I think I speak for most people when I say that I was eager to turn the calendar to 2021. Last year was one of crisis and injustice. It highlighted in stark terms that deep-seated structural racism endures in the United States, as reflected in the outsize impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented communities, and in the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others. And while the year is new, the injustice persists as it has for generations.

Wayne Law is working to change that reality. Powered by more than $4 million in grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and others since 2014, the Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights and Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) are developing a national blueprint in Detroit designed to empower local communities to fight systemic racism from the ground up. Read the cover story, “All eyes on Detroit,” beginning on page 16.

We’re also evaluating how we can strengthen our community and better amplify diverse voices and truths within the Law School. Our Black Law Students Association, National Lawyers Guild and Black Law Alumni Council are among the organizations leading the charge. Learn more about their efforts in “Bridging the gap,” which begins on page 22.

It’s been a year defined by uncertainty, but Wayne Law still has much to celebrate. The Law School’s July 2020 Michigan bar exam pass rate for first-time test takers (pre-appeal) is 91% — eclipsing the statewide average of 79%. And the incoming class of 2020 was our academically strongest yet, with a 159 median LSAT score and a 3.65 median GPA.

Non-J.D. programs at Wayne Law are also experiencing impressive growth. Last month, we welcomed our first cohort of the master of studies in law with a concentration in human resources. And the minor in law is continuing to gain momentum, with more than 150 undergraduate Wayne State students declaring the minor to date. You can read more about this interdisciplinary program on page 11.

It’s remarkable to reflect on where we were at this time last year; each of us came out of 2020 vastly different from how we entered it. At Wayne State University Law School, we’re moving forward fueled by an ardent drive to combat the inequalities that society has long ignored. This drive isn’t new to us — it’s part of who we are, and it’s only getting stronger.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Bierschbach
Dean and Professor of Law