Staying Connected Getting Involved

BY EILEEN FORD, JD The most valuable asset any law school possesses is its alumni. MSU-DCL alumni can be found throughout the country and abroad, and in virtually every area of legal practice and scholarship. In the courtroom, from the bench, in the classroom, in a rural community in northern Michigan or in the Czech Republic capital of Prague, MSU-DCL alumni distinguish themselves in their careers. For many, continued involvement with the law college through the MSU-DCL National Alumni Association provides opportunities to enhance their careers and, at the same time, give something back to the school where their legal education began. The alumni association serves alumni and their communities by organizing and sponsoring educational and networking activities. An elected board of directors supervises all of the association’s activities. Membership in the association is a simple matter: an MSU-DCL graduate can register at the school, by mail, or online, and may join on a one-year, three-year or lifetime basis. Benefits include discounts on association activities and on many school-sponsored events and seminars as well as significant savings on travel, entertainment, merchandise and a variety of other services provided by a number of companies participating in the association’s discount program. Serving on the board of directors requires a greater commitment, but current board members find it worth the effort. Seth Doyle Lauren Hammett Earnetta Williams Lamar Moreland Laurie Schaibly Nancy Abraham Alumnus Seth Doyle, ’99, found that he wanted to go “beyond merely being a dues-paying member.” He wanted “a more intimate connection with the school.” For Doyle, who is the deputy fire commissioner for the city of Detroit, serving as treasurer of the board has provided that connection. He also notes that involvement with the board helps Detroit-area alumni maintain that city’s ties to the school. Detroit also hosts some of the events sponsored by the association, including evenings at the Fisher Theater and sporting events at Comerica Park. Alumna Lauren Hammett, ’90, a board member since 1997, also has enjoyed her renewed connection to other alumni as well as to faculty and current students. Hammett, partner at Fischer, Franklin and Ford and the association board’s secretary, says, “It’s made me feel a part of the extended MSU-DCL family.” According to current board president Earnetta Williams, ’96, the board attracts people who are interested—not just in maintaining ties with the school, but in promoting the school’s status in the community and nationally. Lamar Moreland, ’99, now with the Wayne County prosecuting attorney’s office, is one such board member. “It is the alumni networks that distinguish schools from one another,” he explains. “That network expands the school’s marketability and prospects. As alumni distinguish themselves professionally and re-invest in the school, the stature of the school increases.” Moreland became active on the association board in 2001 and is chair of the student liaison committee. The board provides student organizations with funding and currently provides support for the National Moot Court Competition and the Law Review. Says Moreland, “I have a keen interest in getting students involved in promoting the school.” Currently, the board has 14 members. Laurie Schaibly, ’00, director of alumni relations, notes that the board would like to add some members this year, but believes that not all alumni understand the structure of the alumni association. While the alumni relations staff handles the daily operations of the association, the board sets the priorities and directs the activities. Schaibly coordinates the board meetings, and she and Dean Terence Blackburn sit on the board as ex-officio members. It is not necessary to be on the board in order to work on a committee. In fact, according to President-Elect Nancy Abraham, ’87, committee work is a good way to begin one’s involvement with the board. She noted, for example, the work of the committees involved in two annual alumni events: the tailgate party and the summer golf outing. Earnetta Williams agrees and mentions the wide variety of activities that involve the efforts of interested alumni, from acting as judges in the Moot Court competition to recommending speakers to bring to the law college. Williams also suggests that interested alumni simply “make their interest known to a current board member and get invited to a board meeting.” Board members are elected to two three-year terms, and meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month. Each board member is expected to sit on two committees. Proceeds from special association events are used to provide services such as breakfasts and lunches for alumni taking the Michigan bar exam and to fund student organizations. Currently, however, the major focus of the board’s fundraising efforts is the endowment of the National Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. The goal is a $100,000 endowment. Williams acknowledges that the scholarship won’t be endowed during her tenure as president, but feels that the effort is off to a good start, noting the success of this past summer’s golf outing. Doyle is enthusiastic about the current scholarship campaign. He explains the importance of the $100,000 endowment, emphasizing that the amount would provide real financial assistance, not simply a nominal award. An endowment would promise the permanent funding of such a scholarship, further underscoring the commitment of MSU-DCL alumni to the school’s future. Further information about association membership, or board or committee participation, is available from the alumni relations staff at 517/432-6840 or alumni@law.msu.edu.