By
Roberta M. Gubbins
Legal News
Rachel Gruetzner, student at Michigan State University College of Law, was this year's winner of the Mid-Michigan Chapter Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) 21st Annual Stell Scholarship Award. The ceremony was held on November 7th at Troppos in Lansing in honor of Hon. Amy Ronayne Krause, Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals.
Tish Vincent, WLAM Vice President, announced the winner.
"In order to promote greater access to the legal system and to better serve the legal needs of women in the community," said Vincent, "the Mid-Michigan WLAM established the annual Carolyn Stell Scholarship Award. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to women law students and to recognize the achievements of those students."
“The applicants come from Eaton, Clinton or Ingham Counties and are either full or part-time law students. Gruetzner was selected from the twenty-three applicants. Making the choice was difficult due to the outstanding applicants and the social issues they represent which included human trafficking, domestic violence in the Native American culture, child abuse and neglect, reproductive freedom, faith based programming for underserved populations and many laudable causes."
Gruetzner is a third year law student. She is the associate editor of Law Review and has earned the Jurisprudence Awards for Contracts and Constitutional Law and is Team Captain for the Williams Institute Moot Court Competition. She works at the Speaker Law Firm as an intern and has interned with the National Labor Relations Board, Special Litigation Division and in the office of Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Young's Office.
Gruetzner came forward to accept the award, thanking the organization and especially attorney Liisa Speaker who has shown me "how it is possible to practice your passion."
Torree Breen, WLAM President, came forward to honor Judge Krause.
"I am personally a fan of hers," she said, "because the practice of law is not just about the law but is about being ethical and professional, giving back to your community, teaching younger attorneys how to practice law and being available for events such as this one. Judge Krause exhibits all those qualities."
Lindsay Dangl, Secretary, introduced Judge Krause.
"Judge Krause," said Dangl, "is a valued member of this organization and the legal community. Her accomplishments are varied. She has been a District Court Judge and is now on the Court of Appeals. She was the chair of the Michigan Domestic Violence and Treatment Board for seven years and started a Domestic Violence Court in Lansing."
Judge Krause came forward to be recognized.
"I like to thank the Women Lawyer's Association, said Judge Krause. “I really appreciate this honor."
She thanked and recognized members of the audience, particularly her mother-in-law, Elaine Krause.
Turning to her, Judge Krause said, " I dedicate this award to my father-in-law, George Krause, who died in August. He took care of women at a time when nobody else did. He handled divorces and cases of domestic violence back in the '60s and '70s and was one of the pioneers in the field."
Breen awarded Judge Krause a Women Lawyer's flag to be hung in her office.
Sponsors for the event included Willingham & Cote, PC, Sinas Dramas Brake Boughton & McIntyre, P.C., Foster Swift Collins & Smith, and Judge Thomas Boyd.
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