Wayne Law News

The Dean’s Office and Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights are sponsoring several events to celebrate Black History Month.

Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, who has served for 24 years on the federal bench in Detroit, will deliver the 29th annual I. Goodman Cohen Lecture in Trial Advocacy at Wayne Law on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Author and human rights expert Carrie Booth Walling will speak Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Wayne Law on “The Security Council and Syria: The Case for Humanitarian Intervention.”

Former Detroit federal bankruptcy Judge Ray Reynolds Graves on Thursday, Jan. 16, presented the inaugural lecture of the free Good Governance Lecture Series at Wayne Law. His topic was “Bankruptcy and Detroit Restructuring: Can the Court Guarantee Financial Viability?” The lecture series was inspired by the October leadership summit, “Building an Honest and Open Government in Detroit: Why Public Integrity Matters.” 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Abed Hammoud, ’96, left; Assistant State Attorney General Angela Povilaitis, ’00; and Assistant Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Woodyard, ’02, right, shown with Professor Peter Henning, participated Wednesday, Jan. 29, in a panel discussion.

A Los Angeles alumni reception for Wayne Law alumni who live in Southern California was Wednesday, Jan. 15. The event included a 3-D screening of “Gravity” at the Real D Screening Room in Beverly Hills.

Wayne Law students Eliza Qualls Perez Facio and Nicholas Klaus were named Outstanding Law Students of the Year by the National Lawyers Guild’s Detroit and Michigan Chapter, and alumnus Chokwe Lumumba was honored.

New students working in Wayne Law’s clinics for winter semester 2014 participated in a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 14. The Hon. Marilyn Kelly, retired Michigan Supreme Court justice and Wayne Law’s distinguished jurist in residence, administered the oath.

Retired Detroit Tigers shortstop and former Tigers manager Alan Trammell visited Wayne Law on Wednesday, Jan. 22, to get more information about the Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. Trammell, the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, was given a tour of the Keith Center by Dean Jocelyn Benson and several faculty and staff.

Wayne Law and the State Bar of Michigan presented “Professionalism in Action,” a program for first-year law students, Friday, Jan. 31.

Professor Charles H. Brower II will be a featured speaker Feb. 20 and 21 in Houston at the joint winter forum of The Institute for Transnational Arbitration and The Institute for Energy Law.

An alumni golf outing is being planned for Monday, June 2, at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms.

Upcoming Events

Feb. 4 - I. Goodman Cohen Lecture in Trial Advocacy (for Wayne Law students)

Feb. 4 - I. Goodman Cohen Lecture in Trial Advocacy (for the public)

Feb. 5 - I. Goodman Cohen Lecture in Trial Advocacy (for Wayne Law faculty)

Feb. 5 - Black History Month: Freedom Summer National Youth Summit and Regional Panel Discussion

Feb. 10 - Training Courses of Legal Apprentices and Judges by Tokyo District Court of Japan Judge Naoki Takaishi

Feb. 12 - The Security Council and Syria: The Case for Humanitarian Intervention

Feb. 13 - Black History Month: Good Governance Lecture Series: Municipal Law and Civil Rights: Spotlight on Detroit Government

Feb. 21- IP Law Reception

Feb. 26 - Black History Month: Screening and Discussion of the film "American Promise"

March 9 - WSU Alumni and Friends in New York City

More Events

Alumni Accomplishments

James Derian, '81, was installed as president of the Oakland County Bar Association. He has been a litigation attorney with Delphi Automotive Systems in Troy since 2006. He previously spent six years with Butzel Long.

Marcy Ford, '93, was named Co-Member of the Year by the Consumer Bankruptcy Association of Detroit. She is a partner and executive vice president at real estate law firm Trott & Trott PC. An author and frequent speaker at industry events, Ford is actively involved in the bankruptcy law industry both locally and nationally.

Robert Kent, '08, has joined Michigan State University as assistant general counsel. He formerly worked with Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook. Kent is president of the Wayne Law Alumni Association.

Jennifer LaTosch, '00, was appointed to the Board of Education for Ferndale Public Schools. Her term will expire Dec. 31. She previously served the school district as a member of a strategic planning committee in 2013. LaTosch is a member of Miller Canfield's Personal Services practice group.

Jordan Summers, '13, was appointed personal trust officer for Chemical Bank Wealth Management. Summers served as a law clerk and associate for two years with Gandelot and Associates before joining the Chemical Bank team.

William W. Swor, '72, was elected president of the board of directors for Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. He's served on the group's board since 1999. Swor is of Lebanese descent and is founder of the Detroit law firm William W. Swor & Associates.

Jessica Woll, '93, and her mother, attorney Pauline Woll, celebrated the 20th anniversary of their firm, Woll & Woll PC on Jan. 1. The firm specializes in family law. In 2013, Jessica Woll was named a Top Lawyer for 2014 by DBusiness magazine and a Diversity Leader by Corp! Magazine.


More Alumni Accomplishments

Faculty Accomplishments

Peter Hammer gave a presentation about his book on civil rights advocate and federal Judge Damon J. Keith at the Barnes & Noble in Shelby Township. Crusader for Justice, which was compiled, written and edited with Trevor W. Coleman, was published in November by Wayne State University Press. The event was the monthly meeting of the Macomb County Bar Foundation History Club.

Christopher Lund presented "Religious Law in Civil Courts" at the Association of American Law Schools annual conference in New York City.

Alan Schenk presented a paper, "A Perspective on VAT Design Issues for Developing Countries," in a conference at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. The conference was on "Tax Design Issues Worldwide." "It was my opportunity to reflect on my 17 years drafting tax laws for developing countries under the auspices of the IMF," Schenk said. "In that period, I was involved in tax reform efforts in 25 different countries, either drafting or commenting on proposals to reform their laws." The papers from the conference are going to be published by Kluwer in its International Taxation Series.

Nick Schroeck taped a TV show, Great Lakes Log, for WMTV about Asian carp and the threat they pose to the Great Lakes. The program will air Monday through Sunday, Feb. 17 to 23, at 1:30, 5 and 10:30 p.m. and at 2 a.m. on Comcast channels 5 and 915 in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods, on WOW channel 10 in Grosse Pointe Woods and on AT&T U-verse channel 99 (select Grosse Pointe) in more than 140 communities in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Monroe, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties.


More Faculty Accomplishments

Professors in the News

Laura Bartell continues to be widely quoted in the media on topics related to Detroit's bankrupcty. Articles included a Voice of America report, Deal Emerges to Save Detroit Institute of Arts Collection, and a Yahoo News article from Reuters, Analysis: Gambling revenue at heart of Detroit's dilemmas, new and old.

Linda Beale was quoted in a Wall Street Journal report, Private-Equity Firms' Fees Get a Closer Look.

Jocelyn Benson was quoted in a Yahoo News article from the Christian Science Monitor, Are American elections broken? White House panel proposes fixes.

Peter Henning was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article, Troubled firm Lason Inc. doesn't fit Bruce Rauner's story.

Nick Schroeck was interviewed for a news report on WKYC-TV Cleveland, Investigator: Drugs in drinking water higher than expected.

Michael Steinberg was quoted in a news article in USA Today (and 281 other news outlets) about Insane Clown Posse filing suit against the FBI.

Jonathan Weinberg was interviewed on the topic of Gov. Rick Snyder's Detroit immigration plan for Detroit WDET radio and East Lansing WKAR radio. A shorter version of the WDET interview was aired on NPR's "Morning Edition."


More Professors in the News