WLAM: Women Lawyers Association of Michigan

The Wayne Region invites all WLAM members and interested non-members to an informal wine tasting in the lovely garden of WLAM member and Court of Appeals Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly.  This is THE best end of summer event for catching up and winding down with fantastic women judges and lawyers.

Judge Kelly's garden was featured on the 2008 Grosse Pointe Garden Tour and in the June 2009 Detroit Athletic Club magazine.

September 15th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.  RAIN OR SHINE.

WLAM members should bring a bottle of wine to share and a friend or two.  Interested non-members are encouraged to come as well and help us uncork the vino!  Light hors d'ouevres will be served.

RSVP by 9/13 to Elizabeth Jolliffe 734-353-9331 or Elizabeth@YourBenchmarkCoach.com

The address will be provided upon receipt of RSVP.

On August 6th, Wayne women lawyers had cocktails and socialized on the patio of Detroit's historic Whitney restaurant.  Throughout the summer the Whitney has a weekly Thursday night 89X Garden Party featuring live music from local musicians.  The Detroit Legal News featured the event in the beautiful front page photo (above) in the August 12th paper and on its website.  Getting together were WLAM Wayne President Joni Van Genderen from Gasiorek, Morgan & Greco, Clark Hill criminal defense lawyer Vice President Holly Gottschalk, Court of Appeals Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly, WLAM Board representative Tenicia Vanzant from MassMutual Financial Group, Corresponding Secretary Elizabeth Jolliffe of Your Benchmark Coach, Grosse Pointe. lawyer Theresa Klaasen, Legal Aid and Defender Association lawyer and pro bono coordinator Julie Nuse, Wright Penning lawyer Julie Pfitzenmaier, lawyer Blake Heraghty from US Customs & Border Protection, and Bodman lawyers Kate Kokotovich, Michelle Thomas, Jennifer Goulah and Celeste Pelzer.

Photo by John Meiu, courtesy of Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC. 

Pictured above, left to right, Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly, Tenicia Vanzant, Theresa Klaasen, Julie Nuse, Julie Pfitzenmaier, Holly Gottschalk, Joni Van Genderen, Elizabeth Jolliffe and Blake Heraghty.

See the attachments for the wonderful coverage in the Detroit Legal News, the "above the fold" photo of "The Wright Stuff", and other photos from the annual meeting on May 28, 2009 at the Dearborn Golf & Country Club.  Thank you, again, to the Dickinson Wright Women's Network for sponsoring this event. 

Photos by Taryn Hartman, courtesy of Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC. 

Pictured above, left to right, are new President Joni Van Genderen, Corresponding Secretary Elizabeth Jolliffe, Recording Secretary Allison Bach, outgoing President Hon. Lynne Pierce, Vice President Holly Gottschalk, Treasurer Kathryn Rogers and WLAM State Board Wayne Regional Represenative Tenicia Vanzant.

Detroit Legal News Article on Annual Dinner 

Detroit Legal News "The Wright Stuff!"

Photo- New Board & Outgoing President Hon. Lynne Pierce

Photo- Pierce Passes the Gavel to Van Genderen

Photo- Presidents and Speaker

Photo- Dickinson Wright's Up & Coming Best & Brightest!

The Lawyers beat the Judges in the 2009 Culinary Cookoff on June 11th.  In an incredibly tight vote, the lawyers' team "Grilled By the Hour" prevailed over the judges' "Grilled By the Bench" to claim victory in this year's live Grill-Off and bragging rights in the Southeast Michigan legal community!  Kathy Rogers, one of the Cookoff committee members and WLAM-Wayne Treasurer, known throughout the land for her ability to "bring order to chaos", was overheard saying that the "possibility" of rain (Yes, It Did!) added extra afternoon excitement for planners and gracious host retired Justice Charles Levin.  Immediate Past President of WLAM-Wayne Hon. Lynne Pierce (Wayne County Circuit) won the dessert category for her amazing chocolate chip cookies.  Last year's winner, Hon. Denise Langford Morris (Oakland County Circuit ) did not re-enter her "Ugly Brownies", choosing instead to rest on her laurels and give others a chance.  48th District Court Judge Marc Barron (Bloomfield Hills) won the [heavy!] appetizer category with his chili.  The rain didn't stop the cookoff or the hundred twenty plus lawyers, judges, law students, and media from having an excellent time inside and outside under the tent.  Proceeds from this fundraiser benefitted Alternatives for Girls, Crossroads for Youth and the WLAM-Foundation.  Michigan Lawyers Weekly reporter Doug Levy and Detroit Legal News photographer John Meiu covered the event.  (Thank you, John and the Detroit Legal News for the photo above.)  Special thanks from the WLAM-Wayne members to our law students from the  University of Detroit Mercy and Wayne State for their volunteer assistance at the party.  Special thanks also to retired Judge William Giovan (Wayne County Circuit) for agreeably chauffering this writer, WLAM-Wayne Vice President Holly Gottschalk and Judge Langford Morris to our cars at the event's conclusion.  Judge Langford Morris knows how to commandeer a ride when one would be helpful!  

Photo by John Meiu, courtesy of Detroit Legal News Publishing LLC. 

Not just business as usual!  In addition to installing the new officers of the WLAM - Wayne region, attendees at the May 28, 2009 Annual Dinner created new connections and simple personal plans of immediate action to enhance their careers and/or personal lives.  With advice from, and facilitated by, speaker and new officer Elizabeth Jolliffe, an executive coach for lawyers, the women lawyers completed an individual assessment tool and then broke into groups of three.  In the triads the lawyers helped each other brainstorm ideas and choose an effective, time driven action step to move toward their chosen goal. By tapping into a variety of professional and personal life experiences, the triads proved an effective way for the lawyers to learn and to make more and stronger connections within the WLAM-Wayne community.  The Detroit Legal News ran a front page story on the event on June 1st, authored by Legal News writer Taryn Hartman who attended the dinner and even participated in the workshop.  (See later entry above for link to copy of the article.)  Thank you to everyone, including Taryn, for your enthusiasm and energy.  Thank you, especially, to Judge Lynne Pierce, and to Natalie Yaw and Allison Bach of Dickinson Wright, for coordinating the event at the Dearborn Golf and Country Club.  Finally, a very big thank you to Dickinson Wright's Women's Network for its generous support as the sponsor of this annual dinner meeting.