Frank Aiello

Frank Aiello, a legal educator and attorney, is Chief of Staff to Interim Dean Michael Sant’Ambrogio at Michigan State University College of Law.

Aiello is responsible for supporting implementation of Phase One of MSU Law’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and leading development of Phase Two of the Strategic Plan and providing leadership and support to staff and administration to optimize its operations.

Aiello completed his undergraduate studies at MSU’s James Madison College, where he earned a B.A. in Political Economy. He went on to receive a J.D. from Wayne State University where he was a Note and Comment Editor of the Law Review. Early in his legal career, he represented major financial institutions at JaffeRaitt LLP and Bodman LLP, both of which were founded in Detroit.

Since 2005, Aiello has been affiliated with WMU-Cooley Law School where he served in a leadership role for more than eight years. Most recently he has served as Chief of Staff to President and Dean James McGrath.

Among his many accomplishments at Cooley was supporting rehabilitation of the fractured relationship with the ABA Council on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. He helped lead the school’s COVID-19 response, identifying new technologies to support quality remote learning.

Aiello brings a commitment to intersectional diversity, equity, and inclusion, shaped by his many years of service to LGBTQ+ causes. He is a current member of the board of directors of Stand with Trans, a national organization that supports Trans youth and their loved ones. He is a past member of the board of directors at Affirmations, Michigan's largest LGBTQ+ community center.