MSU Law Students Meet the Judges

About two dozen MSU Law students spent the evening engaging with judges, attorneys, and legal professionals, many of whom were also alumni, from the greater Lansing area. Hosted by the Ingham County Bar Association, the annual “Meet the Judges” event was heavily attended by MSU Law students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Held at the Graduate Hotel, students had the unique opportunity to gain insight into the career paths of these successful judges and attorneys and to explore the different areas of law available to future lawyers. “It was an invaluable experience for law students to make these significant connections as they consider summer employment, internships, and first jobs after graduation,” said Audra Foster, Director of Pipeline Programming, Outreach and Education.

Recognizing the tremendous turnout from the bench and bar, MSU Law’s Assistant Director for Career Development, Kristina Bilowus, shared her thanks. “Much gratitude is extended to the members of our bench and judiciary for sharing their time and insights with so many of our students.” The list of judges participating in “Meet the Judges” were:

MSU Law student Matthew Swazer’s (’25) says the event was “an exquisite affair. The ability to meet with lawyers and judges humanized the successful people in this area. I learned about different areas of law, ranging from civil rights law to mediation to legislation. I made connections with and received information from numerous legal professionals. It was a pleasure and, frankly, an honor to meet various upstanding lawyers and judges here in our greater Lansing area.”

Hajra Akram (’26) said “the opportunity to participate in an event packed with such a diverse group of successful judges and justices was definitely a fantastic opportunity. I was able to receive advice on how to go about law school as a first year and the avenues open to me going forward, and learn more about their journeys on getting to where they are. I think this was a great opportunity for law students just entering this field of study to be able to connect to the community of law on a personal level.