WMU-Cooley Law School Benchmark Alumni Magazine

Benchmark

SUMAYYA SALEH

Advocate on Behalf of Victims of Injustice

PAUL MILLENBACH

Over 30 Years of Being

Benchmark

EDITOR

Terry Carella

CO-EDITOR

Sharon Matchette

ADVANCEMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

Bill Arnold

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Terry Carella, Sharon Matchette

Bill Arnold, Seyferth PR

DESIGN

Image Creative Group

PHOTOGRAPHY

Terry Carella, Tom Gennara Photography

SUBMISSIONS

Benchmark seeks story ideas from graduates on a variety of subjects such as graduate achievements, international experiences, cultural diversity, legal information helpful to practitioners, unique law practices, advice to prospective law students, and special events. If you would like to share a story idea, please write, call, or e-mail:

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Letter from the President and Dean

More than 50 years of fulfilling Justice Brennan’s dream. It’s not just a milestone and a celebration of our accomplishments, it is an opportunity to set the tone for our next 50 years. Your law school remains committed to preparing graduates who are lifelong learners and agents for positive change. In this issue of Benchmark Magazine, I invite you to read examples of that commitment reflected in the important work being done by some of our graduates.

Sumayya Saleh, a senior attorney with the Civil Rights Corps, tirelessly works to amplify the voices and experiences of those most harmed in the criminal justice system. Adriannette Williams, the founding board member of the George Floyd Foundation, marched alongside the Floyd family during the 2020 D.C. March. Paul Millenbach is passing down his legal expertise to new attorneys and serving as a leader in the legal community.

Read about how newly appointed graduate Judge Jeremy Darnell Bowie of Michigan’s 50th District Court is using his new role to strengthen the justice system and how graduate Alicia Prygoski uses her legal expertise in her role as Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Strategic Legislative Affairs Manager.

I also encourage you to find out more about how Cooley’s full-scale curriculum review will reshape the student learning experience and once again place Cooley on the leading edge of practical legal education in Associate Dean of Faculty Tonya Krause-Phelan’s article. Let me also take a moment to thank all those who participated in the May 1, 2023, Law Day event with keynote speaker Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement and those who made gifts in support of our social justice and community service clinics.

Finally, it was humbling to join so many alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of WMU-Cooley Law School at our culminating event of the law school’s 50th anniversary celebration in June. It was a joy to share and reminisce about the many wonderful memories and friendships made over the past 50 years. Proud leader of our great school,

James McGrath Professor, President and Dean

WMU-COOLEY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

HON. LOUISE ALDERSON

Chair, Board of Directors

Ret. Judge, 54-A District Court

Lansing, Michigan

MUSTAFA AMEEN

Law Office of Ameen & Shafii

Tampa, Florida

AARON V. BURRELL

Dickinson Wright PLLC

Detroit, Michigan

CHRISTINA L. CORL

Plunkett Cooney

Columbus, Ohio

THOMAS W. CRANMER

Miller Canfield

Troy, Michigan

JOHN M. DUNN

President Emeritus of Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

HON. MICHAEL P. HATTY

Chief Judge, 44th Circuit Court, 53rd District Court

Livingston County

HON. JANE E. MARKEY Michigan Court of Appeals

Grand Rapids, Michigan

KENNETH V. MILLER

Millennium Restaurant Group, LLC

Kalamazoo, Michigan

LAWRENCE P. NOLAN

Nolan, Thomsen & Villas P.C.

Eaton Rapids, Michigan

HON. BART STUPAK

Venable, LLP

Washington, D.C.

JORDAN V. SUTTON

Sutton Advisors PLC

Lansing, Michigan

MITCHELL S. ZAJAC

Vice Chairman, Board of Directors

Butzel Long

Detroit, Michigan

Features Summer 2023 2 8

6 12 16

SUMAYYA SALEH

Integrating culture and a passion for justice. Sumayya Saleh is committed to righting the wrongs in the criminal justice system. PAUL MILLENBACH

Shareholder of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC and past president of the Detroit Bar Association, Paul Millenbach, shares the advice that has stuck with him since he graduated from Cooley over 30 years ago: Be prepared.

ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS

Making history and guiding progress. Adriannette Williams pursues justice as a founding board member of the George Floyd Foundation.

ALICIA PRYGOSKI

Forging her own path. Alicia Prygoski adapts law school education to train for a career in protecting those who cannot speak for themselves.

JUDGE JEREMY DARNELL BOWIE

From advocate to the bench, Judge Jeremy Darnell Bowie finds that a previous career in criminal defense helps him see all sides of the cases before him in court.

Sumayya Saleh:

ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF VICTIMS OF INJUSTICE

BY TERRY CARELLA

Sumayya Saleh’s Syrian parents, Bilal and Abida Saleh, immigrated to the United States in the mid-1980s, seeking opportunity after their families had been forced to flee oppression in Syria. When her parents arrived in the United States, they married in Tennessee, had two daughters, Layla and Aamena, then moved to Florida and had twin girls, Maryam and Sumayya. The children learned their parents’ heritage and their story of oppression and immigration, and experienced firsthand what injustice looked like in this country. It would certainly inform their lives growing up, but it turned into a passion when it became personal.

ARAB SPRING

A legal career was not a part of Sumayya’s career plans for most of her life. It hadn’t occurred to her until everything changed when the Arab Spring broke out toward the end of her college experience. The wave of pro-democracy protests occurring in much of the Arab world in 2010-2011 shook her to the core, and she felt she needed to do something about it.

“Syria was a country I never knew,” explained Sumayya. “I was born in the United States, but never thought too much about why my family moved away. I intellectually understood that Syria was a country that, based on my family’s experience, had a very oppressive regime where political dissidence was not tolerated. But never did we imagine that Syrians would take to the streets and protest their brutal government.”

Suddenly her goal of becoming a social worker didn’t satisfy her. She needed to do more. The Arab Spring and the injustices to her community generated in her a profound purpose.

“I immediately got sucked into it. It was such a momentous thing to be happening and I wanted desperately to get involved; first to understand better what was happening in Syria, but more importantly to volunteer in any way to help the revolution in Syria. I also realized that I now knew what I wanted to do in my life. I wanted to help people. I needed to advocate on behalf of victims of injustice.”

Energized by the revelation of her role in life, Sumayya questioned her career path as a social worker. Would she be able to make sweeping changes to the injustices in the world? Although still young and unsure, she absolutely knew in her heart that this vague notion of what a legal career could do was the right career for her.

In 2012, Sumayya was finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida, and began the unfamiliar process of applying for law school.

“I had no lawyers in my family, no lawyers as friends, and I didn’t have a road map for how this works,” recalled Sumayya. “I think

my mom heard something on the local NPR station about Cooley Law School coming to Tampa.” Sumayya not only saw this as a sign from above, but the best way to start her journey close to family.

“I was 20 when I finished my undergrad and I was in an extreme rush to get started with the rest of my life,” Sumayya recalls with a smile. “It was very important for me to start law school right away. I didn’t want to take a break! Maybe naïve, but at the time, that’s how I felt. So, I sat for the June LSAT and was able to start that fall at Cooley Law School. I just firmly believed that this was part of God’s plan for me. It was like the stars aligned and it all worked out in the end.”

PASSION FOR CRIMINAL DEFENSE

After diving headfirst into her law school studies, Sumayya continued on the fast track to a legal career. In her first summer of law school, she interned at the local courthouse working for a family law judge. The experience also connected her to other staff attorneys who worked for criminal division judges, which led her to a parttime law clerk position, where she worked primarily on criminal post-conviction matters.

“Getting to work on post-conviction work (motions, files) by people who had been convicted of crimes and sentenced to very lengthy prison sentences was, I would say, my first introduction to some of the tangible injustices in the criminal justice system. But it was in my third year of law school when I took a death penalty seminar taught by Professor Adam Tebrugge that my interest, and now my career, in criminal defense work was cemented.”

The stars aligned again for Sumayya when she was studying for the bar exam and someone from the legal department at the courthouse reached out to her about a staff attorney position with the court.

“At that time, I think I knew that I wanted to be a public defender, but I didn’t feel quite ready. I thought that it would be best to keep working with judges, doing research, and writing in criminal cases to get an

appreciation for the ins-and-outs, and the operation of the court system before I made my move to public defense work. So, I did that for two years, then became a public defender in Tampa.”

Not one to sit idle, Sumayya developed a mentoring relationship with an attorney at the public defender’s office. He was the chief of a homicide unit. It wasn’t long before he asked Sumayya to join his team.

“I was this young associate working in a homicide unit,” stated Sumayya. “As much as the work was truly heartbreaking, hard, and draining, it was an exceptional experience. I found it incredibly fulfilling to be one of the people who advocates for people facing the most severe consequences in the criminal legal system.”

STARS ALIGN - AGAIN

Sumayya learned early on that opportunities can present themselves in many ways. Even if they seem accidental. That was how she discovered a job opportunity with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“I didn’t even know that they had an office in Florida,” recalled Sumayya. “It’s an organization that I had long heard of, and they were hiring a Criminal Justice Reform staff attorney. It spoke to me because I was beginning to look at long-term, big picture, systemic reform work as my calling. I thought I would at least apply for the job. I did, and I ended up getting the job!”

She moved to Tallahassee to do civil rights impact litigation and to represent people who were incarcerated in the Florida prison system. She spent most of her time with people serving very long prison sentences, under conditions that were also exacerbated by persistent mental health issues. The challenge of the work and the atrocious conditions of confinement, with a particular focus on solitary confinement, was difficult for Sumayya.

“I remember thinking to myself when I was in law school taking civil procedure and studying class actions that there was no way I was ever going to do this kind of work,” laughed Sumayya. “And now I find myself knee-deep doing class action work. I had

to email to my Civil Procedure instructor, Professor (Gerald) McDonald, to let him know what I was doing for work and how much I appreciated all the things that I learned in law school that prepared me for this kind of work.”

