Danielle Bass, ’15, a partner in the technology transactions and data, privacy, and cybersecurity practice groups at Honigman LLP in Detroit, was still on maternity leave when she attended Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s annual Influential Women of Law luncheon last October.
During the event, Bass was stunned when she was named the organization’s 2024 Influential Woman of the Year—an honor chosen by her peers that she would later learn was a unanimous vote.
“I thought there was no way I would win; there were women who had argued in front of the Supreme Court, managed entire departments, closed huge cases, revamped their firm’s policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion,” she recalls. “I was planning to go home to feed my 3-month-old baby after the winner was announced, but when I saw my picture on the screen, my jaw dropped. I am humbled; it was a pivotal moment for my career.”
Learning, and now teaching, advocacy
Bass attended U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, majoring in women’s studies and minoring in history and social work. After graduation, she worked for a year at a consumer protection law firm and dreamed of studying at Michigan Law.
She applied to the Law School three times, including through a discontinued U-M admissions path for undergraduates with high grade point averages, but was deferred and ultimately rejected. Bass attended Wayne State University Law School for her 1L year and was accepted to Michigan Law as a transfer student.
“Hanging in my home office, I have my rejection letter next to my Order of the Coif letter from the dean,” she says.
At Honigman, Bass oversees transactional matters involving information technology, intellectual property, data, media, and entertainment. After five years in practice, she returned to Michigan Law to teach a course on technology transactions. In the class—which, to date, she has taught seven times—Bass asks her students to draft mock emails and documents and conduct mock phone conversations and negotiations, among other valuable exercises that help prepare them for a summer or full-time job.
“It’s incredible to now be part of the educational team for the next generation of lawyers,” she says.
Danielle Bass, ’15I want to show my daughters that their mom is present in their lives and her own life. That you can do all the things; you just can't do all the things at the same time.
Striking a balance in work and life
In addition to her daily Big Law responsibilities and teaching position, Bass still finds time to provide pro bono services: One focus is helping members of the transgender community navigate the complicated process of legally changing their names.
“Changing your name can be an overwhelming experience; it’s more than just filling out a form,” says Bass. “You go through a background check, show up to court, indicate that you’re not seeking the change for fraudulent purposes. It can relieve a lot of pressure to have a lawyer oversee that process. After the first one I did, I just couldn’t not do more.”
Bass has also served as a volunteer mediator for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Early Mediation Program, which offers an alternative to litigation for pro se prisoners who have filed federal civil rights lawsuits against the Michigan Department of Corrections.
With two young children at home, Bass is often asked how she manages everything.
“Right now is such an inflection point in my career,” she says. “There are times I am exhausted, but I aim to find what will serve me and my goals for that day, hour, or moment.”
While in law school, Bass says she hesitated to tell employers she wanted to get pregnant during the first five years of her career. Now, she hopes her daughters will see how possible it is to accomplish their goals without sacrificing something they desire for a successful career.
“I want to show my daughters that their mom is present in their lives and her own life,” she says. “That you can do all the things; you just can’t do all the things at the same time.”
