Winter 2022

All Articles in This Issue

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In Memoriam Winter 2022

Dean Terrance Sandalow

Terrance “Terry” Sandalow, who served as dean of Michigan Law from 1978 to 1987 and was a member of the faculty for 34 years, died at his Washington, D.C., home on January 29, 2022. He was 87.

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In Memoriam

Professor Yale Kamisar

Yale Kamisar, a towering, beloved figure in the Law Quad and a nationally renowned scholar of constitutional law, died on January 30, 2022, in Ann Arbor. He was 92.

Professor Douglas A. Kahn Professor Douglas A. Kahn

In Memoriam

Professor Douglas A. Kahn

Douglas A. Kahn, the Paul G. Kauper Professor Emeritus of Law, died on October 22, 2021, at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, at the age of 86. He was the longest teaching faculty member in Michigan Law history and a devoted instructor and champion of generations of students.

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In Memoriam Winter 2022

The Hon. Avern Cohn, ’49

The Hon. Avern Cohn, ’49, who served for 40 years on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, died on February 4, 2022. He was 97.

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Class Note

Herb Kohn, ’63, Receives 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award

Herb Kohn, ’63, a titan of the Missouri legal community for more than half a century, was honored as the 2021 recipient of Michigan Law’s Distinguished Alumni Award at a ceremony in Kansas City.

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Class Note

Elizabeth Yntema, ’84: The Disruptor Using Data to Shake Up the Dance World

Elizabeth Yntema, ’84, did not originally intend to start a nonprofit organization, but when the lifelong dance enthusiast realized how rare it is for women to assume positions of power in ballet, there was no stopping her from trying to shift the imbalance.

Stunning image of the iconic Law School arches leading the way into the prestigious Law Quad, a breathtaking beauty that captures the essence of legal scholarship and tradition. Stunning image of the iconic Law School arches leading the way into the prestigious Law Quad, a breathtaking beauty that captures the essence of legal scholarship and tradition.

Briefs

News in Brief: Winter 2022

In-person classes and activities resume  |  Professor Richard Primus testifies on DC statehood  |  "Hell raising before finals”  |  and more...

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson

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@UMICHLAW: Winter 2022

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson gives Constitution Day address  |  Luis C.deBaca, ’93, joins faculty  |  Professors Margo Schlanger and David Uhlmann nominated for government posts  |  and more...

Ron Falls with family at a festival Ron Falls with family at a festival

Impact

Inspired by Friend and Mentor, Alumnus Launches New HBCU Scholarship

Inspired by their decades-long friendship, Ronald Falls Jr., ’05, recently established a new scholarship fund in honor of Rasheeda Creighton, ’02. It will support Michigan Law students who graduated from historically Black colleges and universities, like they did.

Bruce Frier in group photo with law students Bruce Frier in group photo with law students

Impact

Longtime Legal History Professor Establishes Fund for LGBTQ Students

Bruce Frier, the John and Teresa D’Arms Distinguished University Professor of Classics and Roman Law, has established a scholarship fund that will support LGBTQ students at Michigan Law. Frier has long been an engaged member of the University community and has previously supported many inclusivity initiatives at the Law School. 

Beauty image of the law school through lush green trees Beauty image of the law school through lush green trees

Impact

Recent Gifts: Winter 2022

Giving to Michigan Law is an investment in the future of legal education, and private support ensures that the excellence that has distinguished Michigan-trained lawyers continues for generations to come.

Julie Metzger and Sam Bufford standing in front of building Julie Metzger and Sam Bufford standing in front of building

Impact

New Fund Will Bolster International Opportunities at Michigan Law

Recently established by the Hon. Samuel Bufford, ’73, and his wife, Julia Metzger, AB ’70, the Bufford-Metzger Fund for International Activities at Michigan Law will support study abroad, international internship or clerkship placements, independent research projects, international moot courts, and the International and Comparative Law Research Scholar program.

