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Professor Cara Cunningham Warren is the 2023 recipient of the James T. Barnes Sr. Memorial Faculty Scholar Award. Each year, a full-time faculty member is chosen to receive this award based on scholarship, teaching excellence, and public service.

Sister Colleen Hickey passed away on October 2 at the age of 88. She dedicated her life to her faith and her community. She undoubtedly had a positive impact on anyone who passed through Detroit Mercy Law during her service.

Rita Samir Soka '22 hosted a private fundraiser at her home in support of the Detroit Mercy Law Power of One program on September 14. The program helps graduates pass the bar exam on their first attempt by providing key preparation benchmarks and financial support. With over 100 graduates sitting for a U.S. bar exam each year, the program requires significant annual funding.
Detroit Mercy will host the 18th annual Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 12-13. The theme of this year’s conference is “Revolution from the Heart of Nature: Take Action in Detroit.”
Detroit Mercy was ranked No. 52 nationally and second in Michigan, according to results released Sept. 6 by WSJ/College Pulse. UDM was the third-highest ranked Jesuit university and only Mercy institution ranked.

Each year, Detroit Mercy Law conducts an anonymous demographic survey at the 1L orientation to learn more about the entering class and how students self-identify. This year’s 95 percent response rate provided comprehensive additional information about the wide range of backgrounds represented in the class.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law welcomed 14 Fellows and Scholars to the incoming class of 2023.
Each year, Detroit Mercy honors an alumnus from each of its seven schools or colleges for the way they have excelled in their professions and demonstrated leadership and service to the larger community.
When Janson Fu isn’t handling all the responsibilities that come with being a law student, he has his eyes on the stars. His hobby of astrophotography involves photographing the night sky and celestial events.
As many of you know, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action on June 29, 2023, will have a significant impact on institutions of higher education throughout our country. We pray for all of our friends and member institutions who will experience an array of challenges due to this decision, but most importantly for all students who will be directly affected by the court’s actions.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law awarded Voice for Justice Fellowships to Tiffany Harvey and Danna Houssain in support of their service as legal interns this summer at nonprofit organizations that help advance access to justice.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s traveling expungement clinic served nearly 200 people across the state of Michigan in Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie, and Marquette from May 15-19. The traveling expungement clinic included seven students and three professors, including one alumna judge.

An all-female team of Detroit Mercy Law students won third place in the National Patent Application Drafting Competition.
More than 1,000 graduates participated in four ceremonies during 2023 Commencement at University of Detroit Mercy on Friday and Saturday, May 12-13.
The Vivere ex Missione awards are presented annually to four graduating students whose time at University of Detroit Mercy was marked by leadership, service and scholarship.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s 2022 graduates achieved a 90% employment rate in legal and professional positions. Graduates secured employment in a variety of settings, including positions with law firms, courts, and government, business, and public interest organizations across the US and Canada.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law graduate Emily Elmer ’23 was awarded the 2023 Vivere Ex Missione Award. Each year, Detroit Mercy presents the Vivere Ex Missione-- “To Live Out the Mission”--award to four graduating students, including one from the School of Law. This award is presented as a surprise at the commencement ceremony.

Even after rising to a vice president position in the financial world, Matthew Snyder’s childhood dream of attending law school tugged at his heart. After a detour of nearly a decade, Snyder is ready to take on the legal world.
Even after rising to a vice president position in the financial world, Matthew Snyder’s childhood dream of attending law school tugged at his heart. After a detour of nearly a decade, Snyder is ready to take on the legal world.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Black Law Students Association (BLSA) surprised Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum with a portrait they commissioned in her honor on May 8. Dean Jefferson Exum had been told that BLSA was hosting an end of year celebration which was in actuality a portrait unveiling for her.
For the fourth consecutive year, Detroit Mercy's graduate programs have ranked among the nation’s best.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law invites community participation in the third and final installment, Women in Music Law, of the Women in Arts and Entertainment Law series on Thursday, April 20 from 4.30 to 6.30pm (ET) via Zoom. This series is being hosted in partnership with University of Windsor Faculty of Law and the City of Detroit.

Beginning in the fall of 2023, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law will transition to criterion referenced assessment and introduce a new first-year required skills-based course. The faculty approved these changes after extensive research, discussion, and committee work. The program of legal education will remain rigorous and in compliance with American Bar Association standards.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law invites community participation in the second installment, Women in Film Law, of the Women in Arts and Entertainment Law series on Wednesday, March 22 from 6 to 8 pm (ET) via Zoom. This series is being hosted in partnership with University of Windsor Faculty of Law and the City of Detroit.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law students won the Midwestern Regional Round of the National Patent Application Drafting Competition hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The competition introduces students to issues arising in U.S. patent law and develops their patent application drafting, amending, and prosecution skills.

