Topic: Private Practice
51 results


Impact Fall 2020
Reflecting on Ann Arbor, Estate Lawyer Plans Support for the Next Generation
For George Smrtka, ’67, attending Michigan Law was a dream come true. “I applied to two other law schools, but Michigan was the top of the mountain for me. I never thought I could afford it, but the admissions counselor offered a scholarship for half of the tuition and the rest was covered through a loan. I also lived off-campus, washed dishes, and walked up a hill in the snow—both ways,” he laughs.


Impact Winter 2019
Cause and Effect: A Donor and His Scholarship Recipient Reflect on Their Connection to Michigan Law
Jeffrey Rubenstein, '66, created the Jeffrey and Susan Rubenstein Scholarship Fund to support students facing the same serious financial need that he did while attending Michigan Law. We speak to him and Simone Prince-Eichner, a recipient of the scholarship, about their experiences at Michigan Law.


In Practice Winter 2019
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.”


In Practice Winter 2019
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.


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.


In Practice Spring/Summer 2018
A Case of “Five-Ring Fever”
There is such a thing as “Five-Ring Fever,” and Chris McCleary certainly has it. He first caught it at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and he’s never lost it. It’s what you would expect, given that McCleary is the general counsel for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC).


@UMICHLAW Spring/Summer 2018
Latham’s Leading Women Series Kicks Off with Microsoft VP Carolyn Frantz, ’00
“When I attended Michigan, I didn’t join the Women Law Students Association because I was adamant that I was a law student, not a woman law student,” said Carolyn Frantz, ’00, who is vice president, deputy general counsel, and corporate secretary at Microsoft Corp.


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.”


In Practice Spring/Summer 2018
Opportunity and Complexity in the Middle East
“Why have I been able to be successful there? Largely because of my U-M legal training,” Bajwa says. “Yes, I have language and technical skills that help. But the Middle East is trying to develop a U.S. capitalist model, so you can do a lot of good by bringing the M&A know-how you acquired in the United States into the region.”


Cover Story Spring/Summer 2018
The Legal Climate of Climate Change: Energy
When Mike Hardy, ’72, and Jim Spaanstra, ’77, began practicing environmental law, the laws, the issues facing their clients, and the environment itself were different than they are now. Hardy became an environmental lawyer because his firm needed a young associate to figure out this burgeoning practice area; for Spaanstra—who considered former Michigan Law Professor and environmental law pioneer Joe Sax a mentor—it was the reason he came to law school.