The first woman to become chief assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit, Maura Corrigan (left) has two children, attorney Daniel Grano and Megan Grano, an actress and writer. Former chair of NEW (Nonprofit Enterprises at Work), Kurt Wilder (right) is the father of two children, Alycia Wilder-Mollison, a violist with several professional orchestras, and Klifton Wilder, a mechanic who is embarking on a career in law enforcement.
The Appellate Specialty Team at Butzel includes (front row, left to right) Steven Eatherly, Barrett Young, Paul Mersino, Daniel McCarthy, and Joseph Cosby; and (back row, left to right) Louis Ronayne, Joseph Kuzmiak, Joseph Richotte, and Kurtis Wilder. Missing from the photo is Maura Corrigan.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
There is a distinct Michigan Supreme Court flavor to the Appellate Practice Specialty Team at Butzel, the Detroit-based law firm that traces its roots to the pre-Civil War year of 1854.
The 10-person team includes two former justices of the state’s highest court, Maura Corrigan and Kurt Wilder, and several other members who during the early stages of their legal careers clerked for Supreme Court justices.
In short, the appellate group has “earned a reputation as an elite and powerful group of practitioners, making great contributions to the success of our clients and supporting the many practice groups within Butzel,” according to the firm’s website, which highlights how “they work collaboratively to provide the highest level of legal expertise” to both clients and trial counsel.
Corrigan, who served on the Supreme Court from 1998 to 2011, joined Butzel in 2017 after spending two years as a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank.
“It was a wonderful experience working at AEI,” said Corrigan, the former director of the Michigan Department of Human Services. “I had the opportunity to help shape policy designed to transform the lives of our nation’s poorest and most vulnerable children and families. I testified before Congress on the importance of encouraging work and self-sufficiency in public assistance programs, and by ensuring that the legal system protects our most vulnerable citizens.”
Before joining AEI, Corrigan served as director of the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) where she was responsible for administering Michigan’s public assistance programs for low-income and vulnerable Michigan children and families — including food, cash, and medical assistance; foster care and adoption services; child support; and children’s protective services.
During her time at DHS, Corrigan rolled out an innovative pilot program, “Better Off Working,” for individuals with disabilities; oversaw a 66 percent reduction in individuals being dependent on cash welfare; and left office with nearly 350,000 fewer Michigan residents needing food assistance.
Near the end of her service at AEI, Corrigan fielded an overture to give private practice another try at the urging of longtime friend Dick Rassel, chair of Butzel.
“Dick recruited me to be part of the appellate practice group,” said Corrigan, former chief judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals and two-term chief justice of the state Supreme Court. “I’ve had such great respect for Dick over the course of my career that I just couldn’t say no. He made me the proverbial offer that I couldn’t refuse.”
Even if it meant that Corrigan would run the risk of failure. Again.
“My son (Dan) likes to kid me that, ‘Mom, you’ve flunked retirement.’ My response to him is that I’ve flunked it four times,” she said with a hearty laugh.
In her role with Butzel, Corrigan said she has enjoyed serving in an advisory capacity to the Appellate Specialty Team, helping develop legal strategy in brief writing and oral arguments before state and federal appellate courts.
“Kurt (Wilder) and I have a lot of experience to share that can be valuable in those areas, especially to some of the younger associates that we are helping to mentor,” said Corrigan. “It’s been an enriching experience to work with such a talented team with an impressive array of skillsets. It’s been energizing.”
Her work at Butzel also has included pro bono opportunities, most notably with the Wayne County Jail Outreach Ministry, an interfaith effort to help recently released inmates make a successful return to society.
“We want to help those who have served their time establish a firm footing in the community, to find work and to reconnect with their faith,” said Corrigan, who serves as chair of the 11-member board that also includes U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy.
Wilder, like Corrigan, has a long and distinguished record of community service, while also sharing a similar path to his current role at Butzel.
“I also was recruited to the Appellate Team by Dick Rassel, who has been an incredible mentor to me throughout my legal career,” said Wilder, an Ohio native who earned his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Michigan. “It is a privilege to work with someone who brings so much wisdom and energy to his job, and who has been such a positive force in the community throughout his legal career.”
Wilder, who was with Butzel from 1989-92 before accepting an appointment to the Washtenaw County Circuit Court, returned to the firm in 2019 after nearly 27 years in the judiciary.
His service on the bench included 19 years with the Michigan Court of Appeals and more than a year on the Supreme Court before narrowly losing his bid for election in the fall of 2018.
His return to Butzel came at a difficult time, as Wilder was serving as the guardian for his parents, Sarah and Nathaniel, longtime Cleveland residents who were in life-and-death struggles with dementia.
“It was painful to watch their decline, especially in light of how strong and vital they had been throughout their lives,” Wilder said of his parents, who died in their early 90s within a month of each other in December 2020 and January 2021.
“They were both trailblazers in their careers — my father as the first black soil conservationist in Ohio and my mother as the first black female to head the Cleveland Dietetics Association. They both overcame great odds to achieve success in their careers.
“My father earned a master’s degree in his field of study, but the first job that he could get was bussing tables in a restaurant. My mother had to clear plenty of hurdles as well, even after receiving a degree from Tuskegee, a master’s from Case Western Reserve, and a Ph.D. from Penn State when she was in her 50s. They were both amazing role models for me and taught me so much about the importance of perseverance.”
The seeds of Wilder’s legal career were sown while he was a student at Cleveland Heights High School. He attended the Buckeye Boys’ State program at Ohio University the summer before his senior year and was elected “county prosecutor.”
A hypothetical case he tried and won was mystifyingly reversed by the “Buckeye Supreme Court,” leaving an indelible mark on his legal consciousness.
“I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a lawyer, hopefully to prevent any further injustices,” he said with a smile.
That desire was rewarded in December 2021 when Wilder prevailed in a Supreme Court case on behalf of the Michigan Press Association, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, and Bridge Michigan against the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
In the case, the MPA and the three other plaintiffs claimed that Michigan’s Constitution forbids the state’s new Redistricting Commission from withholding certain data and supporting materials used to develop its proposed redistricting plans or conducting redistricting business during a closed meeting. The Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, agreed, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs.
“It was the first time I have argued before the Supreme Court and it was heartening to have won,” said Wilder, who conducted two moot courts in preparing for the case. “I didn’t feel any nerves when I was arguing the case. All my butterflies were felt in the case preparation.”
A past president of the Michigan Judges Association, the 63-year-old Wilder concentrates his practice in litigation, appeals, and mediation and facilitation. He serves as a Neutral Mediator/Arbitrator with New Era ADR, a digital advanced dispute resolution platform, and as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Regent University School of Law.
“Since coming back to Butzel, I’ve really enjoyed helping the firm build its appellate practice while also expanding my mediation and arbitration practice,” said Wilder, who was named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame Class of 2021. “It’s given me a new sense of energy to work in such a stimulating environment.”
He similarly derives joy in his volunteer work, where he currently serves on six boards, including the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the U-M Alumni Association, and The Children’s Foundation.
“I believe in the principle of ‘paying it forward’ without expecting anything in return,” said Wilder. “The satisfaction I’ve received in helping has far outweighed the time and effort that I have given.”
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