Sumayya formed many deep, powerful connections with people behind bars and it was a transformational and clarifying moment in her work and life journey. Everything was going great, until the pandemic happened. Like many people, this life-altering event pushed her to re-evaluate and re-think what she was doing.

“Right after I sat for the Florida bar, I sat for the Illinois bar because I had grown up in Chicago and thought that I might end up there, but that location wasn’t calling me right now. My twin sister, Maryam, who also got her law degree from Cooley Law School, was working as an editor at The Intercept in D.C. I knew that I wanted to be near her. I made the decision to start looking for positions in the D.C. area.”

Of course, the stars aligned again for Sumayya. She had recently worked on an amicus brief for Civil Rights Corps in the early months of the pandemic, and now they were hiring.

MANY THREADS WEAVE A TAPESTRY

“As much as everything felt like the stars aligned and it was God’s plan for me, I can see that, really, one piece was building on another and leading me to where I am today.”

Things like seeing the atrocities in Syria, witnessing how people who are on the receiving end

of government violence and oppression could use support in their quest to seek justice.

Another poignant thread in Sumayya’s journey was the 9/11 tragedy. She was in the fourth grade. As a practicing Muslim, Sumayya remembers clearly how post-9/11 America treated Muslim communities. Literally overnight, her community was living under suspicion.

“Government surveillance was a huge thing against Muslim communities after 9/11,” shared Sumayya. “It was an unfortunate part of my childhood and upbringing to belong to a community that was surveilled and targeted by the government. I remember as a teenage girl being harassed by TSA agents because I wore the hijab.”

These pivotal experiences defined who she was and shaped her future.

“My advocacy stems from my collective experiences,” explained Sumayya. “Everything ended up being personal for me. Even though I had never experienced severe forms of government oppression like others, it was a part of my upbringing and my story and my need to hold space for people who are traumatized, who experience oppression, who experience hardships. The people I represent, who have been through some very traumatic experiences, need someone who can see their humanity, and as whole people.”

CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS

Sumayya sees her work at Civil Rights Corps as critically important in her role to impact change. The national, civil rights, nonprofit,

legal organization’s mission challenges the status quo, White supremacy cultures, and is a strong advocate for people who are on the receiving end of systemic oppression, particularly those in the Black and Brown communities.

“Much of our work at Civil Rights Corps is class-action litigation challenging the sorts of things that ensnare people in the legal system, including the criminalization of poverty,” explained Sumayya. “I have worked on class-action cases challenging money bail systems and predatory pretrial diversion programs. These private probation schemes are designed to extract wealth from the poorest communities, then penalize them due to their poverty.”

Sumayya says the result generates cyclical patterns of oppression. People get arrested, then they can’t afford to pay for services, then they lose their job and house. Then the oppression just starts all over again. She said Civil Rights Corps is fighting to ensure that these basic systems in place allow people to obtain liberty rather than suffer the harmful effects of incarceration.

For example, she also recently filed a lawsuit challenging the pervasive use of probation detainers. “If someone on probation gets accused of violating their probation, a detainer is issued against them that prohibits their release from jail. Frequently those individuals will have bonds set on a new charge if the new charge is the reason they are accused of violating their probation. This means that a judge has decided

“The people I represent, who have been through some very traumatic experiences, need someone who can see their humanity, and as whole people.”

SUMAYYA SALEH

there is no public safety risk of them being out on the streets. This bureaucratic process prevents them from getting out of jail for months and months and months until that process resolves, rather than with their family and communities and able to work.”

Civil Rights Corps supports communities whose fundamental rights have been violated, no matter how extreme.

“Civil Rights Corps takes the approach that we don’t just care about worst case scenarios, we care about the everyday indignities, the everyday violations people are subjected to” in the criminal legal system, the things that most people are desensitized to because it’s “just how things are done.”

STRENGTH AND GUIDANCE

Sumayya says her strength and guidance has always been her faith. She views her work as a civil rights litigator as a blessing, and an extension of her religious practice.

“A core part of my beliefs as a Muslim is that God called us to do good on this earth, to seek justice, to stand up to power, to lend a hand to people in ways big and small whenever

we can. So, I really view the work that I do as part of that and not separate from my religious identity or my religious practice. I am blessed to wake up every day and feel that the work I am doing is nourishing me spiritually and making me feel fulfilled. It sustains me in this work. Even though it is tiring and draining and can be very aggravating and frustrating when you feel a system may be designed to shut you down. Being able to connect to a higher calling and a higher power is part of what helps keep me moving forward.”

As much as Sumayya is clear about her commitment to right the wrongs in our justice system, she says she doesn’t really have a five-year plan or a 10-year career plan. But she is enjoying what she is doing and loves litigating, and is passionate about writing creeds and briefs, then getting to argue them and to take up positions.

“I’m fortunate to be doing this work at a place that is mindful of the communities that we serve and is intentional about allowing communities who are impacted to lead the way. We (at Civil Rights Corps) view ourselves as partners in their

quests to better their own conditions and to imagine a better future for themselves. Looking to the future though, I feel like if opportunities presented themselves, you would step back and ask if God was calling you to this.”

KEEPING GROUNDED AND CENTERED

Sumayya’s life is ever busy, but enjoys time with her husband Abdel-Rahman Hamed, who is also a civil rights and immigration litigator, and being out in nature.

“D.C. is a really beautiful place to be and to live,” states Sumayya. “Being out in nature is where I’m able to center myself and find calm. Being outdoors is important to me, whether it’s going for a run after work, going for hikes over the weekend, or taking long bike rides. That’s a very high priority for me. I recognize that if I’m not making time for me and if my soul isn’t full, then I can’t apply myself fully to the work that I do. I also prioritize doing these things with my family, because spending time with them helps keep me grounded and centered.”

“I am blessed to wake up every day and feel that the work I am doing is nourishing me spiritually and making me feel fulfilled. It sustains me in this work.”

SUMAYYA SALEH

Paul Millenbach

As a shareholder of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC and past president of the Detroit Bar Association, Paul Millenbach shares a piece of advice that has stuck with him since graduating from WMU-Cooley Law School over 30 years ago: Be prepared.

Millenbach (Douglass Class, 1989), received this advice early in his career from the Hon. Richard F. Suhrheinrich, former U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan judge who currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

“He always told me that you better be prepared – particularly when you go to court, and you certainly better be prepared if you were ever in front of him,” said Millenbach. “And he was right. It seemed like such simple advice but it turned out to be spot on. You never know what to expect in any Court at any level of a case.”

Now, Millenbach passes along his own legal expertise to those beginning their law career.

“I tell them to work hard and go out of their way to develop relationships with people who can provide a different dynamic – other attorneys, judges, prosecuting attorneys, and opposing counsel,” he said.

Paul Millenbach, front row second from left, is pictured with Detroit Bar Association directors and Detroit Bar Association Foundation trustees.

Millenbach, a 1984 Northern Michigan University graduate, simultaneously held two part-time jobs being a law clerk while attending evening classes at Cooley Law School. In the mornings, he would work at the 54B District Court in East Lansing, and then in the afternoons, he would go to the Michigan Public Service Commission and work in its motor carrier division.

“It was tiring – I went five days a week from 6 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. for three years with two-week breaks in between classes,” Millenbach said. “Cooley’s professors were very practical and hands on, which was very helpful to me. When I was done, I was very thankful. I am very appreciative for Cooley for everything they did for me.”

Upon graduating from law school, Millenbach continued working with MPSC as an administrative law specialist. He then joined McFarland and Bullard, a small law firm in Bloomfield Hills that specialized in transportation regulatory cases, after passing the bar exam. In 1991, that firm merged into Foster Swift, where he is currently co-leader of its general and

commercial litigation practice group, practicing Michigan No-Fault (PIP and third party), transportation and logistics, mass tort defense, and commercial litigation.

Aside from litigation, Millenbach has served on various boards and associations throughout his career, including the Michigan Truck Safety Commission, Transportation Lawyers Association, Michigan Movers Association, Michigan Trucking Association, and Transportation Club of Detroit. He is also a member of the Northern Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors, where he served as vice president in 2012 and president in 2013.

Additionally, Millenbach has been a board member of the Detroit Bar Association since 2011, serving as secretary and treasurer in 2020, vice president in 2021 and president in 2022. During his time as president, Millenbach helped to bolster the DBA’s membership and reinvigorate its strategic plan and bar section events in the area.

“I enjoy staying involved with my colleagues and the legal community, and getting to help in the various programs the DBA offers,” he said.

A lifelong resident of Michigan, Paul enjoys everything having to do with travel, particularly to the west coast, with his wife and two adult children.

“Building relationships in the law profession is very important – it’s something we all have to strive for.”

PAUL MILLENBACH

(Left) Paul Millenbach, right, with then Detroit Bar Association President Bobby Murkowski during Millenbach’s swearing-in ceremony at the DBA Annual Dinner in 2022.

(Center) Paul Millenbach, second from left, at the Detroit Bar Association’s Annual Dinner in 2022, when he began his role as DBA President.

(Right) Paul Millenbach, far right, at the 2022 Detroit Bar Association Golf Outing. Pictured from left to right are: Matthew Murray, the Hon. Christopher Murray, the Hon. Thomas Cameron, and Millenbach.

Paul Millenbach is flanked by his daughter, Missy, (left) and his wife, Vicki, at the Detroit Bar Association’s Annual Dinner.

ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS

ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS, HUGHES CLASS, 2016

Adriannette Williams with Matthew Lyon, Lincoln Memorial University Vice President and Dean

As a founding board member of the George Floyd Foundation, Adriannette Williams will forever remember marching alongside the Floyd family during the March on Washington 2020, fighting for justice and marking a national civil rights movement that will be etched in the history books for years to come.

