WMU-Cooley Law School graduate Choi T. Portis has been selected by the Detroit Bar Association as this year’s winner of the Barristers President’s Award, which recognizes a young attorney whose early career has exhibited high standards of service to the profession, his or her clients and the public. Portis, associate general counsel for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, was presented the award during the Detroit Bar Association’s Summer Breeze event on July 19 at the Detroit Yacht Club.
“I was honored to present the Detroit Bar Association Barristers President's Award to a woman who has made her law school proud by already distinguishing herself as a leader in our profession,” said James Robb, WMU-Cooley Law School associate dean of external affairs and general counsel. “In the legal community, leadership requires professional excellence, of course, but it also requires responsible participation in the organized bar and meaningful participation in service to our communities. Choi has exemplified each of these requirements. Through her outstanding work as Associate General Counsel of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department and in her prior work representing abused children and handling corporate transactions, Choi demonstrates superb legal skills.”
In her position with the Water and Sewage Department, Portis handles in-house litigation, internal personal injury and property damage claims, damage claim appeals, billing disputes and contract review. She also serves as counsel to the department director regarding various legal issues, serves on the Damage Claims Appeals committee and supervises the department’s Environmental and Safety team.
In addition to her work with the city of Detroit, in February, Portis started Portis Legal, PLC, a small solo firm designed to provide low-cost, transactional legal services to clients. She primarily focuses on business entity formation, contract formation and review, but also offers copyright and trademark registration services as well.
Portis is an executive council member of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, and serves on the organization’s Diversity Committee. She is also the district representative for the state of Michigan, and a vice director of Diversity and Inclusion for the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Portis serves as a mentor to many, tutoring bar candidates through the Wolverine Bar Association Minority Bar Passage Program. She was recently honored as a member of the Michigan Chronicle’s “40 Under 40 Class of 2017.”
Portis is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She earned her J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
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