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Class Note Summer 2025

Samantha Funk joined the permanent legal writing faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder Law School. Before teaching, Funk practiced commercial litigation, where she represented clients at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal court and conducted civil rights and Title IX investigations at the University of Washington. She has maintained an active pro bono portfolio throughout her career and has represented clients seeking asylum, argued for protective orders in criminal cases, and researched state statutes for a reproductive justice organization.

Class Note Summer 2025

Joseph Kemp was named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 class in the games category. Kemp founded Games that Matter LLC. His debut game, DISBARRED: The Card Game, combines practical legal insights with gameplay. Kemp also is the founder and CEO of JMKemp & Co. LLC, a consultancy for graduate school applicants and startups.

Class Note Summer 2025

Alexis L. Cirel, founding partner of the fertility law group at Warshaw Burstein LLP in New York and a partner in the firm’s matrimonial and family law group, was recently admitted to practice in Michigan. The firm’s fertility law group was formed in response to a surrogacy law in New York that went into effect in 2021. Cirel will expand the scope of the practice and consult on cases related to Michigan’s new surrogacy law, the Family Protection Act, which went into effect in April.

Class Note Summer 2025

Matthew Kennison joined Kelley Drye & Warren LLP as a partner in the firm’s litigation practice group, based in Chicago. He has experience representing clients in high-stakes litigation and investigations, with a focus on antitrust, white collar investigations, and complex commercial litigation. Before joining Kelley Drye, Kennison was a partner at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP.

Class Note Summer 2025

Carolyn Perez joined Steptoe LLP as pro bono counsel. Before joining the firm, Perez served as program counsel at the Legal Services Corporation, where she conducted programmatic oversight of legal services providers and promoted improvement of the program’s ability to provide effective and efficient legal aid services.

Class Note Summer 2025

Sam DeBaltzo was elevated to partner at Tonkon Torp LLP, where he focuses on real estate transactions. He represents clients on purchases and sales, leases, easements, and secured and unsecured financing. He also negotiates construction and architect agreements and frequently advises on real estate aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions.

Class Note Summer 2025

Chad Ray joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC as a shareholder with the firm’s intellectual property team in Dallas. Ray is a patent litigation attorney and focuses on trademark and copyright matters in the energy, automotive, life sciences, manufacturing, oil and gas, technology, and telecommunications industries. Before joining Munsch Hardt, he was a partner at Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal LLP.

Class Note Summer 2025

Courtney Martin, a public defender in Seattle, was a contestant on Jeopardy! in April. Martin finished second but was the only contestant to correctly answer the Final Jeopardy question. The category was “Around the World”; the clue was, “An online article about this landmark said, ‘The stones themselves look like they are crying’ and mentioned ‘tears of…pain, hope, and joy.’” Answer: The Wailing Wall. Martin is pictured with Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings.

Class Note Summer 2025

The Hon. Kerene Moore was elected to a six-year term on Michigan’s 15th District Court. Most recently, Judge Moore was the director of the Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, where she helped people work to obtain clemencies, correct wrongful convictions, and expunge their records. She previously was a judicial attorney and referee on the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Michigan in Washtenaw County and has represented clients at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Michigan Advocacy Program.

Class Note Summer 2025

Nathan Schuur joined Proskauer Rose LLP as a partner in the firm’s private funds group. He previously was counsel to a commissioner at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he provided legal and policy advice on rulemaking, enforcement, and litigation, with a focus on investment management issues. Schuur also served in the rulemaking office of the SEC’s division of investment management. At Proskauer Rose, his practice will focus on regulatory and compliance issues related to the Advisers Act and Investment Company Act.