“At the time (August 2020), I was not thinking about making history. I was just thinking about what was right. I felt like it needed to be done,” said Williams. “We talk about being great, but if you really want to be great, you need to start with people. You need to serve people humbly, serve them with respect and give them your best.”

When George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020, Williams (Hughes Class, 2016) knew she couldn’t idly stand by. She connected with a Cooley graduate who was an employee of nationally recognized attorney Ben Crump and brainstormed with Crump and his team on what they could do to not only help the Floyd family, but also fight for justice.

Floyd’s murder, coupled with the Covid pandemic, marked a tumultuous time in U.S. history. While working for the Florida Bar, Williams was responsible for regulating the practice of law and holding

attorneys accountable for wrongdoing. But now, the job was about holding police officers accountable for their actions.

“We hold our attorneys to a very high standard, but we don’t hold our law enforcement to that same standard. When people are in trouble, law enforcement may be the first agency to assist them,” she said. “Every occupation has bad actors, and law enforcement is no different.”

Williams joined other “boots on the ground” volunteers who coordinated numerous funeral arrangements for Floyd, helped with funeral security and passed out water to the thousands who waited hours in line to pay their respects. It was then that she had a conversation with Floyd’s brother, who invited her to be a founding board member of the George Floyd Foundation.

During her tenure with the foundation, Williams oversaw contributions donated to fund grassroots

“We talk about being great, but if you really want to be great, you need to start with people. You need to serve people humbly, serve them with respect and give them your best.”

ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS

Adriannette Williams fights for justice as a George Floyd Foundation founding board member, updates The Florida Bar handbook and is now the DEI connector for students and faculty at Lincoln Memorial Law School.

action efforts, managed scholarships for undergraduate law students, facilitated philanthropic events for various organizations, including foster homes, and organized community events across the nation.

“The family wanted to make sure the money that came in actually went toward keeping George’s legacy alive and ensure other people who were fighting for justice were supported,” said Williams. “The family wanted to ensure that the funds were appropriately allocated to produce the greatest gains for social justice.

“It is crazy when you think about it,” said Williams. “When I reminisce about my time with the George Floyd Foundation, I know my contributions are etched in the history of moving the needle forward regarding social justice in the United States.”

FLORIDA BAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Before encountering justice work with the George Floyd Foundation, Williams worked for the Florida Bar Association as assistant director of professionalism. While at the Florida Bar, she rewrote The Professionalism Handbook.

“It’s important that lawyers understand professionalism. Lawyers must make ethical decisions on a daily basis. Professionalism, ethics, competency, and accountability are necessary traits for members of the legal profession whether they are novice or experienced practitioners. The Florida Supreme Court sets the standard and members of the Florida Bar must comply.”

Williams said her proudest moment while at the Florida Bar was traveling throughout the state of Florida to train attorneys on different issues and being part of a panel that helped push the removal of the mental health question from the Florida Bar application.

“The removal of the mental health question was done to assist applicants,” Williams said. “Asking applicants if they have been diagnosed with a mental health issue is unnecessary as it may cause applicants to shy away from treatment rather than to seek treatment. Because the practice of law is a stressful profession, licensed and future lawyers should be encouraged to seek treatment.”

NEW CHAPTER IN DEI

In August 2022, Williams landed a new role that took her to Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the law school’s first Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Williams is the “connector” between the law school and its students. She helps ensure the law school is recruiting and retaining minority students and that the students have support while attending law school.

“The role feels like it was made for me,” she said. “I talk to the students and faculty. I connect our students to resources. Often, I am the connector between issues and solutions.”

Williams’ goal for the school’s DEI program is to increase the school’s minority presence for people of color and all underrepresented groups.

“I want to ensure that Lincoln Memorial has an inclusive environment for all students,” she said. “This is important because students typically find their lifelong friends during their academic pursuits. It’s also important to put underrepresented populations into the practice of law because people engaged in the practice of law should reflect the people we serve.”

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Williams credits her family with instilling the value of hard work and being kind to those around you. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family. With a passion for airplanes, she hopes to become a licensed pilot in the future.

ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS

Alicia Prygoski (Hughes Class, 2016) chose to continue her education in law while finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. Though she was exposed to law school as a child through her father Philip Prygoski, who taught Constitutional Law at WMU-Cooley for 36 years, she didn’t decide on a legal career until she learned that she could help animals through the legal system by pursuing a career in the field of animal law.

“I knew I wanted to devote my career to helping animals,” said Prygoski. “I wasn’t quite sure what that looked like. Animal law was a perfect option for me. It was a way that I could merge my passion for helping animals with an interest in the law that had been ingrained in me since childhood.”

As the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Strategic Legislative Affairs Manager, Prygoski oversees the organization’s federal legislative portfolio and works to advance animal protection legislation at all levels of government.

“I’ve worked on the passage of several laws, most recently, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which the president signed into law in 2022,” said Prygoski. “Our legislative team works on several different issue areas with an emphasis on passing legislation to advance animal legal status, protect farmed animals, and end the exploitation of captive wildlife.”

Alicia Prygoski

ALICIA PRYGOSKI, HUGHES CLASS, 2016

Prygoski’s background is primarily in farmed animal protection issues, having previously served as public policy coordinator for farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States and then as a farm animal policy associate at the Animal Welfare Institute.

“At both organizations, I advanced legal protections for farmed animals in several different states and contributed to the passage of a ballot initiative in Massachusetts and legislation in Rhode Island banning the extreme confinement of animals in industrial animal agriculture,” said Prygoski, who currently serves as chair of the board for the Michigan-based farmed animal organization, Barn Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates abused and neglected farm animals.

While at WMU-Cooley, Prygoski enrolled in classes that helped her get to the point where she is in her career and reach her ultimate goal of advocating for animals through the legal system. One specific class was Animal Law, which was taught by WMU-Cooley graduate Judge Rosemarie Aquilina (Carr Class, 1984).

“She was a phenomenal professor who encouraged critical thinking in the classroom, but also encouraged students to pursue their passions and interests through extracurricular activities, too – which was essential for me in obtaining a career in the animal protection movement,” said Prygoski.

Since no other animal law-specific classes were being offered while Prygoski attended WMU-Cooley, she was able to take electives and tailor them to her specific interests. In the Legislative Drafting course, she drafted a bill to prohibit leaving animals in hot cars and in Scholarly Writing, she drafted an article on the constitutional considerations for ag-gag laws (laws that prohibit documenting what happens inside industrial animal agriculture facilities).

“At WMU-Cooley, I felt like I had the freedom to choose classes that could be relevant to the career I wanted and shape them into what would be most beneficial for my specific path,” said

Prygoski, “I took initiative through my class selections, with the full support and guidance of my professors, which helped me get to where I am today.”

When she first arrived at Cooley, there were no student organizations focused exclusively on protecting animals through the legal system, so Prygoski saw this as a chance to bring more animal law opportunities to Cooley. She worked with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Cooley’s Student Bar Association to set up a student chapter and then worked to recruit other interested students to help run the organization.

“We were a small, but incredibly dedicated group. We frequently held events, such as panels, movie screenings, and animal shelter volunteer days to help the broader law school community learn about current legal issues involving animals,” said Prygoski. “Being in the state capitol, we also testified in legislative committee hearings whenever the opportunity arose to weigh in on animal protection bills moving through the legislature. Because we

were relatively small, we increased our impact by collaborating with other student groups at Cooley and with the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter at Michigan State University.”

In 2016, Prygoski was the recipient of the State Bar of Michigan Wanda Nash Award, which recognizes law students for their contribution to animal law. “It was a really meaningful experience, not only because it felt like a tremendous accomplishment, but because I was actually co-recipient with my colleague, Kate Brindle, who was president of the Michigan State University College of Law

Student Animal Legal Defense Fund at the time,” said Prygoski. “We teamed up on many events and worked hard together to advance animal protection in Michigan. It felt extra special to be receiving this great honor with such a wonderful colleague and friend.”

Prygoski and her husband, Luke, live in Alexandria, Virginia. They enjoy outdoor activities, camping and hiking with their dog Patches, who Prygoski adopted from a shelter in Muskegon, Michigan in 2015.

“One of my favorite activities is taking Patches on various adventures throughout Alexandria and neighboring Washington, D.C.,” said Prygoski.

“I’d guess that we live in one of the most dogfriendly cities in the country, and we fully take advantage of it.”

When many graduates of Cooley Law School talk about their time in law school, most certainly Professor Prygoski is almost always mentioned as a fond memory. He was a great professor and legal scholar. Prygoski was one of 26 law professors named in “What the Best Law Teachers Do,” which was published by Harvard University Press in 2013.

As a nationally recognized law professor, Prygoski spent his time doing what he enjoyed, teaching Constitutional Law. During his sabbaticals, he taught at the University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee and the University of Oklahoma. In addition to teaching, he wrote 25 law review articles on constitutional issues, and wrote the book, “Sum and Substance Quick Review: Constitutional Law,” which he updated regularly.

In 2010, Prygoski was the inaugural speaker for Adrian College’s George Romney Institute of Law. He continued providing support to the Romney Institute following his first presentation. In 2012, and every Constitution Day since, the Romney Institute has hosted renowned speakers to present the Annual Philip J. Prygoski Constitution Day Address on issues of constitutional concern.

A LEGACY IN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

In 2012, while teaching at WMU-Cooley, Prygoski suffered a stroke, which took him out of the classroom. Two of his children, Jeff and Alicia, chose to become attorneys and attended WMU-Cooley. As the younger Prygoskis walked across the stage to accept their diplomas in 2016, they were met by their father who presented each of them with their diplomas.

“Cooley was actually a big part of my life growing up. I remember the excitement of visiting my dad’s office and attending occasional graduation ceremonies as a kid. It was always on my radar as an option for law school, even though I didn’t decide that I actually wanted to go to law school until much later,” said Alicia Prygoski.

