U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison, Gregory J. Reed, Esq., 36th District Court Judge Tenisha R. Yancey, and Aaron V. Burrell will be awarded the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association’s Trailblazers Award at a ceremony and dinner in their honor tonight at the Westin Southfield Hotel. Cocktails will be served from 6-6:45 p.m., which will be followed by the dinner program. The Trailblazers Award Dinner is the culmination of a busy bar year, and is an exciting occasion.
Now in its 30th year, the Trailblazers Award recognizes pioneers in the legal community based upon their continuous individual contributions to the betterment of the legal profession. Past honorees include Gregory Conyers, Esq., the Judge Wade McCree, Judge Damon Keith, and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Bolden to name a few.
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison is a nationally recognized career federal prosecutor, with prior experience as a criminal defense attorney, who has successfully handled large-scale, complex, multi-defendant criminal prosecutions Ison is a daughter of Detroit; a product of Detroit Public Schools; and a graduate of Spelman College and Wayne State University Law School. Ison was presidentially appointed as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a position she serves with pride.
Gregory J. Reed, Esq. is an active practitioner, “cultural preservationist, and legal activist” in the legal profession for thirty years plus. His clients are notable and preeminent; his professional and civic contributions carry national and global significance. Reed has set precedents in intellectual property and contract matters, is a 2022 visionary honoree, Hall of Fame inductee for his legal, cultural and art contributions, and worked with Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X’s, and Alex Haley’s Legacies, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, The Last Poets, Thomas Hearns, and others. He is the author of 17 books, several of which have won awards,including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature and an American Book Award.
Aaron V. Burrell is a partner in the law firm of Dickinson Wright where he specializes in the area of complex commercial litigation, labor and employment law. Burrell is a commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. He has served as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan; chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Representative Assembly; co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Equal Access Initiative; president of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association; vice president of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Foundation; and affiliate representative of the National Bar Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and the Oakland County Bar Association.
Judge Tenisha Renee Yancey was born and raised in the City of Detroit, attending Detroit Public Schools. Yancey worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney until 2017 when she ran and won her election for State Representative.
She represented the 1st House District. Yancey served as a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2017-2023. She worked on issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking and expungements.
Now in its 30th year, the Trailblazers Award recognizes pioneers in the legal community based upon their continuous individual contributions to the betterment of the legal profession. Past honorees include Gregory Conyers, Esq., the Judge Wade McCree, Judge Damon Keith, and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Bolden to name a few.
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison is a nationally recognized career federal prosecutor, with prior experience as a criminal defense attorney, who has successfully handled large-scale, complex, multi-defendant criminal prosecutions Ison is a daughter of Detroit; a product of Detroit Public Schools; and a graduate of Spelman College and Wayne State University Law School. Ison was presidentially appointed as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a position she serves with pride.
Gregory J. Reed, Esq. is an active practitioner, “cultural preservationist, and legal activist” in the legal profession for thirty years plus. His clients are notable and preeminent; his professional and civic contributions carry national and global significance. Reed has set precedents in intellectual property and contract matters, is a 2022 visionary honoree, Hall of Fame inductee for his legal, cultural and art contributions, and worked with Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X’s, and Alex Haley’s Legacies, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, The Last Poets, Thomas Hearns, and others. He is the author of 17 books, several of which have won awards,including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature and an American Book Award.
Aaron V. Burrell is a partner in the law firm of Dickinson Wright where he specializes in the area of complex commercial litigation, labor and employment law. Burrell is a commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. He has served as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the State Bar of Michigan; chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Representative Assembly; co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Equal Access Initiative; president of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association; vice president of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Foundation; and affiliate representative of the National Bar Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and the Oakland County Bar Association.
Judge Tenisha Renee Yancey was born and raised in the City of Detroit, attending Detroit Public Schools. Yancey worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney until 2017 when she ran and won her election for State Representative.
She represented the 1st House District. Yancey served as a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2017-2023. She worked on issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking and expungements.
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