Welcoming guests to the last Barristers’ Ball in 2019 were WBA board members (l-r) Tiffany Boyd, Jehan Crump-Gibson, Shanta McMullan, Diane Hutcherson, Randall Tatem, Jerome Crawford, Eric Mathis, Macie Gaines, Terrence Reeves, Jessica Herron, Fallon Booth, Kim Ward, Alex Simpson, and Jasmine Rippy.
WBA celebrates the return of annual Barristers’ Ball
By Brian Cox
Legal News
The Wolverine Bar Association’s Barristers’ Ball this year promises to be a golden night unlike any in the history of the gala event.
It will be a special evening of elegant gowns and sharp tuxes; of live music and dancing; of networking with colleagues and honoring legal icons. And a night an-nouncing that finally — after being absent for two years because of a global pan-demic —the Barristers’ Ball is back in its full glory.
The last Barristers’ Ball was in 2019, but the next two gala events were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why this year’s theme was christened “The Come Back,” according to WBA President Kim Ward, who serves as in-house counsel for Yazaki North America and has been active in the WBA for more than 20 years.
“We are excited to bring it back in 2022 after cancellations due to the pandemic,” said Ward. “It’s special for us. It’s a milestone year, and we are coming back from so much.”
This year’s event – which is expected to draw thousands of civic, legal and community leaders – will be held April 30 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Detroit Marriott Re-naissance Center. A President’s Reception will take place from 7-9 p.m.
As one of the most anticipated events of the year, the Barristers’ Ball is the signa-ture fund-raiser for the WBA Foundation, which awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to area law students each year, fosters attorney participation in pro bono activities, and sponsors community outreach programs and seminars on legal issues. The foundation’s scholarships include the Damon J. Keith Scholarship, es-tablished in 1995; the Victoria A. Roberts Scholarship, established in 2020; and the Wolverine Bar Foundation Scholarship.
Proceeds also will support the several of the foundation’s programs, including the Judicial Externship Program, which provides opportunities for law students to work directly within the Federal and Circuit Courts; the Summer Clerkship Pro-gram, which provides students with hands-on exposure to law firms and corporate legal departments; and the Minority Bar Passage Program, which is designed to give students the skills to increase bar passage rates.
“We invite everyone to come out to support our important mission – to increase ac-cess to the legal profession and improve diversity and inclusion within our commu-nity,” said Ward. “Already this year, the organization has been building on its mission with community programs despite COVID challenges. “
The foundation was able to continue all of its programs and scholarships the past two years despite the cancellation of the charity ball through dogged determination and the generous contributions of supporters, according to Ward.
“Our partners and contributors know us and what we stand for,” said Ward. “They continued to support us despite the pandemic.”
In addition to raising funds for the foundation, the ball celebrates its members and this year is honoring six distinguished area judges with the Golden Gavel Award. The honorees include: Judge Leo Bowman, who retired last year from the Oakland County Circuit Court; Judge Ulysses Boykin, who retired in 2020 from the Wayne County Circuit Court; Judge Denise Page Hood of the U.S. District Court; Judge Den-ise Langford Morris, who recently announced her retirement from the Oakland County Circuit Court; Judge Cynthia Stephens of the Michigan Court of Appeals; and Judge Craig Strong, who retired from the Wayne County Circuit Court in 2020.
“We are happy to recognize them for their judicial work and the years they’ve been active in the WBA,” said Ward of the honorees.
Other individuals who will be recognized for the impact they’ve had in the legal community are U.S. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, who will receive the Civic Service Award; the law firm Lewis & Munday, which will receive the Legacy Award; Shahida Mausi, the managing operator of the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, who will receive the Community Investment Award; and Rev. Kenneth J. Flowers of Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, who will be presented with the Community Impact Award.
Musical entertainment will feature Doug E. Fresh on the mic and multi-platinum music director Kern Brantley leading the band.
Ward anticipates a golden night symbolizing the WBA’s firmly planted roots, its endurance, and its expanding future.
“I want to be able to look back and recognize what we accomplished coming off a pandemic,” said Ward. “We wanted this year’s ball to be impactful and really make it clear we are truly back.”
Tables are sold out for the event, but individual tickets are still available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-barristers-ball-the-come-back-tickets-271229293117.
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