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Winter 2019

Briefs

Reunion 2018

Hail to the Victors: Members of the Class of 1983 and their families share in the excitement of a Football Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Varun Behl, ’13, catches up with fellow alumnae while tailgating on the Quad.

Leticia Kimble, ’08, and Julie Marder, ’07, enjoy the tailgate.

Robert Lee, ’93, shares a laugh in the Michigan League.

Ryan Watkins, ’13, networks with 1Ls Cody Wiles and Wesley Hungbui during Alumni-Student Speed Mentoring, part of the second Reunion Weekend.

Eric Martin, ’78, is all smiles as he returns to the classroom at Reunion.

Lisa Tucker-Gray and Svea Gray accept the Distinguished Alumni Award on behalf of their father and husband, Professor Emeritus Whitmore Gray, ’57.

Elizabeth Campbell, ’78, takes the mic to participate in the Q&A session with Professor Barbara McQuade, ’91, during the first Reunion Weekend.

Members of the Class of 1988 pose for a group photo, showing that their bonds with the Law School and each other haven’t faded

Emeriti and the Classes of 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, and 1988 kicked off reunion season the weekend of September 21–23.

Celebrations continued October 12–14, when the Classes of 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 returned to campus in honor of their milestone anniversaries.

Both events featured Friday-night class dinners, updates with Dean Mark West, a pre-game picnic, football victories, and a post-game party. Festivities during the first weekend also included the Distinguished Alumni Award ceremony posthumously honoring Professor Emeritus Whitmore Gray, ’57; a Q&A session with Professor Barbara McQuade, ’91; and a panel discussion moderated by the Women Law Students Association.

A night game and speed mentoring—a networking event for students and alumni—were highlights of the second weekend. Approximately 588 alumni and their families took part in Reunion.

“Reunion is a time to celebrate and reaffirm the lifelong bonds formed at the Law School,” says Executive Director of Annual and Reunion Giving Janice Glander. “Thank you to all who attended and participated in their class gift. We enjoyed welcoming you home.”–JP

More From This Issue

Winter 2019 Cover Story

Students Aid Asylum Seekers In Dilley

A week before the fall 2018 semester started, Melissa Peña was pulling 13-hour shifts at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where the largest immigrant detention center in the United States is located. “The stories were horrific, and by Thursday they were really getting to me. I had to step outside and take a moment for myself.”

Winter 2019 In Practice

Marc Howze, ’95: Steering Deere & Company

Nothing Runs Like a Deere. The tagline that originated in the 1970s—first with John Deere-made snowmobiles—has since become iconic. It’s also a phrase that could aptly describe the career of Marc Howze, ’95, Deere & Company’s senior vice president and chief administrative officer.

Corporate and Securities Law

Winter 2019 In Practice

Tim Kochis, ’73: A Pioneer in Personal Financial Planning

Any success in life is a combination of three things: talent, hard work, and luck, says Tim Kochis, ’73. While Kochis admits he’s had a few lucky breaks in his 45-year career as a personal finance and investment manager, he also attributes his success in large measure to his Michigan Law degree, which has proven to be a “valuable calling card.”

Related Reading

Winter 2019 Class Note

Jordan Lipp, ’02: “Protecting the Ski Industry That I Love”

Jordan Lipp, ’02, is a self-described “obsessive skier.” So when he applied to law schools, only those near ski areas made the cut.“One of my classmates still jokes with me that I’m the only person in the world who chose the University of Michigan for its skiing,” laughs Lipp.

Winter 2019 Class Note

Jonathan Fountain, ’01: Seizing Counterfeit Goods at Vegas Trade Shows

When Jonathan Fountain, ’01, walks the floor of a Las Vegas trade show, U.S. marshals at his side, its vendors hold their collective breath. And when he walks out, counterfeit goods in hand, it’s to their applause.

Winter 2019 Class Note

Cinnamon Stephens, ’94: Navigating the Complexities of the Art World

“People think of the art world as being classy and sophisticated,” says Cinnamon Stephens, ’94, “But it’s actually kind of a sleazy snake pit,”