayne Law has announced honorees for the 2015 Treasure of Detroit, which will pay tribute Wednesday, April 22, to alumni who have made a lasting contribution to the practice of law.

Dean Jocelyn Benson invites you and a guest to a reception Tuesday, April 14, in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the formation of the Wayne Law Alumni Club of D.C.

The 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act will be the focus of a panel discussion Thursday, April 2, at Wayne Law.

Dr. Ernest Chiodo – a 1986 alumnus of Wayne Law and a 1983 alumnus of WSU’s School of Medicine – is working on his sixth master’s degree.

Late civil rights activist and WSU student Viola Liuzzo will be honored posthumously Friday, April 10, in the Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium at Wayne Law with an honorary doctor of laws degree for her contributions to society.

Ronald Helveston, '66, traveled with three other Wayne Law students to Selma, Ala., in 1965 for the second attempt at the march to Montgomery.

Dean Jocelyn Benson, as a member of the Southern Poverty Law Center Board of Directors, attended events Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, for the 50th anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Ala.

The Free Legal Aid Clinic celebrated its 50th anniversary year March 28 at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle.

Registration is open and sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2015 Wayne Law Golf Outing, set for Monday, June 8, at the Country Club of Detroit.

More than 100 Wayne Law students were recognized March 26 at an Honors Convocation for achievements, awards and scholarships they earned.

Wayne Law hosted a Scholarship Luncheon on March 27 at the university’s McGregor Memorial Conference Center for scholarship donors and recipients.

A Wayne Law transactional law team, for the third year in a row, won first place in drafting at a regional competition of the National Transactional LawMeet competition.

Wayne Law’s team took home the second-place award for brief at the 31st annual Cardozo/BMI Entertainment & Communications Law Moot Court Competition.

One of Wayne Law’s two national moot court teams reached the final round in the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition Regionals held March 5 through 8 in St. Louis.

Congratulations to Alex Bowman and Jack McIntyre, who won the Wayne Law Moot Court Law Day Competition Finals on March 24.

Ray Kort and Milica Filipovic were the winning team in Wayne Law’s Student Trial Advocacy Program Inside Competition Finals on Feb. 27.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Joan E. Young, ’74, delivered the 30th annual I. Goodman Cohen Lecture in Trial Advocacy on March 10 at Wayne Law

“Women in the Judiciary” was the topic of the March 12 installment of Wayne Law’s Alumni Speaker Series.

Students admitted to Wayne Law for fall 2015 attended an Admitted Students Open House on March 20. 

Judge Steven Rhodes, who handled Detroit's Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, spoke March 23 at Wayne Law.

Dr. Ismo Polonen, left, a senior lecturer of environmental law at the University of Eastern Finland Law School, visited Wayne  Law on March 23 to speak about international environmental law. 

Professor Jonathan Weinberg spoke about “President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration” on March 24 during a program presented by Wayne Law’s Program for International Legal Studies.

Judge Bernard Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan heard motion arguments March 27 at Wayne Law. 

“Combining Your Practice, Passion and Politics” was the topic of a panel discussion March 30 at Wayne Law.

Four attorneys discussed Careers in Health Law on March 31 at Wayne Law.

Joshua Opperer, ’95, a partner in Honigman’s Corporate Department, was a guest speaker March 31 in Assistant Professor Eric Zacks’ Mergers and Acquisitions class at Wayne Law.

Wayne Law Distinguished Professor Alan Schenk has co-authored a new edition of his 2007 book, "Value Added Tax: A Comparative Approach."

Kathryn Smolinski, director of Wayne Law’s Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic, is co-author of three chapters in a new book, "The Handbook of Oncology Social Work: Psychosocial Care for People with Cancer," published by Oxford University Press.

Upcoming Events

April 2 - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 - 50 Years Later

April 9 - An Evening with Stephen Ross at Wayne Law

April 10 - Ceremony and reception honoring Viola Liuzzo

April 13 - Dean A. Robb Annual Public Interest Lecture: Morris Dees (student event)

April 13 - Dean A. Robb Annual Public Interest Lecture with Morris Dees

April 14 - Reception to celebrate formation of Wayne Law Alumni Club of D.C.

April 22 - Wayne Law Treasure of Detroit

June 8 - Wayne Law Golf Outing

More Events

Alumni Accomplishments

Celeste Arduino, '07, was admitted as a member at Bodman PLC's Detroit office, where she assists nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations in obtaining and maintaining exempt status. She also advises individual clients on estate, gift and income tax matters, and businesses on corporate governance, business planning and general operational issues.