Painting of a couple walking through a garden Painting of a couple walking through a garden

Impact

Bob Fiske, ’55, Inspires Gift to Eponymous Government Fellowship

Inspired by the example of Robert Fiske, ’55, a group of donors has made a $90,000 contribution to the Fiske Fellowship Program at Michigan Law, which encourages young lawyers to enter government service by providing recipients with cash stipends and loan repayment assistance. 

Charlotta Chung standing in front of plants and fence Charlotta Chung standing in front of plants and fence

Impact

Darrow Recipient Sees Giving As a Way to Pay It Back, and Forward

For Charlotta Chung, ’11, receiving Michigan Law’s Darrow Scholarship was not just a financial boon—it also instilled in her a desire to live up to the expectations of those who had invested in her future. Now a transactional attorney in New York City, Chung makes a monthly gift to the Law School Fund as a way to repay the “life changing” investment that others made in her education and career. 

Action shot of an automously driven car passing in front of Michigan Law buildings Action shot of an automously driven car passing in front of Michigan Law buildings

Cover Story

On the Move: Mobility at Michigan Law

In June 2018, a boxy vehicle rolled onto the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex. Although it could have been mistaken for a run-of-the-mill shuttle running a mundane route around the complex, one detail set it apart from the average bus: the lack of a driver. 

St. Antoine Fetter Garden Jardin Dedication group photo St. Antoine Fetter Garden Jardin Dedication group photo

Impact

A New Garden in the Law Quad

The Jardin St. Antoine-Fetter, which was made possible by a $1 million gift from Steven M. Fetter, ’79, and his wife, Bonnie K. Kellogg celebrates Fetter’s cherished friendship with Ted St. Antoine, ’54, the James E. and Sarah A. Degan Professor Emeritus of Law.

Linda Coberly posing in front of a busy downtown street Linda Coberly posing in front of a busy downtown street

In Practice

Scoring a Win for Student-Athletes

It was something of a full-circle moment for Linda Coberly, ’95, when she set out to coordinate amici filings in the landmark NCAA v. Alston case, in which student-athletes successfully sued the NCAA by arguing that the organization’s compensation practices violated antitrust laws. 

Lecturer addresses class wearing a face maks Lecturer addresses class wearing a face maks

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New Design Thinking Class Teaches Students to Advocate for Themselves

Dialogue, debate, and deliberation are words that are synonymous with the law school experience—but what about design? One of Michigan Law’s newest course offerings challenges students to apply design thinking and problem-solving skills to their own lives and careers in the law. 

Ted Kill photo Ted Kill photo

In Practice

Law at the Bottom of the Earth

Ted Kill, ’07, covered a lot of ground between Michigan Law and his arrival in Antarctica, when he travelled to the continent as part of an interagency federal government inspection team. His journey to the bottom of the earth started with a clerkship at the International Court of Justice that he secured through Michigan Law, which served as a bridge to joining the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser. 

Professor Uhlmann addressing a lecture theater Professor Uhlmann addressing a lecture theater

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Environmental Law and Policy Program Hosts National Climate Advisor

“One out of three Americans [have felt the effects of climate change] in the last couple of months, between the wildfires and hurricanes and flooding, and the storms and droughts and heatwaves. We’re in a new era when we can see it and taste it and feel it for ourselves.” 

Sam Zell stood at a lectern Sam Zell stood at a lectern

Impact

Sam Zell Builds on Commitment to Entrepreneurship at Michigan Law with $2M Gift

In recognition of a transformational $2 million dollar gift from Sam Zell, ’66, and the Zell Family Foundation, the Law School’s clinical program that represents and advises entrepreneurial ventures has been renamed the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic. This extraordinary show of support for the Law School and its mission builds on a previous $5 million dollar gift from Zell and his foundation.

Woman wearing a mask being sworn in at a Umich lecturn Woman wearing a mask being sworn in at a Umich lecturn

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Pro Bono Program Builds on Best-Ever Year

In a year where virtually everyone needed extra help to get by, Michigan Law students went above and beyond to offer their assistance through the Law School’s Pro Bono Program, which asks students to voluntarily commit to pro bono service outside of the classroom. Despite the constraints of the pandemic, a record-breaking 252 students participated in the program during the 2020–2021 academic year.