The late Professor Philip Prygoski (1947-2019) spent 36 years teaching Constitutional Law at WMU-Cooley Law School. His dedication to teaching law students was most recognized through him being awarded the law school’s Stanley E. Beattie Teaching Award 35 times.

PROFESSOR PHILIP PRYGOSKI, (1947-2019)

Judge DarnellJeremyBowie

Newly appointed Judge Jeremy Darnell Bowie of Michigan’s 50th District Court has a passion for helping others and strengthening the justice system.

After being the first in his family to graduate from college, Hon. Jeremy Darnell Bowie moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked at the White House in President Barack Obama’s administration. When he returned to Michigan to attend WMU-Cooley Law School, little did he know he would be behind the bench 10 years later.

Bowie (Trimble Class, 2015) was appointed 50th District Court judge in Pontiac by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in December 2022. His term began on Jan. 9, 2023 – filling the partial term of retired Judge Michael Martinez –and ends Jan. 1, 2025.

BY SHARON MATCHETTE

JUDGE JEREMY DARNELL BOWIE, TRIMBLE CLASS, 2015

Before his appointment, the former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney did not see himself ever being a judge. He feared the mental toll that comes with empathizing with defendants while having to uphold the law. Bowie’s desire to impact people’s lives and strengthen the justice system, however, inspired him to pursue his plan.

“Having worked in the criminal law field for a majority of my legal career, I found my footing and learned the importance of having both compassion and experience,” said Bowie. “When you merge intelligence and compassion, that is when you have mass impact – the type of impact that changes lives for the better.”

Serving as judge has allowed Bowie to see both sides of a court case, apply the law to the facts, and delineate why certain circumstances occurred.

“It has really changed my perspective on how powerful the law is, and how impactful it is on people’s lives. When you’re on one side, you’re only considering that side,” he said. “But analyzing cases from an impartial and unbiased perspective, you see the effects on both sides as you must maintain a neutral outlook on every case.”

FAMILY TRAILBLAZER

The youngest of six children, Bowie comes from a humble upbringing in Pontiac, Michigan. His parents, Josephine Bowie and Quincy Hayes, were blue-collar workers at General Motors, and worked hard to provide for their family. Growing up, the Pontiac Northern High School (now Pontiac High School) graduate dreamed of becoming either a lawyer or a pediatrician.

“In both careers, you help people for the better,” said Bowie. “With one, you help them physically, and the other you

help them navigate life. Growing up, seeing and experiencing discrimination and learning about the injustices my mom and family experienced during the Civil Rights movement in the South, it made me want to become a defender. I’ve always believed that if you know the rules of the game, you can play the game well. You can also police the game well. This is what drove me to ultimately pursue the field of law.”

Bowie earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science (prelaw) from Michigan State University, and moved to Washington D.C. to gain experience in the political arena. It was there that he interned for the late Sen. Carl Levin, and worked in the office of presidential correspondence at the White House during President Barack Obama’s administration in spring 2012.

“It was unique that (Obama) was the first president I ever voted for – my first election ever was the Obama election – and then years later, I went to work for him. What a true honor – it was amazing,” said Bowie. “I always tell young people, while you’re young, go for broke and go live in D.C. It will motivate you and force you to go outside your comfort zone. D.C. is one of the fastest cities in the world. If you can make it there, you can really make it anywhere.”

“Growing up, seeing and experiencing discrimination and learning about the injustices my mom and family experienced during the Civil Rights movement in the South, it made me want to become a defender. I’ve always believed that if you know the rules of the game, you can play the game well.”

Bowie enrolled at WMU-Cooley Law School in fall 2012, and earned his Juris Doctor degree three years later. From 2016-2020, he worked in the domestic violence unit of the special victims unit at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, starting as an intern and moving up to assistant prosecuting attorney. Prior to his judicial appointment, Bowie was a criminal defense attorney with The Perkins Law Group, PLLC, where he was head of legal research and writing, co-lead of a large state criminal case docket, and head of a federal criminal case docket. A member of The National Black Lawyers, Bowie was named among its Top 40 Under 40 in 2022. Additionally, Bowie was selected in February for the Oakland County Executive’s Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.

Now, Bowie has quite a full court docket, often seeing 30-40 cases per day, including city prosecuted cases, civil cases, state misdemeanors and felony preliminary exams, traffic tickets, small claims, landlord-tenant, and arraignments.

“The 50th District Court is one of the busiest courts in the state,” he said. “We literally do it all here.”

GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY

When not presiding over cases in his courtroom, Bowie spends time mentoring FIRST Robotics students, Wings of Fire – Team 51, at International Technology Academy within the Pontiac School District, a program Bowie was part of when he was in high school.

Bowie, who’s been mentoring FIRST Robotics students for the past seven years, shared that it’s important for him to give back to the same community that helped shape him into the person he is today.

“What I’ve learned while mentoring students is that you have to practice what you preach to them to garner their respect,” he said. “All they want is your time commitment and to be truthful with them. I think it’s important that if you want to raise a generation that is successful, you have to engage with them, you have to energize them, you have to elevate them.”

For 50 years, Cooley has been the law school for those with the aspirations, drive, and determination to be an attorney.

50-Years. One Mission.

PREPARING LAWYERS & LEADERS.

Cooley students come from all walks of life. They come from every state in the Union, and many countries from around the world. They reflect the full spectrum of our diverse society. They know first-hand the realities, obstacles, challenges, and unexpected twists and turns of life encountered by those they hope to someday represent.

Today, Cooley remains committed to providing broad access to legal education to diverse individuals who meet that opportunity with a commitment to succeed. To do this in the high-stakes and competitive world of legal education, we need your help.

Annual donations of any amount help fund the scholarships, programs, and innovation necessary for Cooley to continue to turn aspirations into reality and transform motivated individuals into great attorneys.

Please make your gift today. Visit cooley.edu/giving or scan the QR code.

Spring and Winter Commencements at Michigan and Florida Campuses

as they begin the next phase of their lives. He gave graduates reasons to not only hold onto hope, but to increase it. He featured five of his former students who went on to do amazing things after graduation, despite struggles and adversity.

MICHIGAN On April 8, six master of laws degrees and 50 juris doctor degrees were conferred to members of WMU-Cooley Law School’s Justice Joseph McKenna Class in Lansing. Hannah Leah Ortiz was chosen by her peers to present the valedictory remarks. Presenting the keynote address was John S. Brennan, son of the late Thomas E. Brennan Sr., founder of Cooley Law School. He is a former WMU-Cooley professor, and partner at Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes.

During the valedictory remarks, Ortiz thanked the law school’s faculty for teaching the graduates how to meet challenges and fears head on.

While describing many adversities in the world today, Brennan stated that graduates may have reason to feel anxious

FLORIDA At WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus, juris doctor degrees were conferred to 30 members of the law school’s Justice Joseph McKenna Class on April 15. Chosen by her peers, Jessica Sivillo presented the valedictory remarks. The keynote address was presented by the Hon. Jigisa Patel-Dookhoo (2009, Coleman Class) of the 18th Circuit Court in Viera, Florida.

Sivillo spoke to her fellow graduates about the growth and many achievements it took to get them to this day.

During the keynote, PatelDookhoo explained to graduates that fear can either cripple you or motivate you, so stay focused on goals and move forward.

Photos, from left:

1. Leah Ortiz

2. John S. Brennan

3. Jessica Sivillo

4. Hon. Jigisa Patel-Dookhoo

5. Chris White

6. Neda Pari

7. Hon. Anthony Flores

8. Mustafa Ameen

9. Alberto (Tito) Gonzalez

10. Kimberly (Shana) Mitchell 11. Marybeth Hicks

MICHIGAN Two classes of WMU-Cooley’s Michigan campus graduates of WMU-Cooley Law School were honored during a graduation ceremony on Dec. 10, 2022 at the Michigan State University Wharton Center Pasant Theater. The commencement ceremony combined the members of WMUCooley’s Justice Thomas Emmett Brennan, Sr. and Justice David Josiah Brewer classes.

Twenty-nine juris doctor degrees and five master of laws degrees were conferred to members of the Brennan Class and 36 juris doctor degrees and five master of laws degrees were conferred to members of the Brewer Class.

Neda Pari was chosen to present the valedictory remarks for the Brennan Class and Christopher White was chosen for the Brewer Class. The Hon. Anthony Flores (1992, McGrath Class), judge of the 54-A District Court in Lansing, gave the keynote address. He encouraged the graduates to find their own path and passion in what they love in the practice of law and they will succeed.

FLORIDA Graduates of WMUCooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus were honored during a graduation ceremony on Dec. 15, 2022, at the University of South Florida Oval Theater. During the commencement, 23 juris doctor degrees were conferred to members of the law school’s Brennan Class and 22 juris doctor degrees were conferred to members of the Brewer Class. Kimberly (Shana) Mitchell

was chosen to give valedictory remarks for the Brennan Class, while Alberto (Tito) Gonzalez was chosen to give remarks for the Brewer Class. Attorney and WMU-Cooley Law School board member Mustafa Ameen (2006, Fitzgerald Class) presented the keynote address. Ameen shared how knowledge and preparedness can not only help clients, it can also change their lives for the better.

In a special tribute to the late Judge Thomas E. Brennan, Sr., his daughter, Marybeth Hicks, honored her father by speaking during the Florida commencement.

A Letter from Tonya Krause-Phelan

Since his arrival at WMU-Cooley in 2019, President and Dean James McGrath and the law school’s faculty have been working toward a fullscale curriculum review. Following my appointment last year as associate dean of academics, I asked our faculty to identify the key objectives as well as roles and responsibilities necessary to engage in a full curriculum review.

