Topic: Public Interest
86 results
Cover Story Spring/Summer 2018
The Legal Climate of Climate Change: Preparedness and Recovery
As Hurricane Sandy bore down on the East Coast of the United States in 2012, Damon Vocke, ’89, stepped into his Connecticut yard with his two dogs, Winston and Diva. For Winston, it was business as usual—he seemed oblivious to the approaching storm. But Diva knew something was wrong. She was scared and wanted back into the house, where she then went to hide.
@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2018
Alumni and Friends Service Day in Chicago Supports a Fellow Alum’s Labor of Love
"For a refugee like me, going to the University of Michigan Law School was a life-changing experience,” says Bernard Cherkasov, ’03. As executive director of the Chicago branch of Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit connecting those who can give with those who are in need, Cherkasov’s work involves providing everyday necessities for children from birth to age 12.
In Practice Spring/Summer 2018
Bringing Cybercrimes to Justice and the Law up to Speed
“This is an area where the law hasn’t caught up to people’s conduct, and where victims have limited access to legal counsel,” says Van Engelen. “It takes real people on the ground, working every day as a team, to bring a cybercriminal to justice.”
@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2018
Anti-Apartheid Leader, Former Constitutional Court Justice Delivers Bishop Lecture
Justice Albie Sachs knew Nelson Mandela “before he was the Nelson Mandela,” and during this year’s William W. Bishop Lecture in International Law, he regaled a standing-room-only crowd with tales from the frontline of the anti-apartheid movement and South Africa’s burgeoning democracy.
Cover Story Spring/Summer 2018
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.
@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2018
Child Welfare Appellate Clinic Drafts New Legislation
Clinical Professor Vivek Sankaran, ’01, director of Michigan Law’s Child Welfare Appellate Clinic, and his student-attorneys were helping a mother regain custody of her young son after a neighbor found him wandering outside early one Saturday.
Cover Story Spring/Summer 2018
The Legal Climate of Climate Change: Policy
“The first thing the professor told us was that he wasn’t trying to ban fossil fuels and he wasn’t trying to set goals for the next decade. He said that he just wanted to make sure we have policies in place now so that in 100 years, we’re much better off than we otherwise would be. And I said, ‘Well, with that line of thinking, we can actually work together.’”
@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2018
Lawsuit Brings Changes to Michigan’s Sex Offender Registration Law
Six people who filed a lawsuit against the State of Michigan, challenging the constitutionality of its Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), have been removed from the public sex offender registry after a final order in their case, Does v. Snyder, was issued in January.
@UMICHLAW Spring 2017
DLAW Class Explores Affirmative Litigation Opportunities for Detroit
As senior adviser and counsel to the mayor of Detroit, Eli Savit, ’10, knows that the legal challenges facing the city are vast. So vast, in fact, that there simply is no way for staffers to explore affirmative litigation opportunities. Such public interest lawsuits filed on behalf of the city could address topics like consumer protection, environmental justice, housing, and nuisance abatement.
@UMICHLAW Spring 2017
Learning by Doing: Students Assist with Real-Life Workplace Law Issues
While raising the minimum wage around the country has become a well-known political and legal battle, many people are being paid 40 cents an hour—or even less. And it’s perfectly legal. This so-called “subminimum wage” is paid to people who have physical and mental impairments. An organization called Disability Rights Texas decided to push back, and they did so with the help of students in an innovative Michigan Law class.