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1950-1959
Jack Sieberth, ’56, celebrated 50 years of practice as a patent attorney. He is the founder of the Baton Rouge, Michigan, law firm, Sieberth & Patty, L.L.C.
1960-1969
Leon Bess, ’63, retired as CEO and president of Bess Kunz, the Phoenix law firm he founded in 1989. He will continue of counsel to the firm and devote more time to his Morgan horse breeding operation.
Christopher C. Brown
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Christopher C. Brown, ’66, was re-elected judge of the 50th District Court in Pontiac, Michigan, for the sixth consecutive six-year term. He was first elected in 1972.
John C. Hugei, ’68, retired from the practice of law in October 2000 and now resides in Florida where he enjoys the beach and boating.
1970-1979
Dennis Archer, ’70, was elected president of the American Bar Association. He is the first African American to hold this position.
James C. Thomas, ’74, was elected to his second term as treasurer of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers in Detroit. He has been a fellow of the association since 1992.
Richard S. Victor, ’75, was elected president of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial lawyers.
Thomas J. Budzynski, ’76, of Clinton Township successfully completed the requirements for national certification in consumer bankruptcy law.
Richard N. Wiener, ’76, was named the chief operating officer for the State of Michigan by Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Alan Barth, ’77, was inducted into the Israeli Bar on September 3, 2003, in Jerusalem.
Patrick J. O’Brien, ’77, was promoted to assistant in Charge of Public Employment, Election and Tort Division of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. The division handles labor and employment claims, election issues and tort lawsuits against the State of Michigan, its departments, agencies, officers and employees. O’Brien has been in public service to the Michigan attorney general since 1977.
Dave Westol, ’79, will serve a one-year term as president of the Fraternity Executives Association. He is also the executive director of Theta Chi Fraternity in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1980-1989
Herbert J. Giles, ’81, was named a shareholder at the Dallas-based firm of Roberts and Smaby.
William H. Horton, ’80, was elected president of the Troy, Michigan, based law firm, Cox, Hodgeman & Giarmarco, P.C.
Joseph Mitchell, ’81, was appointed general counsel for DPT Laboratories, Ltd., of San Antonio, Texas. He was previously associate corporate counsel for the Masco Corporation of Taylor, Michigan, and general counsel and assistant secretary for the R.P. Scherer Corporation of Troy, Michigan.
Robert “Bob” Peebles, ’81, was appointed president and chief executive officer of The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Edward Rosenbaum, ’81, sold a study seminar for financial analysts, designed to help the investment community pass a three-year series of examinations, to Stanley Kaplan of Canada after directing the annual study seminar for 35 years.
Sheri Cane Vogel, ’81, received Nevada’s Liberty Bell Award for contributing to the effective operation of government institutions and for promoting an improved understanding and appreciation of the law.
Maurice A. Borden, ’82, was re-elected treasurer of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim (Michigan) Bar Association for the 2003-2004 term.
Michael L. Clark, ’84, was promoted to associate counsel of the Cincinnati Insurance Company.
Edward J. Clinton, Jr., ’84, joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as an investigative specialist in Washington, D.C. He, his wife and five children have relocated from Pennsylvania to northern Virginia.
Beatrice Pennie Millender, ’87, was elected 2003-2004 president of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.
Lorin M. Subar, ’87, joined Touchstone, Bernays, Johnson, Beall, Smith and Stollenwerck, L.L.P., in Dallas as an associate. She will work in the litigation and appellate section of the firm, focusing on corporate and insurance defense.
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Elizabeth A. Jamieson
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Margaret A. Costello, ’88, was elected president of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association.
Elizabeth A. Jamieson, ’88, joined the Grand Rapids, Michigan, corporate group of Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt and Howlett L.L.P. as counsel. Her practice will focus on litigation in consumer bankruptcy and creditor rights.
John Gerlach, ’89, was co-counsel in a case that brought in Michigan’s fourth highest jury award of 2002: $6 million in unpaid commissions and $2.7 million in statutory penalties. Gerlach is a shareholder of O’Reilly, Rancilio, Nitz, Andrews, Turnball & Scott, P.C., of Macomb County, Michigan.
