Displaying their awards at the September 22 ceremoney are (left to right) WMU-Cooley Associate Dean Tonya Krause-Phelan and Cooley Law School graduates Jennifer Hetu, Stephanie Arndt, Mary Pat Meyers, and Lori Smith.
(Photo courtesy of WMU-Cooley)
Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Associate Dean of Academics and Professor Tonya Krause-Phelan, along with four Cooley graduates, Stephanie Arndt (2004, Cross Class), Jennifer Hetu (2006, Edwards Class), Mary Pat Meyers (1982, Brooke Class), and Lori K. Smith (2008, Sharpe Class) were honored during Michigan Lawyers Weekly's 2023 Class of Influential Women of the Law award ceremony. The awards were presented on Friday, September 22, at Petruzzello's in Troy.
Each year, the Women of the Law program honors 35 women attorneys and judges for their excellent work on behalf of the justice system and for their clients, their commitment to their communities, and their service to the profession.
"I am honored to be recognized as an Influential Women of the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and be among these remarkable women lawyers who selflessly dedicate themselves and their work to the legal profession," said Krause-Phelan. "As a leader in the law, it is not only about the work we do, but about inspiring and mentoring those around us to improve the law school community."
In addition to Criminal Law, Krause-Phelan teaches Criminal Procedure, Defending Battered Women, Criminal Sentencing, and Ethics in Criminal Cases. As associate dean for academics, she is currently working with faculty to make Cooley a visible and respected national leader in the development and delivery of modern legal education.
Before joining the ranks of academia, Krause-Phelan began her legal career working as an assistant public defender at the Kent County Office of the Defender. While a defender, she handled and tried all types of felony cases ranging from shoplifting to murder. After three years as a defender, she moved to private practice, specializing in criminal defense where she represented both appointed and retained clients in both state and federal courts. While still practicing, she began her teaching career as an adjunct professor at Ferris State University where she taught both Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure to criminal justice majors
Arndt graduated from WMU-Cooley in 2004 and is an appellate specialist with Christensen Law, where her practice largely focuses on nursing home negligence and medical malpractice cases. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hetu, a 2006 graduate of WMU-Cooley, focuses on trademark and brand protection for businesses of all sizes in the U.S. and international markets at the Bodman PLC's Troy office. A former trademark attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Hetu is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Intellectual Property Law Section Council, International Trademark Association, Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, and Michigan Intellectual Property American Inn of Court.
Myers, who graduated from WMU-Cooley in 1982, is a partner with the Meyers Law Firm in Dearborn. She focuses her practice on medical negligence and other personal injury litigation. Meyers participates in the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Chapter of the American Inns of Court as a master of the bench and was adjunct faculty for the Medical/Legal internship rotation at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. In 2022, Meyers received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Section.
A 2008 WMU-Cooley graduate and a shareholder at Sterling Heights-based O'Reilly Rancilio PC, Smith's practice focuses on all aspects of family law. She is president of the Macomb County Bar Association, former president and current director of the Macomb County Bar Foundation, and is secretary for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Macomb Region.