The process quickly ramped up from there and we are now actively engaged in the curriculum review process. One of the key reasons for embarking on the curriculum review is to ensure we provide our first-year law students with the strongest writing and analytical skills possible. This will strengthen their knowledge base and allow students to do better during their second and third years of law school. It will also help students establish a stronger foundation studying for and later passing the bar exam.

In addition to preparing students to do better in the classroom and with their bar exam preparations, the curriculum review is an opportunity to ensure our elective courses are up-to-date and as current as possible. Interactive technology, e-discovery, electronic presentation of evidence in cases, and artificial intelligence are transforming the practice of law and going to be realities for our graduates. Providing updated electives related to these areas and others will allow students to gain real-time skills in the practice they are about to enter. At the end of the day, it will make them better and stronger practitioners.

As we review the curriculum, we are also taking a look at the number of required classes students are expected to take. The latest research and trends in higher education, and in legal education in particular, demonstrate that providing students with greater autonomy in course selection has a positive impact on their motivation and overall success. In addition, we are exploring the addition of new classes that address the needs of the community and develop an increased knowledge for new lawyers as they begin to practice. Some of these areas include wellness, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

All proposed changes to the curriculum will be reviewed by faculty with the goal of implementing changes to the first-year curriculum with those students entering during the fall 2023 term. The first phase will include changes to the core course schedule and emphasize writing courses being introduced across new students’ first three terms. The second phase, which will be rolled out over time, addresses updates to the law school’s elective offerings.

It’s an exciting time because we are examining the entire curriculum from its basic structure to required classes. In the end, the changes we make will allow the law school to provide students with the most robust elective course offering we can give them.

ABOUT TONYA KRAUSE-PHELAN:

Tonya Krause-Phelan has been a professor with WMU-Cooley since 2005 and was appointed to the position of associate dean of academics in 2022.

WMU-COOLEY LAW REVIEW HOSTS 37TH ANNUAL

Distinguished Brief Awards

The WMU-Cooley Law Review honored attorneys Steven Helton, Ann Sherman, Chris Allen, Kyla Barranco and Tonya Jeter during the organization’s 37th annual Distinguished Brief Award ceremony on March 2, 2023. The ceremony recognizes the most scholarly briefs filed with the Michigan Supreme Court in 2022.

Helton, Assistant Defender with the State Appellate Defender Office, was honored for his brief in the case of The People of the State of Michigan v. Robert Lance Propp.

Attorneys from the Michigan Attorney General’s office: Sherman, Solicitor General; Allen, Assistant Solicitor General; and Assistant Attorneys General Barranco and Jeter, were honored for their Michigan Supreme Court brief in the Rouch World, LLC v. Department of Civil Rights case decided in July 2022.

The winning briefs will be published in an upcoming edition of the WMUCooley Law Review.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, saying in part, “Ultimately, our picture of the law goes beyond the court. The reason why these awards are so significant is because for the most part, cases are won and lost off of the briefs that are submitted. The brief brings the case to life. It brings the facts to life, it brings the issue to life, it brings the clients to life, and it brings the law to life.”

WMU-Cooley Hosts Attorney General for Discussion on Social Justice

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Department of Attorney General COO and Cooley graduate Veneshia Cezil (Kavanagh Class, 2008) participated in a town hall discussion at WMU-Cooley Law School on March 20.

The AG Social Justice Townhall allowed an opportunity for those in attendance to network and learn about career opportunities, internships, externships and job shadowing with the AG’s office. During the event, Nessel and Cezil spoke about premier cases the department has handled and new initiatives that are being planned.

Nessel made a strong case for working in government and being a part of the change.

She talked about the many options a law degree opened in a career, like going into private practice or working in non-profit. She asserted that you can also work to fight the injustices in the world by running for office or working in an office like hers.

“My staff regularly has the opportunity to bring matters to my attention and others,” stated Nessel. “Then we decide how the department can best use its resources to help the most people in the state.”

Nessel spoke about working with WMU-Cooley’s Innocence Project and her office’s efforts to start an expungement unit.

“The most well-intentioned investigators and prosecutors get it wrong, and when that happens we shouldn’t just be resigned to say ‘well, I guess someone was convicted and sentenced to spend their entire life in prison,’” said Nessel. She explained how new evidence is important to changing the lives of those who have been wrongly convicted.

Nessel also shared the importance of the Expungement Unit. She said it is important to understand the significant impact that having a conviction on one’s record can have on their life.

Photos, from top: Steven Helton, Ann Sherman, Chris Allen, Kyla Barranco, Tonya Jeter, and Justice Richard Bernstein Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks at a town hall discussion about Social Justice.

WMU-Cooley and MSU College of Law Use Basketball Game to Show Unity Following MSU Campus Shooting

On March 18, students from WMU-Cooley Law School and Michigan State University College of Law came together for a friendly basketball competition.

“The game was put together to show love and support to our brothers and sisters at MSU following the shooting on Michigan State’s campus,” said WMU-Cooley student Samantha Hulliberger, who helped organize the game.

The game ended with an MSU victory 66-60. Beyond the score, the game raised $500, which will be donated to the MSU counseling department.

Cooley’s Health Law Society Awards Joseph Rivet Health Lawyer of the Year

Western Michigan University Cooley Law School’s Health Law Society awarded attorney Joseph Rivet as Health Lawyer of the Year during a ceremony on March 30. The award was presented in partnership with the State Bar of Michigan Health Law Section.

“We are pleased to present attorney Rivet with the inaugural Health Lawyer of the Year Award,” said Angela Hammoud, president, WMU-Cooley Health Law Society. “We awarded Mr. Rivet as the Health Lawyer of the Year for his exceptional legal expertise, commitment to client advocacy, and demonstrated leadership in the health law industry.”

Rivet is founder of the Rivet Health Law, PLC in Norton Shores, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Administration from Baker College, and a J.D. from WMUCooley (Vinson Class, 2017). His practice specializes in health care reimbursement, serves as an arbitrator through the American Health Law Association, and is an approved arbitrator for the State of Michigan for surprise billing.

All-Women Naturalization Ceremony Held at WMU-Cooley Law School

On March 3, 2023, in celebration of Women’s History Month, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida held an All-Women Naturalization Ceremony at WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus. The ceremony, which included the Oath of Allegiance, was the final step to citizenship for 55 candidates.

“What these ladies have already accomplished by getting to this place is remarkable,” said WMU-Cooley Assistant Dean Katherine Gustafson. “The distances they have traveled, the obstacles they have overcome, and the efforts they have made to put down roots here should always be sources of pride and of satisfaction to them and their families.”

The 55 citizenship candidates originate from 30 countries: Albania, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Latvia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Expungement Fair Serves Over 400 Michigan Residents

WMU-Cooley Law School served 402 individuals during its “Michigan’s New Expungement Policies – Know Your Rights” Expungement Fair on April 28. Of those 402 who were screened for eligibility prior to and during the event, 151 individuals were eligible to have their records expunged under the current guidelines, including 77 walk-ins on the day of the event.

“At WMU-Cooley’s Expungement Fair, the people we served were grateful for the assistance we were able to provide. We were proud to work with the local legal community to help those whose lives may have been disrupted by poor decisions of the past that resulted in a felony or misdemeanor conviction,” said WMU-Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath. “Often people are passed over for employment or housing opportunities due to prior convictions. It is our hope that the people we served and educated during our expungement fair are no longer held back from achieving their goals. We want to make sure that they are recognized for the people they have become – and not for some poor choices they made years ago.”

CELEBRATING Anthony (Tony) Gair

DECEMBER 24, 1948

- MARCH 29, 2023

Tony Gair was a man who dedicated his life to helping those who were less fortunate. Born on December 24, 1948, Tony was the son of one of the preeminent trial attorneys in the country Harry A. Gair, and one of the first women to graduate from NYU Law school Harriet E. Gair. Following in his parent's footsteps, Tony obtained his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1980 as a member of the William W. Potter Class and became an associate at the firm then known as Gair, Gair and Conason. Tony immediately developed an insatiable appetite for the law, spending endless hours reviewing trial transcripts and legal briefs in order to become the best possible advocate for his clients. Although already a successful attorney, Tony returned to school and obtained a Master of Laws from New York University School of Law in 1985. Throughout his over 40-year legal career, Tony helped thousands of individuals obtain justice for the serious harm they suffered at the hands of others. In a career filled with noteworthy cases, Tony is most remembered for his zealous advocacy for the family of Amadou Diallo, a young unarmed black man who was shot 41 times by members of the New York City Police Department. Tony was an ardent supporter of Cooley. He served for 12 years, from 1992 to 2004, as a member of the Cooley Law School Board of Directors and was a Founders’ Society member of the Thomas M. Cooley Society of Donors. When Tony wasn't fighting for his clients, he enjoyed spending time gardening at his cottage in Putnam County. He will be missed by all of those whose lives he deeply touched, including his family, friends, loved ones, clients, and colleagues.

Left to right: State Representative Emily Dievendorf, State Representative Kara Hope, and Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, at the Expungement Fair.

WMU-Cooley Law School President and Dean James McGrath with student Cindy Renteria at the Expungement Fair.

U.S. Supreme Court Swearing-In

WMU-Cooley Alumni News Alumni Memorial Scholarship

After a long three-year pandemic-induced delay, the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association was able to sponsor a United States Supreme Court group bar admission event. On March 28, nine WMU-Cooley alumni were admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar in an open court session. If you would like to participate in a future U.S. Supreme Court group admission, please email alumni@cooley.edu.

Those present were: Lucas Smith-Marin (2015, McLean Class), Matthew Landry (2012, Washington Class), Matthew SmithMarin (2013, Moore Class),  President & Dean McGrath, Tammy Browing-Smith (2000, Jay Class), Patrick Fuller (1985, Smith Class), Dalton Carty (2016, Hughes Class). Front Row: Sarah Anderson (2014, Livingston Class) Christina Jeter (2015, Trimble Class), Stephanie Walczak (2014, Todd Class).