Gregory J. Parry, ’89, joined Schnelz, Wells, Monaghan, Wells & Parry, P.C., of Birmingham, Michigan, as a principal shareholder. He formerly was a member of Dickinson Wright, P.L.L.C., is A-V rated and specializes in environmental and commercial law and related litigation.
1990-1999
Joseph Novak, ’91, accepted a position at the Mound Correctional Facility in Detroit as the assistant librarian.
Jason J. Thompson, ’92, successfully achieved board certification as a civil and trial advocate through the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
John Hitt, ’94, was appointed the chief of opinions for the attorney general of Massachusetts. He and his wife also celebrated the birth of their second son in November 2002.
Erik Kafarski and wife Irena
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Erik Kafarski, ’94, and Irena Zalewska were married on January 25, 2003, at St. John’s Chapel in Plymouth, Michigan.
Jefferey Cohen, ’96, founded Cohen Advisors, L.L.C., in Aspen, Colorado. The practice focuses on estate planning and taxation law.
Michael Domanski, ’96, joined the Detroit office of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, L.L.P., as partner with the Tax and Healthcare Departments. He concentrates his practice on counseling clients nationwide in international and captive finance matters.
Tami Johanson, ’96, accepted the position of associate general counsel with SPX Corporation in Warren, Michigan. She specializes in software licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial contracts.
Reginald A. Pacis
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Reginald A. Pacis, ’96, was elected to a one-year term as chairperson of the Michigan Chapter of the America Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Deborah J. Williamson, ’97, joined Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C. Her practice focuses on representing hospitals, institutions and non-institutional healthcare providers in all aspects of healthcare law.
Ella Bully-Cummings, ’98, was named chief of the Detroit Police Department. She is the first female to hold this position.
John D. Logan
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John D. Logan, ’98, became a shareholder of the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, law firm Howard and Howard Attorneys, P.C. He practices in the areas of corporate and commercial transactions, real property and employment law.
David Alexander Short IV was born to Lisa Lizana Short, ’98, and David Alexander Short of Farmington Hills, Michigan, on February 8, 2003.
Ryan Modlin, ’99, joined the Capitol Hill Consulting Group of Washington, D.C., as a vice president.
Joe W. Nesari, ’99, opened the Law Offices of J.W. Nesari in 2000 and has expanded his practice to three offices throughout the northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., metro areas. The law firm concentrates in immigration law with a specialty in criminal law and immigration consequences. The firm’s successes include four Fourth Circuit Court appeals and one appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court pending writ of ceratori.
Rodney Smith, ’99, was hired as a trial attorney with the Office of General
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Richard Strenger
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Counsel and Trial Division for United Automobiles Insurance Company. Since graduating from MSU-DCL, he has tried more than 25 jury trials and nearly 75 bench trials, and received the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award from the council level of the Boy Scouts of America. Smith also married Tangelia George on June 28, 2003.
Richard Strenger, ’99, was named Volunteer of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2003 by the board of directors and staff of Community Legal Resources in Detroit.
2000-2003
Arthur Lee Cutler II, ’00, accepted a position as deputy director of Network Growth at the National Alliance for Nonprofit Management in Washington, D.C. The Alliance is a professional association devoted primarily to help strengthen the nonprofit sector.
Michelle Horn, ’00, married James Horn on June 26, 2003, and accepted a position with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe as the tribal prosecutor.
Elan Stavros, ’00, became a law clerk for Michigan Supreme Court Justice Clifford W. Taylor.
Nels A. Christopherson, ’01, joined the Lansing, Michigan, office of Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. He will focus his practice in the areas of general liability, municipal law and medical liability.
April Elizabeth Knoch, ’01, is pursuing her LLM in taxation at Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit and is working in the law offices of fellow alumus Adam J. Dadaou, ’60, in Inkster, Michigan. Her primary areas of practice are real estate, estate planning and landlord/tenant matters.
Peter J. Kulick, ’01, joined the Lansing firm of Dickinson Wright and will specialize in taxation, business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and employee benefits.
Emilie LaBarge Lanstra, ’01, became a case analyst with the United States Supreme Court. Starting in August, she will work in the clerk’s office reviewing petitions for jurisdictional and procedural compliance.
Aaron J. Lueck, ’01, opened a private practice in Tomah, Wisconsin.
