Winter 2019

Briefs

News in Brief: Winter 2019

Solicitors General panel

Diversity of Thought 

Five former members of the Solicitor General’s Office gathered at Michigan Law in October for a panel discussion on diversity of thought: Paul D. Clement, the 43rd solicitor general; Charles Fried, the 38th solicitor general; Gregory G. Garre, the 44th solicitor general; Ian Gershengorn, acting solicitor general from June 2016 to January 2017; and Nicole A. Saharsky, who was assistant to the solicitor general for 10 years. Michigan Law Professor Julian Davis Mortenson moderated the event.

 

Courthouse graphic image

Intelligence Briefing

Avril D. Haines, former White House deputy national security adviser and former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Obama administration, joined Michigan Law Professor Monica Hakimi last semester for a conversation about her career as a top intelligence officer.

 

MeToo Panel Presentation

“#MeToo” in the Judiciary

Heidi Bond, ’06; Leah Litman, ’10; and Claire Madill, ’15—three Michigan Law alumnae who have been active in the public debate about sexual misconduct in the judiciary—shared their experiences during a talk last November moderated by Michigan Supreme Court Chief
Justice Bridget Mary McCormack.

 

Veterans raising flag

A Salute to Veterans

U-M’s Veterans Week 2018 included a flag ceremony in the Law Quad.

 

Amazon logo

Bob Kimball, ’89, vice president and associate general counsel of Amazon and chief legal officer of Amazon Web Services, and Amazon attorneys Robert Harmon, ’07, and Tad Kaburaki, ’11, returned to the Quad in October to talk with students about day-to-day life as an in-house lawyer for the Seattle-based e-commerce and tech giant.


 

Two men cheering

Hoop Talk

U-M Men’s Basketball Coach John Beilein joined the Michigan Law community last fall for a conversation on the importance of integrity in sports and the legal profession. Richard Friedman, the Alene and Allan F. Smith Professor of Law, moderated the discussion.

 

Two men having a conversation at an event

China Connection

Dean Mark West chats with Tianze Ma, ’17, international legal project manager, corporate, from the Beijing office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. West was the speaker at two autumn events hosted by U-M’s alumni clubs in Beijing and Shanghai.

 

EKG graphic image

“I’m hopeful and optimistic that if we collect lots of data, put it all together, and crunch our way through it, we’ll find out useful and interesting things and be able to improve health.”

—Assistant Professor Nicholson Price, in a Time article about an Apple Watch software update that turns its latest model, the Series 4, into a personal ECG.

“The SEC is increasingly being asked to substitute its judgment for that of people working in the private sector. This trend is dangerous. Regulators have an important role in setting ground rules, but responsibility for decisions needs to lie with the people closest to the relevant facts and those upon whom the consequences of bad decisions will fall most heavily. It is not in the public interest to concentrate decision-making in Washington at regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission.” 

 

SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce during a Michigan Law visit last fall.
Editorial Exchange 3L Megan L. Brown, the first African American editor of the Michigan Law Review, and Sally Katzen Dyk, ’673L Megan L. Brown, the first African American editor of the Michigan Law Review, and Sally Katzen Dyk, ’67, the first female editor of the Law Review, met and reflected on their roles during Homecoming Weekend.


3L Megan L. Brown, the first African American editor of the Michigan Law Review, and Sally Katzen Dyk, ’67, the first female editor of the Law Review, met and reflected on their roles during Homecoming Weekend.

 

The Hon. Avern Cohn, ’49 and Barbara McQuade, ’91

The Hon. Avern Cohn, ’49, a senior judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Professor Barbara McQuade, ’91, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, discussed federal mandatory minimum sentences during a November lunch talk moderated by Professor Leonard M. Niehoff, ’84.

 

Fiske Fellows

Four Michigan Law graduates were named 2018 Fiske Fellowship recipients:

  • David Hamstra, ’15
    Army JAG Corps
  • Jessica Kraft, ’15
    U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Criminal Section
  • Sarah Podrygula, ’18
    Federal Reserve Board
  • David Saraceno, ’18
    St. Joseph County [MI] Prosecutor’s Office.

Bob Fiske, ’55, HLLD ’97, created the Fiske Fellowship Program to encourage recent graduates to pursue positions as government lawyers.

Congrats 

2019 Dean’s Public Service Fellows

Alex Ault, Alexandra Gilewicz, Anree Little, Kerry Martin, Gillian McGann, Tirza Mullin, Chris Opila, Lauren Schusterman, Brenna Twohy, Emma Waitzman

The Dean’s Public Service Fellowship honors 2Ls who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and intend to seek public service legal employment during the summer after their second year of school.

More From This Issue

Melissa Peña

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.”
Tim-Kochis being interviewed

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.”
Michelle Silverthorn headshot

Winter 2019 In Practice

Michelle Silverthorn, ’08, on the Challenges and Opportunities of Diversifying the Workplace

How do you foster a diverse and welcoming environment for all people within the legal profession, particularly those at law firms? It’s a pressing question for the legal industry, and one that Michelle Silverthorn, ’08, is working to address.

Related Reading

The Tech [R]evolution in Law

Fall 2017 Cover Story

The Tech [R]evolution in Law

The first thing we do, let’s replace all the lawyers with computers. While even a modern-day Shakespeare might think such a paraphrase is science fiction, the legal profession is grappling with whether or not it could be true someday. Technology is changing our society in immeasurable ways, and the practice of law is no exception.
China on Broadway group photo

Fall 2015 Features

Broadway in China, and China on Broadway

Fifteen years ago, Robert Nederlander Jr., ’89, began exploring opportunities to take Broadway shows to China—something that had never been done at that time. Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, of which he is president and CEO, would go on to fulfill that promise by becoming the first foreign entity allowed to form a joint venture and operate in the Chinese performing arts industry.
The Legal Climate of Climate Change Cover Art

Spring/Summer 2018 Cover Story

The Legal Climate of Climate Change

Like most headline-grabbing problems, the myriad issues surrounding climate change are integral to the work of many Michigan Law graduates. For some alumni, curbing and combating climate change is their life’s calling. For others, it is another hurdle to navigate as they pursue optimal outcomes for their clients or businesses.