Distinguished Student Awards

WMU-Cooley’s Distinguished Student Award is given each semester to outstanding graduating students selected based upon a combination of academic accomplishment, demonstrated professionalism and leadership at WMU-Cooley, meaningful extra-curricular activities, and post-graduation plans. The recipients are selected by the Scholarship and Awards Committee of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association. Each recipient receives a diploma frame engraved with their name, date, and the name of the award.

During the 2023 Hilary Term, Tyrone Laury, Samira Montlouis, and Jessica Sivillo, were recognized with the Award.

In March, the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association continued its tradition of presenting awards from the Alumni Memorial Scholarship fund to deserving students. Since presenting its first two scholarship awards in 1989, the Association has awarded over $154,000 to students based on need, character, and potential to become an outstanding lawyer. It is often awarded to students in their second or third year of law school.

This year’s recipients were (from top): Hannah Murphy, a third-year student from Flushing, MI attends the Lansing campus; Carly Ovitt, a second-year student from Hadley, NY attends the Lansing campus; Michala Ringquist, a second-year student from Grand Haven, MI attends the Lansing campus; Elpiniki (Nikki) Roussos, a third-year student from New Port Richey, FL attends the Tampa Bay campus.

WMU-Cooley Hosts Virtual Event Series

Since May 2020, WMU-Cooley has been proud to host the WMU-Cooley Community Conversations special virtual event series featuring many top professors and legal experts who speak on important topics impacting society and our legal system. Thank you to the following distinguished panels and experts who have presented January through May 2023. We thank them for being part of the conversations and solutions we face today. If you missed any of the WMU-Cooley Community Conversations virtual events, you can find them under the Playlist for Community Conversations on the law school’s official YouTube page.

MLK DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

On Jan. 17, keynote speaker Robyn McCoy recalled the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and spoke about how people today can advance his vision of social justice in our community. McCoy graduated with Honors from the University of Chicago and was mentored by First Lady Michelle Obama.

In honor of Black History Month, WMU-Cooley Law School hosted a Community Conversation on Feb. 23 with Zenell B. Brown, Esq. author of Coffee and Conversations: Inclusion and Belonging. She is one of our legal profession’s most sought out speakers and trainers of leadership and inclusion.

FACING HURRICANE DESTRUCTION

WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus student chapter of the Florida State Bar Real Property, Probate, and Trust Section, and the 10CORE® Law Society hosted a Community Conversation virtual forum called “Redevelopment After Destruction for Tenants and Homeowners” on March 18. The two-part forum featured sessions for homeowners and tenants.

ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, WMU-Cooley Law School hosted keynote speaker WMU-Cooley graduate Mark S. Chang, Senior Manager, Specialty Compliance and Ethics, on May 24. Chang spoke on the history of Asian Americans, their contributions, culture, and achievements, and the challenges for Asian Americans today.

Robyn McCoy

Zenell B. Brown

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONVERSATION

Mark S. Chang

Hurricane Forum

Faculty Briefs

Tammy Asher, Professor Co-presented, along with Professor Emeritus Lewis Langham, a zoom guest lecture entitled “Search Warrants, No-Knock Warrants, and Warrantless Searches of Homes and Vehicles” for law students and law enforcement students at Odessa State University in Odessa, Ukraine.

Erika Breitfeld, Assistant Dean and Professor

Named, Attorney of the Year 2022, by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Terrence F. Cavanaugh, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Visiting Professor

Retired, on April 30, 2023, after more than 30 years of teaching at Cooley Law School. He first joined Cooley Law School in 1989 as an adjunct professor teaching Lawyering Before Trial and Trial Advocacy until 1992. He joined the full-time faculty in 1995, and since then has served in various capacities, including time as a clinical supervisor and teacher with Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic. He taught  Wills, Estates, and Trusts; Equity and Remedies, and Criminal Law. He taught and supervised the Washtenaw County Public Defender Clinic for many years, supervised multiple externships and directed studies, served as co-director of the school’s Australia/New Zealand Foreign Study Program; and was the faculty adviser for the WMUCooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law. He was a co-winner of the Beattie Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. Before joining Cooley, he was a general practitioner in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prior to entering the law profession, he was a math and science teacher.

Mark Cooney, Professor Cited, and quoted in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court case Khalil v. Williams (2022) for his article

“Benching the Monday-Morning Quarterback: The AttorneyJudgment Defense to LegalMalpractice Claims” - the second time this article has been quoted in a judicial opinion. The article was also cited in a January 2023  Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly article and in the 2022 edition of the Handbook of Texas Lawyer and Judicial Ethics.

Cited, in three Law-Review articles for his article “What Judges Cite: A Study of Three Appellate Courts.”

Accepted, for publication, “A Legal-Writing Casebook: Opinions, Problems, and Commentary” (Carolina Academic Press) (to be co-authored with University of Arizona School of Law Professor Diana J. Simon).

Presented , LawPracticeCLE national webinar on “Stare Decisis.”

Invited, by the Center for Plain Language, to judge the 2023 ClearMark Awards.

Quoted in Ask the Experts: How Much Car Insurance Do I Need?, WalletHub.

Hosted the Law Review’s 37th Annual Distinguished Brief Award ceremony, including the introduction of keynote speaker Justice Richard Bernstein.

Mark Dotson, Professor

Submitted, the Spring case and practice update for West Publication’s Stein on Personal Injury Damages.

Renalia DuBose, Professor

Published, “Being Old Fashioned is Good for the Legal Profession” in the Lawyer Magazine, The Hillsborough County Bar Association, January-February 2023 edition. The article presents her observation of students’ changing values and ethics during her 40-plus years of teaching at various levels. She presents Florida Bar data regarding lawyer discipline and urges experienced lawyers to mentor lawyers new to the profession.

Joseline Hardrick, Associate Professor

Accepted, for publication by the Midwest Black Law Students Association’s Journal, her article, “From Immunity to Impunity - Qualified Immunity Reform,” co-written with Cooley Law School student Rashad Perry-Patterson (Class of 2023), for publication in its inaugural issue releasing in Spring 2023.

Accepted, for publication by the Southern Journal of Policy and Justice, Vol. XVII (forthcoming, Fall 2023), “Using Positive Psychology and Mindfulness to Assist Black and African-American Students Succeed in Law School.”

Presented, at the Southern Region of the National Black Law Students Association Journal Symposium on Feb. 2, 2023, on her paper “Using Positive Psychology and Mindfulness to Assist Black and African-American Students Succeed in Law School.”

Presented, on Feb. 9, 2023, a Constitutional Law Update to the North Tampa Bar Association.

Presented, on March 24, 2023, “What Hip Hop and AI Can Teach Us About Legal Writing,” to the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association. Presented, on April 6, 2023, to the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division – “Shift Your Money Mindset” webinar to the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar.

Richard Henke, Professor

Attended, on Nov. 11, 2022, the draft conference for The Restatement Third of Torts: Remedies. He is on the Consultative Group for this project.

Joseph Kimble, Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Completed, work on the second public document produced by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at WMU-Cooley, — a durable power of attorney for finances. It went through dozens of drafts, was tested for clarity with a group of users, and has already received a WriteMark Plus designation for plain language from Write Ltd. in New Zealand. The first document, a medical power of attorney, won a ClearMark award from the Center for Plain Language. Both are available at the center’s website and on the website for Michigan Legal Help. Both are also fillable online and screen readable.

Published, an article in the Plain Language column of the Michigan Bar Journal called “Some Examples from the Proposed New Michigan Rules of Evidence.” Professor Kimble was the drafting consultant on the project to completely redraft the Michigan Rules of Evidence to conform them stylistically to the Federal Rules of Evidence. He was also the drafting consultant on the federal project, which was completed in 2011.

Learned, in March that the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously ordered that the proposed Michigan evidence rules be published for comment.

Published, a two-part article in The Clarity Journal Nos. 85 & 86 called “Some Examples from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Bankruptcy.” Professor Kimble is a drafting consultant on the project to completely restyle (redraft) the U.S. rules of bankruptcy procedure. The article is reprinted from the Michigan Bar Journal

Published, an op-ed in the  Michigan Lawyers Weekly called “Rule-of-Law Judge? That’s Code for Ideologically Conservative Judging.”

Submitted, his 20th Redlines column for Judicature, the scholarly journal about the judiciary. The article is called “Minimize Prepositional Phrases. Question Every Of.” He has written this column since 2016.

Presented, a session on writing across the curriculum at the Rocky Mountain Legal-Writing Conference. He showed a video that he and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Larry Morgan presented at a 1995 WMU-Cooley faculty retreat. The video showed an exam-writing exercise, followed by a live critique of selected answers, in a Contracts class. Professor Kimble recently had the video converted to a digital format.

Spoke, to the student chapter of the American Constitution Society at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of  Nevada, Las Vegas. The title of his talk was “A Hard Look at Textualism.”

Recognized, in a section of the  Burton Awards Bulletin updating the work of former Burton Awards recipients, for his recent  publications, work on federal court rules, and writing columns. He has won two Burton Awards, one for his work on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the other for his work on the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Learned, in November, December, January, and February, that he is in the top 10 percent of authors whose works were downloaded on SSRN in the previous 12 months. Also learned in January that one of his articles — Nielsen v. Preap, the Futility of Strict Textualism, and the Case for Universalism in Judging — was a top-10 download on three ejournals and under three SSRN categories.

Attended, the winter meeting of the Standing Committee on Federal Court Rules. Professor Kimble has been a drafting consultant on all federal court rules since 2000.

Linda Kisabeth, Professor

Featured, by Women’s Bar Association –Oakland County, an affiliate of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. She was selected as one of their members of the month in March 2023.

Don LeDuc, Professor

Published, Michigan

Administrative Law Primer: Abridged Second Edition, in the WMU-Cooley Law Review.

