Section: In Practice
36 results
In Practice Spring 2021
Jerika Richardson, ’07: At the Nexus of Law, Media, and Advocacy
Last September, Jerika Richardson, ’07, joined the National Urban League as senior vice president of equitable justice and strategic initiatives, a newly created role within one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country. Richardson will work in close partnership with the League’s leadership and its network of 90 local affiliates to establish lasting equity and justice through policy advocacy, civic engagement, and legislative reform.
In Practice Spring 2021
Jonathan Brater, ’11: Directing an Historic Election
When Jonathan Brater, ’11, was appointed Michigan’s director of elections in January 2020, the upcoming election cycle was already set to be groundbreaking. And then, on the night of the presidential primary in March, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the state’s first confirmed case of COVID-19.
In Practice Spring 2021
Dan Bergeson, ’82: Adapting to a New Normal in California Courts
Going to trial in the era of COVID-19 has introduced a new twist into once-familiar proceedings, especially for the complex business litigation that is typical of Bergson’s practice. “You don’t have those face-to-face moments where you have that feeling of connectivity from seeing the judge or juror’s reaction.”
In Practice Winter 2020
Asim Rehman, ’01: Overseeing the Nation’s Largest Police Department
How does one go from working as corporate counsel at MetLife—providing global litigation support to more than 40 foreign MetLife companies—to overseeing the NYPD? “I was working on police accountability issues because they were important to me,” Asim Rehman, ’01, says. “Not because I was looking for a job.”
In Practice Winter 2020
Meegan Brooks, ’13: An Advocate for the Retail Industry
Throughout law school, Meegan Brooks, ’13, was most interested in cases involving retail brands and other companies that she admired. Brooks joined Sedgwick LLP as a 2L summer associate and became enamored with its retail practice group, which specialized in defending consumer class actions. “I identified their work as being fun and cool and interesting,” she says.
In Practice Winter 2020
Craig Kramer, ’87: Mental Health Ambassador
“My overarching goal is to help transform mental health care worldwide. It’s broken everywhere, and it is a global problem,” says Craig Kramer, ’87, Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) first mental health ambassador. But raising awareness about and erasing the stigma of mental illness were not part of his plan as a Michigan Law graduate—nor was it where he started.
In Practice Winter 2020
James Blakemore, ’13, and Josh Garcia, ’13: Blockchain Made Them a Team
Blockchain has come into focus in the last several years. James Blakemore, ’13, and Josh Garcia, ’13, have expertise in the technology, which, as Blakemore explains, “allows people to verify transactions and come to consensus regarding the current distribution of an asset, like bitcoin, without relying on third parties like banks.”
In Practice Fall 2020
Chris Burtley, ’15: Reimagining Supply Chains After Historic Disruption
Months before COVID-19 became a global pandemic, Chris Burtley, ’15, was called into the first of what would become a series of meetings about a novel coronavirus that was emerging in Wuhan, China, and beginning to threaten global supply chains. “When a client asked me in January to join calls related to the coronavirus, we thought of it as a small project to keep an eye on, not something that would become the biggest issue we have seen in decades.”
In Practice Fall 2020
Lawrence García, ’95: Moving Detroit’s Legal Team in New Directions
When the mayor of Detroit asked Lawrence García, ’95, to lead the city’s legal department, he jumped at the opportunity, knowing it would challenge him professionally and give him a meaningful platform to influence the trajectory of Detroit. “The law department has always had a lot of bench strength and excellent lawyers, but historically you haven’t heard people worried about going up against the office—whether it’s in litigation or in business dealings.”
In Practice Fall 2020
Carla Newell, ’85: Riding a Tech Boom in Silicon Valley—Again
As public interest in consumer genomics has exploded in recent years, Carla Newell, ’85, found herself at the center of the industry’s boom as the chief legal officer and chief risk officer at Ancestry, a leading family history and consumer genomics company.