Wayne State Law
The John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award, presented periodically by the State Bar of Michigan, honors a Michigan law school educator whose influence has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state. John E. “Jack” Mogk, distinguished service professor of law at Wayne State University Law School, is the 2025 recipient of this prestigious honor.
On September 19, the State Bar of Michigan presented Mogk with the award at its Inauguration and Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy. In recognizing Professor Mogk, the awards committee commended his “outstanding contributions and achievements,” noting that his 57-year career and impact on both the legal profession and Wayne Law embody the very spirit of the award.
Outstanding educator
For more than six decades, Mogk has been a beloved faculty member at Wayne State University, teaching since 1968 and inspiring generations of lawyers to connect their professional practice with public service. During his tenure, he has received the Law School’s Donald Gordon Award for Excellence in Teaching, the State University’s Outstanding Associate Professor Award, the President’s Bonus Award, and a Presidential Citation. Students have voted him Outstanding Professor an unprecedented six times — a reflection of his ability to deliver captivating lectures and his deep investment in mentoring.
Students admire Mogk not only for his clarity and passion in the classroom but also in his community engagement; he has often involved students directly in Detroit-focused projects, giving them opportunities to apply legal skills to pressing urban challenges. Under his guidance, students have helped the City of Detroit review its building code enforcement to combat slumlords, developed policy papers on urban agriculture, and prepared housing strategies for the City of Highland Park.
He has also led students in producing reports for the Detroit Downtown Development Authority, an analysis for the Michigan Bar on the Free Trade Agreement, and a study for the Engineering Society of Detroit on tribal reservations as free trade zones. These hands-on experiences reflect Mogk’s philosophy that lawyers must give back to their communities and that law students should see public service as integral to their training.
Raised quality of the legal profession
Mogk’s influence extends well beyond Wayne Law’s classrooms. His six decades of teaching, mentoring, and pro bono leadership have elevated the legal profession across Michigan.
He has answered calls to service from Governors Milliken, Blanchard, and Granholm, Mayor Duggan, and even President Clinton, while also working at the grassroots level through organizations such as the Jefferson-Chalmers Citizens’ District Council, New Detroit Inc., SEMCOG, the Michigan Energy and Resource Research Association (MERRA), and Habitat for Humanity Detroit.
Former Governor William Milliken appointed Mogk to the Detroit Board of Education, where he was instrumental in designing the district’s breakfast program and, following a federal court decision on discriminatory practices, developing a remedial desegregation plan.
As executive director of MERRA for two decades, Mogk secured hundreds of millions of dollars for energy research and high-tech development in Michigan, and as chair of the state’s Council on Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, he helped lay the groundwork for Michigan’s expansion of renewable energy.
His leadership has consistently been tied to Detroit, whether through chairing Habitat for Humanity Detroit, serving as vice chair of the Michigan Construction Code Commission, or advising city and state entities on housing, economic development, and urban policy.
These contributions underscore why his career represents a model of how legal scholarship, civic engagement, and public policy can combine to strengthen both profession and community.
Continuing legacy
Even as he celebrates more than 55 years of service at Wayne State, Mogk continues to teach courses in property, state and local government law, land use planning, and urban development. His commitment to fighting poverty remains strong: he recently joined The PuLSE Institute’s Academy of Fellows, where he focuses on how municipal government can shape anti-poverty policies. His scholarship and public advocacy have influenced debates on property taxation, housing stability, and economic equity in Detroit.
Mogk’s career, defined by excellence in teaching, a record of groundbreaking scholarship, and an unparalleled commitment to community, embodies the very ethos of the award. His impact on Wayne State, the legal profession, and Detroit will resonate for generations to come.
The John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award, presented periodically by the State Bar of Michigan, honors a Michigan law school educator whose influence has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state. John E. “Jack” Mogk, distinguished service professor of law at Wayne State University Law School, is the 2025 recipient of this prestigious honor.
On September 19, the State Bar of Michigan presented Mogk with the award at its Inauguration and Awards Luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Troy. In recognizing Professor Mogk, the awards committee commended his “outstanding contributions and achievements,” noting that his 57-year career and impact on both the legal profession and Wayne Law embody the very spirit of the award.
Outstanding educator
For more than six decades, Mogk has been a beloved faculty member at Wayne State University, teaching since 1968 and inspiring generations of lawyers to connect their professional practice with public service. During his tenure, he has received the Law School’s Donald Gordon Award for Excellence in Teaching, the State University’s Outstanding Associate Professor Award, the President’s Bonus Award, and a Presidential Citation. Students have voted him Outstanding Professor an unprecedented six times — a reflection of his ability to deliver captivating lectures and his deep investment in mentoring.
Students admire Mogk not only for his clarity and passion in the classroom but also in his community engagement; he has often involved students directly in Detroit-focused projects, giving them opportunities to apply legal skills to pressing urban challenges. Under his guidance, students have helped the City of Detroit review its building code enforcement to combat slumlords, developed policy papers on urban agriculture, and prepared housing strategies for the City of Highland Park.
He has also led students in producing reports for the Detroit Downtown Development Authority, an analysis for the Michigan Bar on the Free Trade Agreement, and a study for the Engineering Society of Detroit on tribal reservations as free trade zones. These hands-on experiences reflect Mogk’s philosophy that lawyers must give back to their communities and that law students should see public service as integral to their training.
Raised quality of the legal profession
Mogk’s influence extends well beyond Wayne Law’s classrooms. His six decades of teaching, mentoring, and pro bono leadership have elevated the legal profession across Michigan.
He has answered calls to service from Governors Milliken, Blanchard, and Granholm, Mayor Duggan, and even President Clinton, while also working at the grassroots level through organizations such as the Jefferson-Chalmers Citizens’ District Council, New Detroit Inc., SEMCOG, the Michigan Energy and Resource Research Association (MERRA), and Habitat for Humanity Detroit.
Former Governor William Milliken appointed Mogk to the Detroit Board of Education, where he was instrumental in designing the district’s breakfast program and, following a federal court decision on discriminatory practices, developing a remedial desegregation plan.
As executive director of MERRA for two decades, Mogk secured hundreds of millions of dollars for energy research and high-tech development in Michigan, and as chair of the state’s Council on Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, he helped lay the groundwork for Michigan’s expansion of renewable energy.
His leadership has consistently been tied to Detroit, whether through chairing Habitat for Humanity Detroit, serving as vice chair of the Michigan Construction Code Commission, or advising city and state entities on housing, economic development, and urban policy.
These contributions underscore why his career represents a model of how legal scholarship, civic engagement, and public policy can combine to strengthen both profession and community.
Continuing legacy
Even as he celebrates more than 55 years of service at Wayne State, Mogk continues to teach courses in property, state and local government law, land use planning, and urban development. His commitment to fighting poverty remains strong: he recently joined The PuLSE Institute’s Academy of Fellows, where he focuses on how municipal government can shape anti-poverty policies. His scholarship and public advocacy have influenced debates on property taxation, housing stability, and economic equity in Detroit.
Mogk’s career, defined by excellence in teaching, a record of groundbreaking scholarship, and an unparalleled commitment to community, embodies the very ethos of the award. His impact on Wayne State, the legal profession, and Detroit will resonate for generations to come.