Laura Brodeur-McGeorge, '90, joined the Detroit office of Kotz Sangster Wysocki PC as a Labor and Employment Law Practice Group leader.

Eugene Driker, '61, was honored with the WSU College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Advocacy Award. He is a founding partner at Detroit-based Barris Sott Denn & Driker PLLC and served on the WSU Board of Governors for 12 years.

Joseph Fazio, '85, was re-elected to serve a two-year term as a managing director at Miller Canfield. He is part of a five-person management administration that works with the CEO to oversee the firm's 16 offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Poland and China. Fazio is a principal in the Real Estate Group in the firm's Ann Arbor office.

Sandra Glazier, '82, will present "What Every Estate Planner Should Know About Undue Influence: Recognizing It, Insulating Against It and Litigating It" with co-authors Thomas Sweeney and Thomas Dixon during the American Bar Association's Spring Symposia in Washington, D.C. Glazier is a shareholder of Lipson Neilson Cole Seltzer & Garin PC.

Dylan Holland, '13, joined the Professional Liability Practice Group of Collins Einhorn Farrell PC. Holland focuses his practice on defending professionals, including lawyers, accountants, engineers, surveyors and architects, from liability claims.

Christopher Jacobson, LL.M. '11, was named deputy general counsel for investments and compliance for the Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Michigan.

Jennifer Johnson, '96, joined Couzens Lansky as an associate attorney. Her primary concentration areas include estate planning, trust administration, probate, corporate law and business transactions.

Richard Kaufman, '77, a former Wayne County Circuit Court chief judge, has been named deputy county executive, the second-in-command to Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. Kaufman is a partner in the Farmington Hills-based law firm of Zausmer Kaufman August and Caldwell. He previously served as general manager and general counsel of metro Detroit's SMART transportation system.  

Lee Kellert, '00, was appointed co-chair of the Corporate Practice Group at Jaffee Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC, where he is a partner. He focuses his practice in corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities and finance law.

Michael Khalil, '14, joined Sullivan Ward Asher & Patton PC as an associate attorney. He maintains a general transactional practice.

Chokwe Lumumba, '75, who died in 2014, was honored by the Detroit City Council, which is adding a second street sign to Warren Avenue, naming it for him. Lumumba, a longtime civil rights activist, was mayor of Jackson, Miss., at the time of his death. 

Timothy Melton, '87, is partner-in-charge of the new Detroit office of Jones Day. Formerly based in Chicago, Melton joined Jones Day in 1989 and has been involved in many high-profile transactions, including a number of transactions in Michigan and for Michigan-based clients.

Carolyn Noble, '12, joined the Mount Clemens office of Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook. Noble practices in the area of medical malpractice defense, with a focus on birth trauma.

Charles Russman, '07, was admitted as a member at Bodman PLC's Troy office, where he advises employers on employee benefit, executive compensation and privacy matters. Among other services, he drafts plan documents, assists clients with regulatory compliance, negotiates agreements for products and professional services related to benefits administration, and advises businesses on the privacy and security of client information.

Andrew Schuster, '08, was admitted as a member at Bodman PLC's Troy office, where he represents clients in a variety of business and technology matters and other commercial transactions. He primarily assists clients in the review, drafting and negotiation of complex vendor agreements and other commercial contracts. His clients include banks, professional sports teams, automotive suppliers and technology-based businesses.

Jill Vandercook, '04, was promoted to shareholder at Sullivan Ward Asher & Patton PC, where she focuses her litigation practice on medical malpractice defense.

Peter Webster, '93, was reappointed to the State Board of Ethics. The seven-member board serves as an advisory and investigatory committee that determines the ethical conduct of classified and unclassified state employees and public offices in state government. Webster is a member of Dicksinson Wright PLLC in Troy.

Mark Wilkinson, '05, joined the Kalamazoo office of the Miller Johnson law firm. He represents and counsels clients on labor and employment law, with a focus on employment litigation and labor relations.

Jasen Witt, '00, was appointed as Oakland Community College's associate vice chancellor of human resources. Prior to his new job, Witt was assistant superintendent of human resources for the Troy School District.

