Wayne Alumni gather at Lansing event

DETROIT — Wayne State University Law School, the Wayne Law Alumni Association (LAA), and Peter and Rose Houk, both 1969 alumni, hosted an event for Lansing-area alumni on July 22, 2010, at the Boji Tower in Lansing, Mich. Special guests included Wayne Law Dean Robert M. Ackerman, Hubbard Law Firm President Michael Woodworth and a number of alumni judges from mid-Michigan. More than 40 Wayne Law alumni were in attendance at the event.

The evening began with brief remarks by Dean Ackerman and included recognition of four local Wayne Law alumni judges, including 55th District Judge Donald L. Allen, ‘83; 55th District Judge Thomas Boyd, ‘90; 17th Circuit Judge Donald A. Johnston III, ‘69; and U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Michigan Janet Neff, ‘70. LAA President Suzanne Johnson, ‘84, presented certificates of appreciation to the judges for their contributions to the legal profession. The LAA will present additional area alumni judges with certificates in the near future.

“Wayne Law has the highest percentage of alumni who remain in Michigan upon graduation, and that presence is felt throughout the state,” Dean Ackerman said. “We are fortunate that so many of our alumni care deeply about Wayne Law and its future. Events such as this Lansing gathering allow us to meet a larger number of graduates and inform them of exciting Law School news and initiatives.”

Alumni in attendance were informed of the Law School’s new Program for International Legal Studies, new scholarships and the recent groundbreaking for the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

According to Johnson, alumni were pleased and excited about the opportunity to reconnect with classmates and meet other Wayne Law alumni.

“The LAA hasn’t been to Lansing in a long time,” Johnson said. “This evening’s event, co-hosted by our alumni and friends Rose and Peter Houk, was an excellent start for our revitalized efforts. We can’t wait to come back.”

Added Wayne Law Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations Mary Hollens, “We were thrilled with the interest and excitement surrounding this event. Our alumni are forever connected to this institution. It’s great to be able to meet folks and hear stories of what Wayne Law meant —and continues to mean — to them.”

This event was just one of a number of recent events and activities hosted by the LAA and the Development and Alumni Relations Office to reconnect with alumni. Just one week after this event, the LAA went back to the Lansing area — armed with food and refreshments — to support recent Wayne Law graduates taking the Bar Exam. Upcoming LAA events can be found online at http://events.wayne.edu/law-alumni/2010/.

Peter and Rose Houk are well-known in the Lansing area and in the legal community. Peter, former chief judge of the 30th Circuit Court, is a member of the law firm of Fraser Trebilcock Davis & Dunlap, where he specializes in mediation and arbitration for civil litigants. Rose worked in private practice for 10 years before joining the attorney general’s office in 1980. She retired in 2008 and is involved in community activities, including the Zonta Club of the Michigan Capitol Area and Caring About Kids Inc.

 For more information about Wayne State University Law School, visit law.wayne.edu.