WLAM hosts 22nd Annual Stell Scholarship Award Ceremony

The board of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) Torree Breen of Willingham & Cote, PC; Lori Herr of Heisler Family Law; Tara Nichol of Nichol & Doering PLLC; and Administrative Law Judge Kandra Robbins hosted the 22nd Annual Stell Scholarship Award Ceremony on Nov. 18 at Crowne Plaza in Lansing. The Carolyn Stell Scholarship Award is named after Carolyn Stell, who was the first female judge in Ingham County. Every year the Mid-Michigan Chapter recognizes a lawyer believed to advance the interest of women of the legal profession, promote improvements in the administration of justice, and promote equality and social justice for all people. This year's award winner was Judge Janice K. Cunningham, the first female Circuit Court Judge in Eaton County. Prior to her election in November 2012, Judge Cunningham had an esteemed career in private practice for over 25 years and had won a variety of awards throughout the years based on her stellar performance as an attorney. In addition to her normal caseload, Cunningham believes in the importance of utilizing "problem-solving courts" as an alternative to traditional adjudication. These specialty courts represent a shift in the way courts are handling certain offenders and working closely with prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers, social workers, and other justice system partners to develop a strategy that has proven to be effective in pressuring offenders into completing a treatment program and abstaining from repeating the behaviors that brought them to court. Cunningham presides over the SAFE-T Program, which works with individuals at risk of losing their children because of drug or alcohol problems; and she is the judicial volunteer for SMILE, a mandatory program for all divorcing individuals that have minor children. She also presides over the Priority Drug Court, a community corrections program designed to work with individuals that may be going to prison because of substance abuse issues; and presides over the newly created Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program, a community corrections program working with individuals that have substance or alcohol abuse issues but are not necessarily within the prison sentencing guidelines. The WLAM also presented a $1,000 scholarship to Jennifer Gallardo, a law student at Thomas Cooley Law School. A graduate of Western Michigan University where she earned her undergrad degree cum laude in Spanish, Gallardo works for Cooley Law School Enrollment & Student Services, and is an Outreach Specialist at the Sixty Plus Clinic that provides civil legal services free of charge to seniors in the Tri-County area. Gallardo, who also works as a server at Meridian Sun Golf Course, has been on the Dean's List and Honor Roll every term, and received a Certificate of Merit for Torts 1. The WLAM provides development, support, and networking opportunities for lawyers and law students living or working in Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, and Jackson Counties. To join the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the WLAM visit www.womenlawyers.org. Published: Mon, Dec 15, 2014