The Western Michigan University Cooley Law Review honored attorneys Tracy D. Knox, Aaron D. Lindstrom, Amanda Morris Smith, and David Porter during the organization's annual Distinguished Brief Award ceremony on Nov. 19. The ceremony, which recognizes the most scholarly briefs filed with the Michigan Supreme Court in 2019, was held virtually to due to the pandemic.
These briefs were evaluated by a panel of judges using seven set criteria: question presented, point headings, statement of case, argument and analysis, style, mechanics and best overall brief. The purpose of the award is to promote excellence in legal writing. The judges included: Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, attorney Thomas Myers, and WMU-Cooley Law School Professors Bradley Charles, David Finnegan, and Richard Henke.
The winning briefs will be published in an upcoming edition of the WMU-Cooley Law Review.
Knox and Lindstrom of Barnes & Thornburg were recognized for their brief in 2 Crooked Creek LLC and Russian Ferro Alloys v Treasurer of the County of Cass. Morris Smith, assistant prosecutor at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, was honored for her brief filed in the People of the State of Michigan v Gary Gilmore. Porter, of Kienbaum, Hardy, Viviano, Pelton, & Forrest PLC, was awarded for the brief filed in the People of the State of Michigan v Kelly Warren.
During the ceremony, Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Anica Letica provided the keynote address.
