The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) recently announced that Bonsitu Kitaba-Gaviglio
will be its next legal director. With the organization since 2016, and
deputy legal director since 2019, Kitaba-Gaviglio has been serving as
the organization’s interim legal director since the departure of her
predecessor, Dan Korobkin, who was appointed to serve as a judge on the
Michigan Court of Appeals in April.
While at the ACLU, Kitaba-Gaviglio has worked on a wide range of civil rights cases involving reproductive rights, economic justice, racial justice, and free speech, among others. She has litigated cases on behalf of a class of Black homeowners in Detroit who were subjected to illegal tax foreclosures, and Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis to secure the replacement of all lead pipes in the city. Kitaba-Gaviglio also co-wrote the state constitutional amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, a voter approved ballot measure that enshrined reproductive rights in the Michigan Constitution in 2022.
Kitaba-Gaviglio has frequently been recognized for her legal advocacy, earning the State Bar of Michigan’s 2024 Champion of Justice Award, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s 2023 Social Justice Award, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 2022 Influential Women of Law award, among others.?
A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Kitaba-Gaviglio has lived in Detroit since moving here in 2011 to attend Wayne State University Law School.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to assume the role of legal director of the ACLU of Michigan, an organization that has transformed countless lives and been an unwavering guardian of justice,” said Kitaba-Gaviglio. “To follow in the footsteps of extraordinary legal directors like Michael Steinberg and Daniel Korobkin is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
“Each day, I am driven by a core purpose: to champion the rights of our clients and every person who calls Michigan home. The work ahead will not be easy. The threats to the Constitution and the rights we hold as most fundamental are profound and urgent. Our legal advocacy requires both being nimble in the moment to ensure we are beating back against the attacks on our most fundamental civil rights and liberties while building long-term litigation strategies that reform and dismantle systems of oppression.
“I am fortunate to work alongside a remarkable team whose brilliance, dedication, and shared sense of purpose inspire me constantly. Together, we find strength in our mission and joy in the work itself.
“This moment would not be possible without my parents, whose lives embody the very ideals I now dedicate myself to defending. Coming from distant parts of the world, they built their lives on a foundation of sacrifice, activism, and simple acts of kindness. They showed me that justice is a living practice which demands courage, compassion, and an unshakeable belief in our shared humanity.
“I am ready, and I am deeply honored to lead this exceptional legal team as we defend the rights and freedoms of every person in Michigan.”
• • •
Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC is pleased to announce that associate attorney Chloé Schumacher has been selected as the 2026 Young Lawyers Golden Gavel Award recipient by the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC).
This honor is awarded to outstanding young attorneys who demonstrate exemplary advocacy skills, a strong commitment to the legal profession, and meaningful leadership within the defense bar.
Schumacher will be formally recognized at the 10th Annual Legal Excellence Awards to be held at The Gem Theatre on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
• • •
Courtney A. Lavender, an appellate attorney at Plunkett Cooney, was recently elected as a council member of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
Lavender, who will serve a three-year term, was elected during the Section’s Nov. 21 board meeting after two seats were vacated following the annual meeting. Consisting of the chairperson, chairperson-elect, secretary, treasurer and 17 at-large members, the Appellate Practice Section Council provides education, information and analysis on relevant appellate law issues through meetings, seminars, public service initiatives and more.
A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Lavender focuses her appellate practice in the areas of commercial litigation, governmental law, first- and third-party motor vehicle negligence and insurance coverage disputes. She also has litigation experience defending No-Fault and third-party claims, as well as premises liability, pet liability and defamation matters.
Lavender received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2021. Following law school, she worked as a research attorney at the Michigan Court of Appeals. Lavender received her undergraduate degree in 2017 from the University of Michigan.
• • •
BSP Law congratulates nine of its attorneys who have been recognized by DBusiness on their 2026 Top Lawyers List. The recognitions are as follows:
Bishop Bartoni – Product Liability
Stephanie Douglas – Appellate Law
Derek Linkous – Appellate Law
William McDonald – Product Liability
Susan McKeever – Appellate Law
Roger Meyers – Litigation – Commercial
Moheeb Murray – Litigation – Commercial
Patrick Seyferth – Product Liability
Justin Weiner – Product Liability
• • •
Honigman Partner Alex Parrish has been recognized in Michigan Chronicle’s 2025 Power 50 listing. This recognition honors the region’s most impactful Black leaders across government, business, faith, education, and more.
Parrish regularly advises companies on an array of transactional matters, including capital formation; mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures; the issuance, sale, and regulation of securities; and general corporate matters, including corporate governance.
• • •
Brooks Kushman is proud to announce the firm has been ranked in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News and World Report list of “Best Law Firms®” by Best Lawyers®.
Nationally, Brooks Kushman holds a tier-three ranking in Trademark Law. On the regional level, Brooks Kushman holds a tier-two ranking in Copyright Law and tier-one rankings in Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, and Trademark Law in Metro Detroit.
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Anaria Rambus has joined the firm as an associate. Newly admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2025, Rambus will support several Maddin Hauser practices.
Rambus brings a foundation in diverse areas of the law, developed through her academic achievements and practical experiences. She earned her law degree at Wayne State University Law School.
A former Maddin Hauser summer associate, Rambus was a student attorney for the law school’s Business and Community Law Clinic. She also served as a judicial extern for U.S. District Court Judges Denise Page Hood and Jonathan J.C. Gray, Eastern District of Michigan.