Matthew Marin, Associate Professor Admitted, to the United States Supreme Court, in March 2023.

Presented, “Don’t Stop at the D: Incorporating the E(quity) and I(inclusion) of DEI Into Law School Teaching,” for the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, January 5, 2023.

Published, “Twisting the Tale on Imposter Syndrome,” in the ABA Student Lawyer, January 27, 2023.

Published, “The Lawyer’s Journey from Mentee to Mentor,” in the ABA Young Lawyer, January 20, 2023.

Published, “Tips for Law Students on How to Send a Professional Email,” in the ABA Student Lawyer, December 12, 2022.

Published, “Inclusion in Legal Writing: A  Practitioner’s Guide,” in the ABA After the Bar, November 9, 2022.

Amy Timmer, Associate Dean and Professor  Incorporated, the National Legal Mentoring Consortium under Michigan law. The consortium is housed at Cooley and will soon receive its 501(C) (3) tax exempt status. It functions as a convenor of those around the country who operate legal mentoring programs so that they can learn trends, technology, and techniques of mentoring.

Class Notes

1982

Brooke Class Meyers, Mary Pat (Rosen), joined Meyers Law PLLC, as an attorney and shareholder in the firm’s Dearborn, Michigan office. She joins her husband, Jeff Meyers, in practice. She previously was an attorney/partner with Charfoos and Christensen, P.C. 1988-2019, and an attorney/shareholder with Sommers Schwarz P.C. 2019-2022. She focuses on medical malpractice and other personal injury matters. She recently received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the SBM Negligence Law Section.

1986

Sherwood Class

Poleski, Edward, announced he will be retiring from the city of Las Vegas where he has worked as the Assistant City Attorney.

1987

Champlin Class

Coviello, Nino A., was elected as a co-managing member of Saiber Attorneys at Law in Florham Park, New Jersey. He has been a member of the firm for over 20 years. He is a leader of the firm’s transactional practice. He specializes in representing public, private and closely held businesses in an array of corporate transactions, as well as individual in various tax and estate planning matters.

Menaquale, Frank P., Jr., was named a partner with Cooper Lenson, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Jan. 9, 2023. His practice areas are construction defect, personal injury, and insurance defense.

1988

Pratt Class Forbush, Audrey J., a partner with Plunkett Cooney, was re-elected to a three-year term on the firm’s board of directors. She was also re-elected to her executive board position for a one-year term as senior vice president. She is the managing partner of the firm’s Flint, Michigan, office and co-leader of Plunkett Cooney’s Governmental Law Practice Group. She focuses her practice primarily in the areas of medical and municipal liability, with particular expertise in the defense of municipalities in police liability matters. She also has extensive experience in the area of professional liability regarding physicians and hospitals.

1989

Douglass Class Millenbach, Paul, was named to the 2022 Class of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law. He is a litigator and co-leader of the General and Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Foster Swift Collins & Smith in Southfield, Michigan.

1989

D. Johnson Class Powers, Linda Majeska, was appointed as the Legal Director for the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Initiative.

1990

Wilson Class

Chandler, Sarah M., retired after 32 years in private practice in the Lansing, Michigan area. She practiced in both the Eastern and Western Federal District Courts and in state courts in many areas in her general practice in Charlotte, Michigan. After retiring, Sarah moved to the warmer climate in Salisbury, North Carolina. She continues her affiliation with the Michigan Bar Association as an emeritus member of the Michigan Bar for Life. Sarah also retired from the Michigan Bar with distinction.

1991

Lawrence Class

Turetsky, Donna, of Roslyn, New York, a partner with Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, has been elevated to co-chair of the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Elder Law groups. She concentrates her practice on trust and estate administration, elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, and guardianships. She was selected to the 2022 and 2023 editions of Best Lawyers, was honored by Blank Slate Media in 2021 as one of Nassau County’s Women of Distinction, and was named in 2016 as one of Hofstra University School of Law’s Center for Children, Families and the Law’s Top Women in the Law.

1992

Lawrence Class Drewyer, Hon. Michelle, was appointed and confirmed to judicial bench at the 2nd Circuit Court in Maui County.

Montgomery Class

Miles, Demetrice R., was named a partner with Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, in Roseland, New Jersey, on July 25, 2022.

1993

Hooker Class

Kolasa, Mike (Michael), vice president and trust officer at The Stephenson National Bank and Trust, made a donation to The Friends of Camp Batawagama in Crystal Falls, Michigan. The funds will be used to continue the camp’s mission of providing outdoor education experiences for young people. He also made a donation to the Ishpeming Ski Club, in Ishpeming, Michigan.

1995

Bird Class

Cerio, Thomas J., has a growing practice in Syracuse, New York. The firm now has five full-time attorneys. Cerio Law Offices, PLLC provides services in the areas of municipal, business, criminal, negligence, property development and litigation. The firm hopes to expand its services to Colorado and California.

1996

Stone Class Ingber, Adam D., won a notable case in New York, where the family of Daniel Prude reached a $12 million settlement with Rochester, New York, over his 2020 death.

1997

P. Adams Class

Garibian, Christopher Leon, was named a partner at Weinberger Divorce & Family Law Group in Parsippany, New Jersey on Sept. 30, 2022. His practice area is family and matrimonial law.

1997

Fellows Class

Gannon, Sean R., has joined the firm of Chamberlain Hrdlicka as senior counsel in the firm’s Tax Controversy and Litigation practice in Atlanta, Georgia. He advises and represents taxpayers before federal, state and local taxing authorities and in state and federal courts. He has more than 20 years of experience managing federal taxation matters and litigating tax cases that appear in front of the United States Tax Court. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a tax managing director with a Chicago-based firm where he counseled clients involved in Internal Revenue Service controversies. He frequently authors articles on IRS practice and dispute resolution, and has also presented on IRS tax controversy and procedural matters.

1999

Flannigan Class

Cerio, The Hon. Julie A., is a New York State Family Court Judge in Onondaga County. Her election marked the first time that five Onondaga County Family Court Judges are all women. She is in her fourth term as an Onondaga County Family Court Judge.

2001

Blair Jr. Class Driscoll, Brian, of New Carlisle, Ohio, was sworn in Jan. 6, 2023 to the Clark County Common Pleas Court, General Division.

2002

Chase Class Klockow, Dawn, joined the law firm of Stadler Sacks LLC, in Richfield, Wisconsin. She concentrates her practice on municipal law, public entity matters, and complex civil litigation. She is also experienced in all guardianship matters. She previously served nearly two decades as a county attorney in Dodge, Calumet, and Green Lake counties.

2004

Needham Class

Grossi, Christina, of Frankenmuth, Michigan, was named as chief legal counsel for the state’s executive office. She formerly worked for a dozen years for the Office of the Michigan Attorney General.

Stoops, Kevin J., a senior shareholder with Sommers Schwartz, P.C., in Southfield, Michigan, presented at the 3rd Annual Wage & Hour ExecuSummit, “Litigation Strategies for Handling FLSA Class Claims.” He specializes in representing employees in class action wage and hour matters. He and his partners have recovered over $125 million in unpaid wages over the last 10 years.

Williams, the Hon. Maurice, was elected to the 9th Judicial Court for Westchester County in New York.

2005

Boyles Class Haarala, John T., joined Security National Bank as Lending Counsel in Omaha, Nebraska.

Patel, The Hon. Sima, was re-elected to her position as judge on the Michigan 2nd Court of Appeals.

Scott, Kim Gourrier, was sworn in as the District Attorney for the 7th Prosecutorial District, covering Bertie, Halifax, Hertford and Northampton counties in North Carolina.

2006 Edwards Class Hall, Lisa, a shareholder with Plunkett Cooney in the firm’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, office was elected to a three-year term on the firm’s board of directors. She maintains a wide-ranging practice that includes banking law, commercial litigation, creditors’ rights, liquor licensing, municipal liability, and real estate law. Krull, Matthew, Deputy Chief of Staff and Interim General Counsel for the Georgia Department of Human Resources, was appointed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to the Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council.

2006

Fitzgerald Class Flores, Jose L., joined The J.M. Smucker Co. as Senior Corporate Counsel, Investigations and Analytics. He previously worked for nine years at Allstate as an Ethics and Compliance Investigations Attorney.

2007

Brickley Class Pizzillo, Gerard, was named a partner with Genova Burns in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Feb. 1, 2023. His practice areas are corporate law and business transactions, commercial real estate and redevelopment, land use and approvals.

2009

Coleman Class Hall, Matt, (R-Comstock Township) was elected Minority Leader in the Michigan House of Representatives. He was first elected to political office in 2018.

2009

Souris Class Hendricks, Jennifer Lee, was elected as the next Daviess Family Court Judge, Division 3, 6th Judicial Circuit in Owensboro, Kentucky. She was sworn in Dec. 15, 2022.

2010

Witherell Class

Major, Matthew, was named a partner with Wilson Elser in Madison, New Jersey on Jan. 1, 2023. His practice areas are federal and state trial and appellate practice-construction defect, professional liability, and insurance coverage litigation.

Zapczynski, Jesse, was named as a shareholder at Plunket Cooney. He is a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, office and its Transportation Law Practice Group. He focuses his practice on the defense of first- and third-party auto liability, bodily injury, and uninsured/ under-insured motorist cases on behalf of national insurance companies and their policyholders. He also has significant experience working with ERISA plans and other healthcare coverage potentially affecting these matters.

2011 Chipman Class Custurea, Andreea V., was elected to partnership with Wood, Smith, Henning and Berman. She works at the firm’s Los Angeles office, where her litigation practice focuses on complex civil issues, including business litigation, wrongful death, construction defect and products liability matters. Before joining the firm, Andreea worked on both the plaintiff and defense side and her practice focused on complex catastrophic injury matters, including complex transportation issues, prosecution and defense of Business and Professions Code section 17200, actions involving intentional act matters, and defense of religious institutions.

