NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2010
CONTACT: ERIKA MARZORATI
517/432-6848, marzorat@law.msu.edu
Justice Hathaway to Address MSU Law Class of 2010
East Lansing, MI — Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, '87, will present the Michigan State University College of Law commencement address on Friday, May 14. Justice Hathaway will speak to Class of 2010 graduates and their guests at the Michigan State University Auditorium at 11 a.m.
Born, raised, and educated in the city of Detroit, Hathaway worked in real estate and x-ray technology while raising her family and attending college. She graduated with honors from Madonna College with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health. She went on to earn her juris doctor degree in 1987 from the Detroit College of Law, which later became MSU College of Law. Hathaway presided over civil, criminal, family, and appellate matters at the Wayne County Circuit Court for 16 years, and also served as a Michigan Court of Appeals visiting judge. She was elected to the state's highest court in 2008; her term will expire on January 1, 2017.
Justice Hathaway has been active in numerous professional organizations, including the State Bar of Michigan, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Macomb County Bar Association, Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, Women Lawyers Association, Incorporated Society of Irish-American Lawyers, and the Michigan Judges Association.
President Clifton E. Haley, '61, and Dean Joan W. Howarth will preside over the Law College's 119th commencement exercises, conferring law degrees on 322 spring graduates. Justice Hathaway will also receive the Honorable George N. Bashara, Jr., Distinguished Alumni Award at the ceremony. The award will be presented by Seth Rodack, '96, president of the MSU College of Law Alumni Association.
Michigan State University College of Law is a leading institution of legal education with a long history of creating practice-ready attorneys. As one of only a few private law schools affiliated with a major research university, MSU Law offers comprehensive interdisciplinary opportunities combined with a personalized legal education. After 100 years as a private and independent Law College, the affiliation with MSU has put the Law College on an upward trajectory of national and international reputation and reach. MSU Law professors are gifted teachers and distinguished scholars, its curriculum is rigorous and challenging, and its facility is equipped with the latest resources—all affirming MSU Law's commitment to educating 21st-century lawyers.
###
320B Law College Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
www.law.msu.edu