When she was sworn in as Michigan Supreme Court justice on Jan. 1, Kyra Harris Bolden ’14 made history. The University of Detroit Mercy Law alumna is the first Black woman to serve on the state’s highest court.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law invites community participation in their upcoming virtual cross-border series, Women in Arts and Entertainment Law, offered in partnership with University of Windsor Faculty of Law and the City of Detroit. Members of the public, creatives, and legal professionals interested in the legal issues facing women in the fashion, music, film, and visual arts industries are encouraged to attend.
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law graduates achieved a first-time pass rate and overall pass rate on the July 2022 Michigan Bar Exam that far surpasses state averages.
Donald B. Taylor, Ph.D., will be inaugurated as University of Detroit Mercy's 26th president Friday, March 24 at 3 p.m. in Calihan Hall on the McNichols Campus.

Faye Alexander Nelson ’75, ’81 led the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy from 2003-13, a role that helped spark the renaissance the city is experiencing today.

Detroit Mercy Law recently established the Arts & Entertainment Law Clinic in partnership with the City of Detroit’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship. The Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic is the only clinic of its kind in Michigan.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s Conviction Integrity Clinic hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday, September 28 to educate students and the community about the causes and impacts of wrongful convictions.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law launched the Arts and Entertainment Law Clinic at the start of the fall 2022 term. This expansion of the clinical program is aligned with the School of Law’s Jesuit and Mercy traditions of service learning, access to justice, and educating the complete lawyer.

In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that curtails government action on climate change, the Catholic Studies Program of Detroit Mercy hosted a dialogue on July 14 bringing the religious and moral case for addressing climate change.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law faculty members are well respected scholars in their area of expertise. This past winter term, the faculty published and placed numerous articles in law reviews across the country, saw chapters in books published, and presented in a variety of settings.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law awarded Voice for Justice Fellowships to Joy Mohammed and Andrew Pace. Detroit Mercy Law strives to teach students to be both skilled practitioners and compassionate professionals. This Fellowship upholds the long-standing tradition at Detroit Mercy Law of service to the community and provides students with the opportunity to succeed while making a difference in the community. Fellowship recipients work over the summer as interns at nonprofit organizations.

University of Detroit Mercy Law student Tina Toma was recently awarded the Kimberly M. Cahill Leadership Memorial Scholarship from the Macomb County Bar Association.

Professor Stephen Wilks is the 2022 recipient of the James T. Barnes Sr. Memorial Faculty Scholar Award. Each year, a full-time faculty member is chosen to receive this award based on scholarship, teaching excellence, and public service.

Jennifer Fahrenholt Dual '22 was recently awarded the John Dalton and Mary Lou Peacock Scholarship by the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Wayne Region.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law recent graduate Fatmeh Cheaib '22 was awarded the first Hon. Karen Fort Hood Scholarship by the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Wayne Region.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law first year student Evelyn Galvan was recently awarded the Wolverine Bar Foundation Scholarship.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law first year student Sydney Jackson was recently awarded the Damon J. Keith Scholarship from the Wolverine Bar Association.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law 2021 graduate employment rate surpasses the national average for the second year in a row. Graduates secured employment in a variety of positions, including at top law firms, in competitive judicial clerkships, and in government, business, and public interest organizations.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law third year student Rita Soka was recently awarded the Harlan Scholarship from the Wolverine Bar Association.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law second year student Brianna Hines was recently awarded the Hon. Victoria A. Roberts Scholarship from the Wolverine Bar Association.

Xhesika Resuli '23 will begin working as a summer associate at Miller Canfield PLC in May 2022, a position she landed through On-Campus Interviews.

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and University of Windsor Faculty of Law hosted the inaugural Transnational Law Moot Competition on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27. This competition is the first moot of its kind to be hosted in two different international jurisdictions.

Megz Kubis ’23 will begin working as a summer associate at Miller Canfield PLC in May 2022, a position she landed through On Campus Interviews.

Associate Professor Leslie E. Scott was a guest on the WDET 101.9 FM show Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson. The discussion was about the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act and what that means for the country.

Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum and alumna Dana M. Warnez ’96 were among the 2022 award recipients given by the The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM).