From the first moments of registration and headshots to the Dean’s Welcome and administration of the Professionalism Oath, students were immediately immersed in the law school community. The program offered a rich variety of sessions tailored to both JD and LLM students, including Legal Research and Writing workshops, Financial Aid Fundamentals, and Cultural Competence discussions. Student panels and Law School 101 sessions provided candid insights and practical guidance, helping newcomers feel confident and prepared for the rigors of legal study.

Beyond academics, the orientation emphasized experiential learning and connection. Law school tours, mini resource fairs, networking lunches, and book discussion groups allowed students to meet peers, faculty, and staff. Optional community service projects, including a food drive and Clark Park clean-up, encouraged civic engagement from day one. Evening receptions and interactive sessions provided additional opportunities for reflection, conversation, and relationship-building. Students left the orientation energized, informed, and ready to begin the journey of law school.

Ashly Hancock: Our chapter is entirely student-led and focused on education. We host debates, lectures, and panels with scholars, judges, and practitioners to expose students to viewpoints they may not encounter in the classroom. By partnering with groups like The Federalist Society Michigan Lawyers Chapter, we give students chances for intellectual engagement, professional development, and networking. Membership is open to everyone, regardless of ideology, and our goal is to create a welcoming space for discussion rather than to promote any political stance. We remain committed to fostering an environment on campus where students, faculty, and guest speakers from all perspectives feel safe to share their views. Our goal is to encourage spirited but respectful debate in the pursuit of truth and understanding.

For Jack, whose practice focused on corporate and business law, estate planning, and real estate, it was in civic and professional activities that his passion for Detroit was best expressed. Those included serving as Supreme Chancellor of Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society, president of the Southfield Bar Association, and president and board member for multiple Jewish organizations.

Several years after his 1978 death, I. Goodman’s wife, Pauline Cohen, chose to honor his memory by endowing in 1980 the I. Goodman Cohen Lecture Series in Trial Advocacy at Wayne State Law School. While Cohen was not a Wayne Law grad – he attended the Detroit College of Law, now part of Michigan State University’s Law School – his involvement in Detroit’s legal community, and Pauline’s own participation in Detroit civic and political affairs, made Wayne State the lecture series’ logical home.

Over forty years later, the I. Goodman Cohen Lectureship remains a thriving endeavor and is further distinguished in being the first endowment in Wayne Law’s history. And just as Pauline Cohen established that endowment in memory of her husband, so her children, Dennis and Ina (Wayne Law JD ’74), endowed the Pauline Cohen Internship at Levin Center in 2017 in honor and in memory of their mother. Revenue from the endowment helps support Wayne Law students who receive federal internships through the Levin Center.

For many people, an old conviction — even for a low-level offense — can limit job opportunities, housing access, and educational prospects long after they have completed their sentence. Expungement is the legal process of setting aside such convictions, allowing individuals to move forward with a clean record. While Michigan law has expanded eligibility in recent years, the process is still complex, requiring fingerprints, notarized applications, court filings, and multiple submissions across different agencies.

The Manistee fair, held at the Northwest Michigan Works! office, offered community members step-by-step support through this process at no cost.

jennifer bird-Pollan: I’ve had deep ties to Detroit since childhood, with my dad growing up in Grosse Pointe and my paternal grandmother’s family running a concrete company in the city since the late 19th century. I even lived in Detroit and Grand Rapids briefly as a child. My mom, Linda Handren, a Wayne Law alum, graduated from the part-time program and served for 15 years in the Michigan Attorney General’s Children and Youth Services Division. Now, with my parents, siblings, and a newborn niece all in southeast Michigan, being close to family has been wonderful. Beyond that, I’m thrilled by the city’s vibrancy and energy.

Sandra Glazier ‘82 has been appointed as a Commissioner to the ABA Commission on Law and Aging (COLA) by the ABA President.

Michael Khoury ‘82 was honored with the 17th annual Stephen H. Schulman Outstanding Business Lawyer Award by the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section.

Kenneth R. Marcus ‘84 established an endowed scholarship at Wayne Law, donated the “Wolfie” mascot statue to his undergraduate alma mater Stony Brook University, co-chaired the Wayne Law Class of 1984 Forty-Year Reunion, organized his high school class of 1967’s 75th birthday celebration, published two articles with the American Health Law Association, and volunteered as a reading tutor for Detroit public school second graders.

Glenn Metsch-Ampel, J.D. ’87 was named executive director of Lawyers For Children (LFC) in New York City. LFC provides legal and social work advocacy for children in foster care, custody, and youth justice cases.