Gillian Yee, '05, was the exclusive winner of the International Law Office's 2015 Client Choice Award in the Employment and Benefits Chapter for Michigan. She is a shareholder with Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC. She was selected for the award based on feedback from more than 2,500 in-house counsel.


More Alumni Accomplishments

Faculty Accomplishments

Jocelyn Benson will serve as one of six democracy experts to judge academic papers from around the country in a writing competition aimed at ending gerrymandering as part of the Common Cause Democracy Prize contest. Common Cause is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to open and transparent government. Common Cause launched the inaugural Common Cause Democracy Prize last year to find the best "gerrymander standard," a new definition for partisan gerrymandering that can be used to challenge the most unfair congressional and state legislative districts in the United States.

Blanche Cook gave the lunch address on "Implicit Bias and Unpacking the Deaths of Unarmed African-Americans" during WSU's 12th annual Conference in Citizenship.  

Peter Hammer gave the keynote address, "Freedom - The 13th Amendment 150 Years Later," at the 57th annual Michigan In Perspective local history conference in Sterling Heights.

Brad Roth was a panelist for a discussion on the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict sponsored by the departments of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Political Science; and History, as well as the WSU Ukrainian Studes Endowment Fund.

Nick Schroeck was on a panel discussing using the Freedom of Information Act as a strategic tool in permitting legislative, regulatory and litigation strategies to protect water quality and human health from concentrated animal feeding operations. The panel was part of the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Oregon School of Law.

Robert Sedler presented "The Case, Its Impact, The Future" during a workshop at the Ultimate LGBT Wedding and Anniversary Expo in Southfield.

Jocelyn Benson was part of a "TED" talk during the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation's Reception for Education and Community Leadership in Southfield. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks.

Peter Hammer was a panelist discussing the Detroit bankruptcy during the WSU's 12th annual Conference in Citizenship.  

Peter Hammer was a panelist discussing the "Critical Role of Asian Americans in Multi-racial and Issue-Based Efforts" during an Asian American civic leadership forum at the Ford School of Public Policy, Ann Arbor. The event was sponsored by Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote - Michigan.


More Faculty Accomplishments

Professors in the News

Jocelyn Benson was quoted in a Detroit Free Press article, Wayne State snags Levin, creates center in his name.

Blanche Cook was quoted in a BLAC Detroit report, Sex Trafficking: The 'Invisible Industry' in Detroit.

Noah Hall was quoted in a Desert Sun article, Bottling water without scrutiny.

Peter Hammer was quoted in an Associated Press story, Slain Civil Rights Activist To Receive Posthumous Degree, published in the Huffington Post and by many other media.

Peter Henning was quoted in a Fox Business story, Starbucks' Top Five Investors Stay Mum on Race Relations Plan.

Marilyn Kelly was quoted in a Legal News report, Women in the Judiciary.

Christopher Lund was quoted in a New York Times article, States Weigh Legislation to Let Businesses Refuse to Serve Gay Couples.

John Mogk was quoted in a Detroit Free Press article, The challenge for Gilbert on Hudson's site: Making it work.

Brad Roth was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article, What Is the Logan Act?

Nick Schroeck was quoted in an Associated Press report, Detroit water customers watching how Flint's bumpy transition to new system unfolds, published in Crain's Detroit Business, the Washington Post and dozens of other media outlets nationwide.  

Robert Sedler was quoted in a USA Today report, Court to hear free speech case of Christian protesters. The report originally was published in the Detroit Free Press.

Savala Nolan Trepczynski is co-author of a column, Forums aim to help Detroiters become property owners, in the Detroit Free Press.  

Jocelyn Benson and former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin were interviewed for a WDET report, Former Senator Carl Levin Returns To Detroit And Wayne State.

Peter Hammer was quoted in a Metro Times article, What can be done to keep Detroit Public Schools from sinking further?

Peter Henning was quoted in a Detroit News report, AG backs off subpoenas over inmates' allegations.

Christopher Lund was quoted in a National Journal report, How Indiana's 'Religious Freedom' Law Could Fail, which also was published by MSN. 

John Mogk was quoted in an NPR report, Mass Tax Foreclosure Threatens Detroit Homeowners.

Nick Schroeck was interviewed for a WDET radio report, Governor Snyder's Energy Plan: More Renewables and Less Waste.

Robert Sedler was quoted in a Detroit News report, Justices spar in Michigan case over EPA pollution rules.


More Professors in the News