While at the ACLU, Kitaba-Gaviglio has worked on a wide range of civil rights cases involving reproductive rights, economic justice, racial justice, and free speech, among others. She has litigated cases on behalf of a class of Black homeowners in Detroit who were subjected to illegal tax foreclosures, and Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis to secure the replacement of all lead pipes in the city. Kitaba-Gaviglio also co-wrote the state constitutional amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, a voter approved ballot measure that enshrined reproductive rights in the Michigan Constitution in 2022.
Kitaba-Gaviglio has frequently been recognized for her legal advocacy, earning the State Bar of Michigan’s 2024 Champion of Justice Award, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s 2023 Social Justice Award, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 2022 Influential Women of Law award, among others.?
A native of Canada and graduate of the University of Toronto, Kitaba-Gaviglio has lived in Detroit since moving here in 2011 to attend Wayne State University Law School.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to assume the role of legal director of the ACLU of Michigan, an organization that has transformed countless lives and been an unwavering guardian of justice,” said Kitaba-Gaviglio. “To follow in the footsteps of extraordinary legal directors like Michael Steinberg and Daniel Korobkin is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
“Each day, I am driven by a core purpose: to champion the rights of our clients and every person who calls Michigan home. The work ahead will not be easy. The threats to the Constitution and the rights we hold as most fundamental are profound and urgent. Our legal advocacy requires both being nimble in the moment to ensure we are beating back against the attacks on our most fundamental civil rights and liberties while building long-term litigation strategies that reform and dismantle systems of oppression.
“I am fortunate to work alongside a remarkable team whose brilliance, dedication, and shared sense of purpose inspire me constantly. Together, we find strength in our mission and joy in the work itself.
“This moment would not be possible without my parents, whose lives embody the very ideals I now dedicate myself to defending. Coming from distant parts of the world, they built their lives on a foundation of sacrifice, activism, and simple acts of kindness. They showed me that justice is a living practice which demands courage, compassion, and an unshakeable belief in our shared humanity.
“I am ready, and I am deeply honored to lead this exceptional legal team as we defend the rights and freedoms of every person in Michigan.”
• • •
Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC is pleased to announce that associate attorney Chloé Schumacher has been selected as the 2026 Young Lawyers Golden Gavel Award recipient by the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC).
This honor is awarded to outstanding young attorneys who demonstrate exemplary advocacy skills, a strong commitment to the legal profession, and meaningful leadership within the defense bar.
Schumacher will be formally recognized at the 10th Annual Legal Excellence Awards to be held at The Gem Theatre on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
• • •
Courtney A. Lavender, an appellate attorney at Plunkett Cooney, was recently elected as a council member of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
Lavender, who will serve a three-year term, was elected during the Section’s Nov. 21 board meeting after two seats were vacated following the annual meeting. Consisting of the chairperson, chairperson-elect, secretary, treasurer and 17 at-large members, the Appellate Practice Section Council provides education, information and analysis on relevant appellate law issues through meetings, seminars, public service initiatives and more.
A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, Lavender focuses her appellate practice in the areas of commercial litigation, governmental law, first- and third-party motor vehicle negligence and insurance coverage disputes. She also has litigation experience defending No-Fault and third-party claims, as well as premises liability, pet liability and defamation matters.
Lavender received her law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2021. Following law school, she worked as a research attorney at the Michigan Court of Appeals. Lavender received her undergraduate degree in 2017 from the University of Michigan.
• • •
BSP Law congratulates nine of its attorneys who have been recognized by DBusiness on their 2026 Top Lawyers List. The recognitions are as follows:
Bishop Bartoni – Product Liability
Stephanie Douglas – Appellate Law
Derek Linkous – Appellate Law
William McDonald – Product Liability
Susan McKeever – Appellate Law
Roger Meyers – Litigation – Commercial
Moheeb Murray – Litigation – Commercial
Patrick Seyferth – Product Liability
Justin Weiner – Product Liability
• • •
Honigman Partner Alex Parrish has been recognized in Michigan Chronicle’s 2025 Power 50 listing. This recognition honors the region’s most impactful Black leaders across government, business, faith, education, and more.
Parrish regularly advises companies on an array of transactional matters, including capital formation; mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures; the issuance, sale, and regulation of securities; and general corporate matters, including corporate governance.
• • •
Brooks Kushman is proud to announce the firm has been ranked in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News and World Report list of “Best Law Firms®” by Best Lawyers®.
Nationally, Brooks Kushman holds a tier-three ranking in Trademark Law. On the regional level, Brooks Kushman holds a tier-two ranking in Copyright Law and tier-one rankings in Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, and Trademark Law in Metro Detroit.
• • •
Maddin Hauser is pleased to announce that Anaria Rambus has joined the firm as an associate. Newly admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2025, Rambus will support several Maddin Hauser practices.
Rambus brings a foundation in diverse areas of the law, developed through her academic achievements and practical experiences. She earned her law degree at Wayne State University Law School.
A former Maddin Hauser summer associate, Rambus was a student attorney for the law school’s Business and Community Law Clinic. She also served as a judicial extern for U.S. District Court Judges Denise Page Hood and Jonathan J.C. Gray, Eastern District of Michigan.
