Wayne Law News

Wayne Law proudly celebrated the grand opening of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights on Oct. 19, 2011. Well over 600 people attended the event and leaders from around the state were on hand to pay tribute to Judge Keith.

Professor Stephen Calkins was recently appointed a member of the Competition Authority of Ireland and head of its Mergers Division. The Competition Authority, Ireland’s chief trade regulation agency, applies Irish and European law to challenge anticompetitive cartels, mergers and abuses of dominance, and is led by a chairperson and three members.

More than 125 friends, colleagues and admirers of former Wayne Law Dean James K. Robinson gathered on Oct. 18 at the Detroit Athletic Club to celebrate his life and legacy.

Distinguished Professor Robert A. Sedler has just published a new book titled Constitutional Law in the United States (Kluwer Law International, 2011).

Approximately 25 sophomores and juniors from Detroit’s Cody High School were the special guests at a dedication ceremony for the new, interactive version of the exhibit Marching Toward Justice: The History of the Fourteenth Amendment at Wayne Law. The ceremony took place Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.

Wayne State University Law School congratulates the winning team of Wayne Law students, Ryan Fishman and Jarett Smith, for an impressive performance in the final round of arguments in the Arthur Neef Moot Court Competition. The event was held on Nov. 8 at Wayne Law.

On Oct. 5, Wayne Law Career Services Office, together with the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association and the National Association of Women Judges, hosted an exciting new program for law students, Mentor Jet: A Speed Mentoring Experience. About 40 law students came to talk to some 20 attorneys and judges from a variety of practice areas and settings, including in-house counsel, the courts, law firm associates and partners, prosecuting attorneys and solo practitioners. The event was the networking equivalent of speed-dating.

Michigan Super Lawyers magazine once again has placed Wayne State University Law School first on its list of law schools whose graduates are among the most accomplished in the state. According to the 2011 issue of the magazine, 428 – or 35 percent – of Michigan’s top lawyers are Wayne Law graduates.

Alumni  from the Classes of 1961 through 2001 attended the 2011 Reunion Weekend on September 23-24. Everyone had a great time catching up with classmates and faculty members and making new acquaintances.  The weekend’s events included a strolling dinner on Friday night, Saturday presentations by faculty and students, tours of the new Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, and milestone class dinners on Saturday evening.

Summer 2011 proved to be one unforgettable – and extremely valuable – summer for Wayne State University Law School students Rachel Hom and Clairissa Radyko. Hom and Radyko were among the first of Wayne Law’s International Public Interest Law Fellowship recipients, allowing them to gain significant legal experience while working for non-governmental organizations abroad. Hom spent her summer as a legal clerk with the Bahamas Crisis Centre in Nassau, Bahamas, while Radyko worked at the Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC) in Zouk Mosbeth, Lebanon.

The 15th annual Treasure of Detroit Gala will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012.

More than 80 scholarships, fellowships, awards and prizes were given out to accomplished students at this year’s Wayne State University Law School Honors Convocation, held on Nov. 17. This year, Wayne Law was fortunate to be able to give out four new scholarships: the Judge Claudia House Morcom Annual Scholarship, the Margaret Sind Raben Scholarship, the James K. Robinson Endowed Scholarship, and the Wayne Law Alumni Association Annual Scholarship.

A reception was held at the Arthur Neef Law Library on Oct. 21 for the dedication of a new Law Faculty Scholarship Display Case. The display case was dedicated in honor of Georgia A. Clark, former director of the Law Library from 1976-2008.

An innovative legal-medical partnership spearheaded by Kathryn Smolinski ’11 is seeking alumni volunteers for a pro bono panel to help provide legal information, resources and representation to low-income cancer patients as part of their overall cancer care. Recognizing that legal issues often create barriers to care for these patients, Smolinski created the partnership between Wayne Law’s Disability Law Clinic and the Karmanos Cancer Center with the goal of educating healthcare staff and representing clients on issues of concern to low-income cancer patients, such as advance care planning, ADA and family medical leave, custody and guardianship, health insurance coverage, housing disputes, public benefits and Social Security Disability. Members of the pro-bono panel will assist in several different ways including giving short educational programs to healthcare and social work staff of the Cancer Center on particular areas of law, accepting client referrals in their practice area on a pro bono basis, and being available as a sounding board for questions. For more information or to volunteer, contact Smolinski at 313-577-9911.

Wayne Law's Student Board of Governors (SBG) held two special events this fall, raising money for Cass Community Social Services (CCSS). More than 100 runners participated in the 26th Annual Ambulance Chase on Sept. 27 bringing in more than $3,500. In November, SGB asked the community to “Give Thanks” and support a Thanksgiving meal at CCSS.

The Wayne State University Law School faculty voted at its October meeting to adopt the State Bar of Michigan’s Pledge to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion.

The 313 Project successfully sponsored 51 children at this year’s Adopt-a-Child Holiday Program, with plans to “adopt” several more before the end of the year. Each child received warm clothing, hat and gloves, a coat, and a toy. Hosted by the North End Youth Improvement Council, this year's Adopt-a-Child event took place at Cobo Hall on Dec. 9, 2011.

Upcoming Events

313 Project Fundraiser: Reasons to Revitalize, Dec. 15

National and State Marijuana Reform: The Economic, Social, Legal and Health Implications

Law Alumni Association to Host Royal Oak Happy Hour Feb. 2

More Events

Alumni Accomplishments

Linda S. Ross, '88, a partner and chair of the Health Care Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, has been named a Fellow by the State Bar of Michigan's Health Care Law Section.


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Student Accomplishments

Suzanne Quinn is profiled in the December 2011 issue of the American Bar Association's Student Lawyer magazine. The article, titled "A Nontraditional Path to Law School," features Quinn's community activism and her work with humanitarian aid organizations before coming to Wayne Law.


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Faculty Accomplishments

Prof. Robert Sedler received the 2011 American Jewish Committee (AJC) Detroit Community Service Award, along with his wife, Rozanne, on Dec. 5, 2011. The award is given by AJC each year in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the Jewish people, to the preservation and strengthening of democratic rights and ideas, and to the welfare of Michigan.


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Professors in the News

Nick Schroeck  was interviewed on WDET-FM's "Craig Fahle Show" about the DEQ v. Worth Township case before the Michigan Supreme Court. The work of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center on this case was also mentioned in an Associated Press article, "Dispute over failed septic systems hits high court."


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