ADRIANNETTE WILLIAMS

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 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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.