notable alumni

Wayne State University Law School proudly celebrates the appointment of alumna Lisa J. Hamameh ’00 as the 91st President of the State Bar of Michigan. Hamameh, who earned her Juris Doctor from Wayne Law in 2000, is the first Palestinian American and only the ninth woman to lead the organization.

A distinguished municipal law attorney and accomplished public servant, Hamameh brings decades of legal expertise and a strong commitment to the profession to her new role. She began her legal career immediately after graduating from Wayne Law, joining the State Bar of Michigan in 2000. Since then, she has served in leadership and legal advisory roles across numerous municipalities and has been a shareholder at Rosati, Schultz, Joppich & Amtsbuechler.

Hamameh’s leadership reflects the values championed by Wayne State University Law School: dedication to public service, commitment to justice, and service to the community. Her appointment marks another milestone in the law school’s legacy of graduates shaping Michigan’s legal landscape.

Wayne State University Law School proudly celebrates the appointment of alumna Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio as the new Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, following a nationwide search. Kitaba-Gaviglio, a 2014 graduate of Wayne Law, brings to the role a decade of trailblazing civil rights leadership and a career defined by courage, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to justice.

While pursuing her Juris Doctor at Wayne State University Law School from 2011 to 2014, Kitaba-Gaviglio focused on Appellate Advocacy and International Law. She was an active and respected student leader, participating in and guiding several organizations. Her commitment to rigorous advocacy, global legal issues, and community representation during law school foreshadowed the impactful career she would go on to build.

Kitaba-Gaviglio has spent the past nine years at the ACLU of Michigan, becoming one of the state’s most widely respected civil rights litigators. Her accomplishments include advancing racial and economic justice, championing environmental justice, protecting reproductive freedom, and building coalitions for change.