Issue: Spring 2014 | Section: Cover Story
15 results
Cover Story Spring 2014
Detroit’s Real Challenge Isn’t the Bankruptcy
When Detroit became the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy, it was a bad thing—unless you have the unique worldview of a bankruptcy lawyer, in which case it was marvelous news, worthy of celebration.
Cover Story Spring 2014
Steven Rhodes, ’73: Guitar-playing Bankruptcy Judge Tuned in to the People
“There is no requirement that a bankruptcy judge has to listen to individuals who are represented by (lawyers),” says former bankruptcy Judge Ray Reynolds Graves, who worked with Judge Steven Rhodes for 17 years. “Steve put that to one side and had the retirees come into court and address him personally. Listening to people who could be adversely affected by having their pensions cut—that tells you something about the man’s sensitivities.”
Cover Story
Reviving Detroit at its Roots with Urban Agriculture
Surrounded by a sea of crumbling concrete, the lush green landscape of the market garden on Plum Street sits as an oasis in a city forged of steel and cement. For many, it is merely one example of efforts to revitalize Detroit. For Nicholas Leonard, it is the very essence of the urban agricultural model that has inspired his professional career.
Cover Story
Mayor Frank Murphy, ’12, Saves Detroit from Financial Ruin
In 1930, a graduate of the Law School—Frank Murphy, Class of 1912—was chosen to deal with a fiscal disaster in Detroit nearly as dire as today’s.
Cover Story
JDs in the D: Michigan Law Students Discover Detroit’s Appeal
Changing people’s perceptions of Detroit is part of the mission of JDs in the D, a volunteer group of law students. Through visits to the city, events at the Law School, and partnerships with Detroit-based organizations, JDs in the D shows law students that there are good reasons to consider living and working in Detroit after graduation.
Cover Story Spring 2014
Hatching New Businesses in Detroit
Nick Gorga, ’02, is helping “to put a small thumbprint on the next chapter of Detroit.” After working in Chicago for six years as an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, Gorga returned to Detroit in 2008 to help combat what he viewed as a “brain drain” in the region.
Cover Story Spring 2014
The Big Three: Michigan Law Alumni Aim to Lead Detroit Out of Bankruptcy
Three Michigan Law alumni— Gov. Rick Snyder, ’82, Mayor Mike Duggan, ’83, and emergency manager Kevyn Orr, ’83—aim to lead Detroit out of history’s largest municipal bankruptcy. And they've made no secret of their ambitious plans for the beleaguered city.
Cover Story Spring 2014
Glenn Oliver, ’87: Tapping Innovation for Water Utilities
Most of us turn on faucets or lawn sprinklers with no thought as to how the water got there. Glenn Oliver, ’87, wants to make sure it arrives in the most cost-effective, efficient way possible. In 2006, Oliver launched H2bid, a Detroit-based online exchange connecting water utilities with vendors.
Cover Story Spring 2014
Prosecution and Prevention
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, ’91, began her tenure with a would-be underwear-bomber trying to blow up a plane over her district a day after she was confirmed by the Senate. Then, office’s successful prosecution of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made headlines around the world. But there’s much more to her work than enforcement and prosecution.
Cover Story Spring 2014
Detroit-based VC Firm Creates Irresistible Opportunity
When Jake Cohen, ’13, heard about a venture capital firm that would invest in early-stage technology companies based in Detroit, he couldn't pass it up. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”