Christian Huffman, ’03,
is a third-generation MSU-DCL grad

When it came to picking a law school, there was no question what his choice would be.


BY PATRICIA MAJHER

Christian Huffman

When Christian Huffman finished his bachelor’s degree in business administration, he knew he wanted to further his education. “The next logical step would have been to get an MBA,” he said.

Although he waffled a bit before deciding to pursue a law degree, he knew immediately what law school he wanted to attend: “That was the easy part. It had to be Detroit College of Law.”

MSU-DCL, it seems, is a family tradition dating back to 1951, when Huffman’s grandfather, Frederick Lichtman, earned his JD. Immediately after graduating, Lichtman was hired as general counsel for Speedway Petroleum. “He found out there that he really enjoyed the oil business,” Huffman explained—so much so that he founded his own oil company in 1961 and later served on the board of directors of a third such business.

Frederick Lichtman also had a keen interest in civic affairs, serving on the Farmington Hills, Michigan, city council and taking a turn as mayor. “When I was growing up,” Huffman said, “I thought he was the smartest man there was. And he always told me that law school taught him how to think.”

Lichtman also inspired two of his children (Huffman’s uncles) to study law at DCL: the late Daniel Lichtman, ’75, who went on to become assistant prosecutor for Oakland County, and Lawrence Lichtman, ’83, currently a partner at Carson Fischer in Birmingham and another former mayor of Farmington Hills.

The Lichtman tradition of legal acumen and public service is impressive—maybe even a little intimidating. But Huffman handled the challenge of legacy well and distinguished himself before he even left the East Lansing campus.

For instance, while at MSU-DCL he served as an editor and contributor to the school’s Journal of International Law. He joined the legal fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, and then recruited 50 more members. He organized forums for his fellow students, inviting prominent members of the state judiciary and legislature to discuss diversity issues. And he served as a volunteer mediator for the Dispute Resolution Center of Central Michigan, completing the mediation training program in the process.

“When I was growing up, I thought my grandfather was the smartest man there was. And he always told me that law school taught him how to think.”

Looking back, though, he feels his most fulfilling activity was the semester he spent working in MSU-DCL’s Rental Housing Clinic. The clinic was actually a class taught by Professors MaryAnn Pierce and Jalae Ulicki, but Huffman viewed it more like a mission: “We were supposed to spend six hours a week at the clinic, but I was there all the time.”

Under Michigan’s student practice rule, Huffman was able to provide legal advice to low-income clients who might otherwise have gone unrepresented. He estimates he helped dozens of people sort out their housing issues. “It was the most satisfying and practical class I took,” he said.

Since graduating from MSU-DCL, he’s earned a plum appointment: that of pre-hearing attorney for the State of Michigan Court of Appeals.

“My job is to prepare research reports that assist our panel of judges in doing their jobs,” Huffman said. Specifically, he’s called upon to craft a comprehensive presentation of the facts in a particular case, note the issues raised by the parties involved, analyze the law on each issue, and recommend appropriate action. Although a competent researcher and writer before coming to the Court of Appeals, Huffman is amazed at how he’s improved those skills on the job. “I have learned so much here,” he said, “and been exposed to so many types of law.”

Like many young attorneys, Huffman thinks he may someday want to try private practice (and the challenge of oral arguments) and maybe even start his own firm. But for now, he’s content where he is—serving the people of Michigan, just like his grandfather and uncles before him.