Lori L. Pretzer, ’01, formerly of the Saginaw County (Michigan) Friend of the Court, joined Maturen, Mahlberg, Leak, Brandt, Thompson and Gilbert. She will practice in the areas of employment, municipal, civil litigation and commercial law.
Richard W. Warren, ’01, will serve on the alumni board of directors for James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Amy S. Brugam, ’02, became an associate with Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap, P.C., in Detroit and will practice in the areas of employee benefits. She previously worked as a law clerk at the Fraser firm as well as at Thrun, Maatch & Nordberg, P.C.
James Philip Cone, ’02, graduated from the United States Army Air Assault School and was promoted to captain in May 2003. He was also an honor graduate of the 160th Officer Basic Course and is assigned to the Office of the Judge Advocate in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Neal Fortin, ’02, joined the faculty of the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University and teaches a course on United States food regulations. He also recently co-authored an article, “Protecting Our Vulnerable Food Supply,” published in the Fall 2002 Journal of Law and Medicine & Ethics.
Benjamin S. Herrick, ’02, received an LLM degree from Georgetown University Law Center in securities and financial regulation.
Steven J. Laurent
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Steven J. Laurent, ’02, joined Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, P.L.C., in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He practices business and corporate law.
Jeffery S. Lower, ’02, announced his engagement to Christina Whitehead. Their wedding date is scheduled for August 28, 2004. He was also promoted to senior tax consultant with Deloitte and Touche, L.L.P., National Comprehensive Tax Solutions.
Melissa M. Mazat, ’02, joined Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A., as an associate.
Christopher A. Staine, ’02, was hired as a litigation associate for the law firm of Abel, Band, Russell, Collier, Pitchford and Gordon in Sarasota, Florida. His areas of practice will focus on corporate law and securities litigation.
Marc M. Stanley, ’02, was hired as the dispute resolution manager for the Community Action Agency. He will manage Lenawee, Hillsdale and Monroe counties in Michigan.
In Memoriam
Leo Papp, ’48, on February 26, 2003
Robert K. Archer, ’50, on March 6, 2003
James S. Wood, ’51, on April 22, 2003
Philip Rowston, ’53, on April 3, 2003
Donald Jennings, ’58, on March 21, 2003
Paul O’Reilly, ’66, on July 24, 2003
James W. Narregan, ’73, on April 6, 2003
James P. Huddleston, former Associate Dean and Interim Dean, on December 10, 2003
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Highest bar score
for second consecutive year!
Jason Evans, ’03, has earned the top score in Michigan—185 out of 200—on the multi-state bar examination.
Evans, who graduated summa cum laude, currently is an associate at Aardema, Whitelaw & Sears-Ewald in the western Michigan community of Ada. He concentrates his practice on medical liability defense.
This is the second consecutive year that an MSU-DCL graduate has achieved the highest score. Last year, Matthew Heron, ’02, also earned 185—the highest in Michigan and the second highest in the nation.
The overall July 2003 pass rate for MSU-DCL’s first-time bar takers was 87 percent, 10 points above the state average and third highest among law schools in Michigan, with Ave Maria at 93 and University of Michigan at 90.
“The bar results are pretty clear,” said Dean Terence Blackburn. “Through the affiliation with Michigan State University, the strength of our academic program, and the rising credentials of our entering students, we have become a leading law school in the state of Michigan, and we have every aspiration to be a top-ranked law school in the
nation.
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Charles King Award given to
highest-ranking student
MSU-DCL has named Jeffrey T. Gray the Charles King Award recipient of the 2003 graduating class. The award, established by the MSU-DCL National Alumni Association in honor of former MSU-DCL Dean Charles H. King, ’33, is given to the highest-ranking member of the graduating class.
As a law student at MSU-DCL, Gray was a member of the Michigan State DCL Law Review. In addition to receiving the King Award, he was also awarded the Amy D. Bloomer Award, the Rodney M. and Marie Lockwood Memorial Award and the David Martin State Bar Negligence Award. He also received the Helen G. Buchanan Memorial Award and the Professor William B. Giles Award as well as Jurisprudence Awards for Contracts I, Civil Procedure I, Civil Procedure II, property, pretrial, worker’s compensation and corporate finance.
Gray earned his undergraduate degree in economics and history from Calvin College. He is currently a law clerk with the Honorable Lawrence P. Zatkoff, chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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