Gartman, Christopher J., was promoted to principal at Miller Canfield in the firm’s Grand Rapids, Michigan office. He is a member of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and a key member of the firm’s craft beverage law practice. Tomasik, Mark, was promoted to vice president and general counsel of DP Fox Ventures, a portfolio company whose holdings include Fox Motors, the Grand Rapids Griffins AHL hockey team, Pamella Roland fashion in New York City, Cape Eleuthera Marina and Resort in the Bahamas, and others.

2012 Ellsworth Class Pixler, Sarah, works as an attorney advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of Military Commissions Trial Judiciary, which is part of the Global War on Terror. She advises the Chief Judge of the Guantanamo Military Commissions, focusing on the case of the USS Cole bombing, in the areas of classified information, constitutional law, criminal law, death penalty, evidence, human rights and torture, international humanitarian law, and law of war. She now has over 10 years of federal government service.

Class Notes

Vergara, Claire D., an associate attorney with Plunkett Cooney in Detroit, Michigan, was appointed to the executive board of the Michigan Asian-Pacific American Bar Association. She was also elected by her colleagues to serve as the board’s secretary. She will serve a one-year term on the board and in her executive leadership role. With Plunkett Cooney, she focuses her litigation practice in the areas of medical liability, trucking litigation, first-party No-Fault auto insurance law, the third-party motor vehicle negligence claims.

2012 Washington Class Mennie, John A., an associate attorney with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. in Chicago, Illinois, was named an Illinois Super Lawyer “Rising Star” for 2023.

2013

Marshall Class

Levine, Jacob H., has joined Plunkett Cooney as a member of the firm’s Torts & Litigation Practice Group, in the firm’s Columbus, Ohio, office. He concentrates his practice in the area of insurance defense litigation, focusing on motor vehicle liability claims, employment disputes, and claims involving premises and product liability. He also has experience in the areas of estate planning, tax preparation and probate matters.

2013

W. Johnson Class Giletto, Anthony, was named a partner at Goldberg Segalla in the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Group, in Philadelphia.

Hamor, Rob, was elected a shareholder with Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. He is a member of the firm’s Finance, Real Estate, and Bankruptcy practice group in the firm’s Southfield, Michigan office. His work includes general counsel representation, corporate transactions and governance, commercial real estate, finance, and related litigation matters. He is the firm’s go-to attorney regarding the Corporate Transparency Act, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses and the law.

2015 Story Class Westlake, Jennifer, published a novel, Sand Moon.

2015

Trimble Class Morrell, Taneashia R., was appointed to the San Diego County Bar Association’s newest division: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the vice-chair of program and events for 2023. She oversees two of the four major subdivision groups: Anti-Racism and Dialogue on Diversity. She is a senior contracts and licensing associate in the Office of Technology Development at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

2017

Vinson Class Shamara, Arjun, an attorney with Fredson Statmore Bitterman LLC, was selected as a New Jersey Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2023. He has been practicing for five years. He litigates civil matters for personal injury plaintiffs, focusing his practice on motor vehicle collisions, dog bites, and premises liability.

2017

Warren Class Martin, Joe, was named Chief of Staff for Michigan State Sen. Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe. Martin previously served as Chief of Staff for two former senators, and as a legislative aide and constituent relations aide for a former state representative.

2017

Burger Class Zajac, Mitchell, was appointed vice chair of the WMU-Cooley Law School Board of Directors. He is a member of the Butzel Long Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He was named to DBusiness magazine’s 2022 Class of “30 in Their Thirties.”

2019

Curtis Class Moore, Andrew, joined Fraser Trebilcock, as an attorney in the firm’s litigation practice group. He focuses on general litigation matters, insurance defense, estate and trust administration, real estate transactions, family law, and criminal defense.

2020

Field Class

Cacci, Krystle, joined the Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office in January 2023 as a senior attorney in the group’s appellate division. She is also the office’s newly created assistant director of pro bono operations.

Diogo, Thamara, joined the firm of Goldberg Segalla in the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Group in Manhattan. She focuses her practice on workers’ compensation matters, counseling and defending employers, insurers, and third-party administrators.

2021

Matthews Class von Dinger, Nicholas C., has been accepted to Oxford’s Diplomatic Studies Programme for Fall 2023.

2021

Gray Class

Upward, Susan E., is serving as a judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps. She is the Legal Services Support Team Officer-In-Charge at Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina. She earned her LL.M. in Homeland and National Security Law at WMU-Cooley. She is a frequent author, speaker and panelist. In July 2022, she received the Marine Corps Major Megan McClung Leadership Award.

2022 Blatchford Class Buehner Smith, Katherine, joined Collins Einhorn Farrell, in Southfield, Michigan. She is a member of the firm’s professional liability group. She focuses her practice on the defense of professionals in the legal, medical and dental, insurance, accounting, architectural, engineering, and real estate fields.

WMU-Cooley encourages all graduates to contribute information to Class Notes. We want to learn about your law career and other accomplishments in the legal profession. E-mail communications@cooley.edu

1976

Campbell Class

Steeno, David L., 77, of Big Rapids, Michigan, died May 4, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He worked in private practice before entering teaching. He was a criminal law professor at Ferris State University and one of the founding members of the Ferris State Law Enforcement Academy. He was a military veteran, having served as a Blue Beret (Air Police) in the U.S. Air Force, 1966-1970. He completed two tours during the Vietnam War and served as Chief of Operations of an 800-person security police squadron while stationed at Minot Air Force Base.

1984

Carr Class

Sullivan, Patricia “Patty,” 67, died Oct. 25, 2022. She was an attorney at Patricia J. Sullivan, Attorney at Law, in Livonia, Michigan, where she operated an immigration practice. She was also an adjunct professor of Immigration Law at WMU-Cooley. From 20132016, she was also a member of the board of directors for the Michigan Irish American Chamber of Commerce.

1985

T. Smith Class

O’Dwyer, Sister Margaret M., 68, died Feb. 7, 2023, at St. Louise House in Albany, New York. She entered the Daughters of Charity as a postulant in 1992, followed by Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She served for seven years as a patient advocate at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville, Tennessee; then was missioned to the Human Resources Department at St. Anthony Hospital in Chicago. From 2005-2014, she ministered in the Cook Islands working with remedial high school students, as well as working to improve the educational status of prisoners. She returned to the United

States in late 2014, where she assumed a role as representative of the Daughters of Charity to the United Nations, collaborating on the passage through the General Assembly of a resolution on homelessness.

1986

Miles Class

Soffin, Margaret Fisher, 75, died Oct. 17, 2022, in Switzerland. She worked as a policy analyst for the Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus and then as director of policy administration for the American Bar Association in Chicago.

1987

Morse Class

Tazelaar, Peter, 72, of Sanford, Michigan, and formerly of Newberry, Michigan, died Sept. 10, 2022 at MyMichigan Medical Center in Midland, Michigan. His career included time in private practice, starting with opening his own law firm upon graduation. In 2000, he became the Luce County Prosecutor, a position he held until his retirement in 2012. He became a pilot at age 16 and enjoyed flying and inspiring young pilots. Before entering law school, he worked at and later owned CummingsMcCraney Real Estate in Newberry.

1988

Pratt Class

Graham, Stephen Bruce, 60, of Harbor Springs, Michigan, died March 27, 2023. He worked as a defense attorney for 32 years, then went on to work as an Assistant and Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Emmet County in 2020.

1990

Witherell Class

Fisher, Donald Walter, 65, of Nashville, Tennessee, died Jan. 31, 2023. He operated his own law firm and was a veteran of the U.S. Army.

1994

Ostrander Class

Harter, The Hon. Mathew Paul, 56, died Nov. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He became a district court judge in the Family Law Division, Department N., in 2008 and held that position until his death.

1995

Steere Class

Krupp, Stephen P., 63, of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, died Jan. 14, 2023. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1996 and became a registered U.S. Patent Attorney in 1997. In 2010, he retired from Dow and joined Molecular Rebar Design in Austin, Texas, as Chief Patent Counsel, a position he held until his death. In 2015, he relocated to a home he built in the Lake of the Ozarks, and in 2016, he became a member of the Missouri Bar.

1996

Black Class

Rogers, Cheryl, 55, of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, died Dec. 22, 2022, after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was formerly of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Her career focused on serving as legal counsel for higher education and working for nonprofit organizations with social justice missions.

2000

Rutledge Class

Morley, Scott M., 54, of Albany, New York, died Feb. 16, 2023. He practiced law for 20 years at the Morley Law Firm, and formerly with Martin Shudt. He was a Marine

Corps veteran, deployed to South America and the Middle East. He also participated in operations in Cuba and Somalia. He was also a hockey player and a certified Level 4 USA youth hockey coach.

2001

Iredell Class

Ito, Kimberly Lynn Moon, 64, of Houston, Texas, died Feb. 6, 2023. She was formerly of Midland and Otisville, Michigan. She worked as a senior assistant prosecuting attorney with the Midland County Prosecutor’s Office, specializing in criminal sexual conduct cases. After moving to Texas in 2008, she continued working for children, women, and families in both her career and her volunteer work. She was campus president of the Career Colleges Texas School of Business and Corinthian College in the Houston area 2008-2014. In 2014 she founded the BC Project to help people “Break the Code” and achieve better communication skills. Outside of work, she dedicated herself to several civil rights, social action and children’s advocacy groups.

2021

Matthews Class

Joslin, Arthur (Art), 60, of Pinckney, Michigan, died Feb. 21, 2023. He was trained as an operatic baritone and enjoyed singing in a variety of genres. He appeared in leading roles, concerts, and recitals throughout the United States, Toronto and Kenya. He was also a volunteer firefighter, reserve police officer, chaplain, professional scuba diver, and more. He had over 35 years of experience in a variety of martial arts.

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