Issue: Winter 2025
114 results
Class Note Winter 2025
William Young was reappointed to the Michigan Employment Relations Commission by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a three-year term. Young is a retired attorney and has served as a Michigan employment relations commissioner since 2021. He previously was a shareholder at White, Schneider, Young & Chiodini PC and spent nearly 28 years with the firm, where he represented unions and teachers, among other clients. In retirement, Young volunteers with Ingham County Meals on Wheels, is a member of the Spring Lake Village Historical Commission, and serves as a fellow with the Michigan State Bar Foundation.
Class Note Winter 2025
Thomas Linn received the 2025 Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Services Corporation in recognition of his commitment to expanding access to justice for underserved Michiganders. Linn serves as of counsel and chairman emeritus to Miller Canfield PLC, following nearly eight years as the chief executive officer and 20 years as a managing director. He was nominated for the award by Lakeshore Legal Aid, where he currently serves as chair of the board of directors.
Class Note Winter 2025
George Elworth has retired from the Michigan Department of Attorney General, where he served as assistant attorney general for five decades. He previously spent a year with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and four years as an associate at Lord, Bissell, & Brook LLP in Chicago. Elworth also sat on the attorney general’s opinion review board.
Class Note Winter 2025
Jeffrey Haynes recently published a three-part article, “Abuse of Discretion: Principles from 180 Years of Michigan Caselaw,” in the Michigan Appellate Practice Journal. Using an empirical database of more than 2,000 cases, the article describes how the Michigan Supreme Court has applied the abuse-of-discretion standard of appellate review. Haynes is a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, the editor of the Michigan Environmental Law Deskbook, and he has taught environmental law at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for three decades.
Class Note Winter 2025
Richard J. Aronson retired five years ago after practicing civil defense law for 55 years. He was managing attorney for Fireman’s Fund Staff Counsel and served as defense counsel for multiple insurers in more than 150 jury trials and arbitrations. Aronson and his wife, Laurie, who are based in Chicago, have traveled the world, once taking six months off work to circle the globe. He has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led mock jury trials at a local high school, and volunteers for various events at Lambs Farm, a facility for adults with special needs. He plays the piano and works incessantly on his N-scale model train layout. He is proud to have graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.
Class Note Winter 2025
Samuel McKim joined Dickinson Wright PLLC as of counsel. His practice focuses on complex litigation and tax matters, particularly state and local taxation. He also advises clients on tax planning, opinion work, and trial and appellate appeals. McKim is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. He has taught state and local tax law as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School.
Class Note Winter 2025
Matthew Preston, ’21, Selected for ABA Young Lawyers Division Award
The Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA) recently honored Matthew Preston, ’21, as a 2025 On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers awardee. Recipients are selected for their leadership, innovation, and example in upholding the law.
Class Note Winter 2025
Martha Umphrey, ’91: A New View as Provost at Amherst College
Martha Umphrey, ’91, thrived as a professor in Amherst College’s Department of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought for 30 years. Since 2024, she has embraced the challenge of serving as the college’s provost and dean of faculty.
Impact Winter 2025
New Fellowship to Fund LLM Public Service Opportunities Honors Longtime Assistant Dean for International Affairs Virginia Gordan
A new fellowship at Michigan Law will help fund important postgraduate opportunities for masters of law students, while honoring a longtime champion of international students. The Virginia Gordan LLM Public Service Fellowship is named for the first assistant dean for international affairs at Michigan Law.
Impact Winter 2025
Celebrating Three Decades of the Nannes 3L Challenge
In 1995, John Nannes, ’73, had an idea. Today, that idea—the Nannes 3L Challenge—continues to provide annual support to student organizations while fostering connections between classmates and bolstering philanthropy at Michigan Law.