William Jentes, ’56, and William Bogaard, ’65, are recipients of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award, the Law School’s highest honor.
Jentes was principal litigating partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP for nearly 40 years. He retired to become an independent arbitrator, a mediator of commercial disputes, and later a professor at Michigan Law. He is a civic leader and philanthropist in Chicago, and an active supporter of the Law School. He championed fundraising efforts for the Kirkland & Ellis Café and the Kirkland & Ellis Professorship, and funded the William Jentes Scholarship—providing full tuition for nine students each year—for 20 years.
Bogaard pursued a corporate securities law practice at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles before becoming deputy commissioner of corporations for the State of California. He later joined First Interstate Bancorp as executive vice president and general counsel. Bogaard taught at Michigan Law and the University of Southern California, and also pursued an arbitration practice. In 1999, he became the first directly elected mayor of Pasadena, California, and served four four-year terms.
“We honor these men for their dedication to law, the numerous contributions they have made to the profession and society, and their leadership among Michigan Law alumni,” says Dean Mark West. “We are proud to call them our own.”
For more information about the Distinguished Alumni Award, including the nomination process, visit https://michigan.law.umich.edu/alumni/alumni-events/distinguished-alumni-award. –JP
