By Annie Hagstrom
Michigan Law
Deeming the Class of 2023—most of whom began law school on Zoom during the height of the pandemic—as determined doesn’t scratch the surface, noted speakers at the University of Michigan Law School’s Senior Day. The annual celebration of graduating students took place on May 5 at Hill Auditorium.
Bridget Mary McCormack, president and CEO of the American Arbitration Association and former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, addressed the graduating class with excitement and a call to action.
“You're here just in time. We have some sticky problems that need your attention.”
McCormack—who, as chief justice during the pandemic spearheaded efforts to make courts more accessible during the public health emergency and beyond—emphasized the importance of accessible legal assistance. She noted studies that show low-income people have inadequate or no legal help in civil cases in state courts; it is uncommon, if not rare, for both parties in civil cases to have lawyers; and the United States ranks poorly among other countries on the accessibility and affordability of civil justice.
“A lot of other countries do justice better than we do,” she said. “The traditional idea of our justice system—the one we see on TV and teach in our law schools, where both parties are represented by lawyers who present evidence and make legal arguments for their clients—is fiction in the vast majority of civil cases in the United States today.”
Despite the statistics, McCormack expressed optimism that the recent graduates of Michigan Law, who include 310 JD students, 24 graduate (LLM) students, and one doctoral student, can help drive change. She noted that they are keenly familiar with the challenges the past few years have posed to individuals in our country, and many sought their legal education as a result.
Student speaker Alanna Autler is just one example. She addressed the trials the class went through while navigating law school under less-than-typical conditions.
“That first year, we faced loneliness, doubt, and the fear of infecting our loved ones with Covid. It was brutal, and yet we survived,” Autler said. “We made the best of it through every means possible: through virtual lunch talks, by eating out on the Quad when it was freezing cold, even, dare I say, through Slack—God love it. That’s how we got to know each other in the first place, that’s where we vented, and that’s where we cheered each other up after particularly bad cold calls. We made it work. What made that year bearable was each other.”
Alongside the height of the pandemic, Autler noted that the political landscape was undergoing severe changes. She saluted her classmates for the hard work and perseverance they have dedicated to the community around them for the past few years, specifically noting the recent approval of Proposal 3, enshrining reproductive freedom in the Michigan Constitution.
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