Law Review Symposium

Panelists: David B. Lourie, Julia Stuebing, Karinne C. Orchanian

Moderator: Elizabeth Sherowski, Assistant Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Panelists: American Arbitration Association (Erika Lorraine Bryant, Lisa W. Timmons); Richard Bales

Moderator: Adam Wright, Assistant Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Panelists: MATCP (Hon. Linda Davis, Hon. William Kelly, Hon. Shannon Holmes); Rebecca Robichaud

Moderator: Aman L. McLeod, Associate Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Panelists: Christos Strubakos, Melanie Regis, Adrian McKinney

Moderator: Christopher R. Trudeau, Associate Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Panelists: Axana Soltan, Eugenio Mollo, Jr.

Moderator: Andrew F. Moore, Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Speaker: Stephen Hnat

Moderator: Julia Belian, Associate Professor of Law, Detroit Mercy Law

Professor David B. Lourie is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He primarily researches and teaches in the areas of Securities Regulation, Corporate Compliance, Private Equity, ESG, Contracts, and Commercial Law. He previously served as a Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he taught Contracts, Transactional Drafting, Commercial Law, Business Associations, and Securities Regulation. Professor Lourie has an extensive history both working in the corporate and securities private sector as well as teaching at several universities. He is currently researching and writing several manuscripts related to securities law compliance and SEC rulemaking and trends.

Professor Lourie has advised investment advisers, private equity firms, and hedge firms throughout the country on complex securities law matters. For several years, he was the Chief Compliance Officer of a successful private equity firm where he oversaw all the firm’s legal, compliance, and ESG matters. Prior to that for five years, he worked at a boutique securities compliance firm where he had national responsibility counseling investment advisers, private equity firms, and hedge funds regarding SEC examinations, SEC registration issues, SEC rule interpretation, annual reviews, risk assessments, and compliance policies and procedures. Professor Lourie also has extensive private sector experience in contracts and commercial law. He has negotiated and drafted sophisticated contracts with vendors, investors, consultants, senior advisers, and strategic partners.

Professor Lourie has utilized his expertise to teach at several universities and law schools. He has taught at the University of Southern California Law School, Northwestern University, Cornell University, and Western Colorado University.

He graduated cum laude from Northwestern University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History with Departmental Honors. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School, where he served on the Southern California Law Review and graduated in the top 10% of his class. Following his graduation from law school, he served as a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable Tu M. Pham in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

When not practicing law, he enjoys reading, concerts, traveling, and spending time with family, and is an avid hiker and runner.

Karinne C. Orchanian is the Director of Career Services for Student Employment at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Before entering academia, Ms. Orchanian was a practicing attorney experienced in civil litigation.

Julia Stuebing is an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan. She currently teaches Legal Practice and has previously co-taught Research and Analysis in American Law.

Julia is also a Partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP. Julia has experience in all aspects of litigation. She focuses her insurance law practice on extra-contractual (bad faith) matters, property claims, liability insurance coverage matters, and insurance agent errors and omissions claims. She also has experience handling motor vehicle liability, employment, medical malpractice, and tort claims.

Over the years, she has volunteered to mediate civil cases for the Dispute Resolution Center, served as a pro bono lawyer for the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Name Change project, and helped coach a local high school mock trial team. Julia clerked for a Denver District Court judge and worked as a trial attorney at a Colorado firm. She completed Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office approved mediator training in 2012. She was a U.S. Fulbright Fellow in Haifa, Israel in 2010-2011.

Elizabeth Sherowski is a nationally recognized expert in learner-focused pedagogy, and has written and presented extensively on making legal education more transparent, accessible, and accountable to students. Professor Sherowski previously worked was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County, Ohio who tried juvenile, felony, and appellate cases. She later opened her own law practice, which focused on juvenile, disability, and education law.

Professor Sherowski joined the Detroit Mercy Law faculty in 2020 as a Visiting Assistant Professor. In 2022, she was promoted to Assistant Professor of Law. She previously taught at The Ohio State University College of Law, the University of North Carolina School of Law, and Mercer University School of Law.

Professor Sherowski and her family serve as a foster family for rescued greyhounds; they teach retired racers, who are used to living in a kennel, how to live in a home so they can be adopted by other loving families.

Rick Bales is a faculty member at Ohio Northern University Law School. He teaches a wide variety of labor/employment and ADR courses, Torts, and Civil Procedure. He has published more than 100 scholarly articles and authored or co-authored 10 books on a variety of topics related to labor/employment/ADR, including most recently THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT’S CENTENARY: SUCCESSES, FAILURES, AND A ROADMAP FOR REFORM (Cambridge University Press, co-edited with Jill Gross, December 2024).

Rick also is a labor arbitrator. He is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and he serves on panels for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, American Arbitration Association, State Employee Relations Board (Ohio), Michigan Employee Relations Commission, Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services, Houston Police Department, City of Columbus & Fraternal Order of Police, and Lockheed Martin/IAM.

Erika Lorraine Bryant has been a Michigan lawyer for over 25 years, with a thriving solo practice in which she represents local non-profits, small businesses, and individual clients throughout metropolitan Detroit and beyond. She has served as a commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association for over 15 years.

In addition to her private practice, Erika believes in serving the community, and currently gives her time to the State Bar of Michigan’s Board of Commissioners, where she currently serves as Vice-President. She is a past President of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, a Past Affiliate Chapter Representative, and Past Region VI Director.

Erika has received recognition for her accomplishments, including the State Bar of Michigan’s and Wolverine Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Awards, as well as Presidential Awards from the National Bar Association. In 2017, Erika was recognized among Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Women in the Law.

Erika earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Michigan Law School (1998), and her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), magna cum laude from Amherst College (1995), where she majored in Black Studies and Political Science.

You may learn more about Erika by visiting the State Bar of Michigan’s website, or following her on social media:

LinkedIn: elbryantesq

Facebook: butler.davis.pllc

Twitter: @ButlerDavis_LLC

Lisa W. Timmons, Esq., has over twenty-five years of experience in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She is the chair of the ADR Section of the Michigan State Bar, and the Executive Director of the Mediation Tribunal Association. Timmons serves as an arbitrator, mediator, and case evaluator of labor, employment, and commercial cases with the American Arbitration Association (AAA), FMCS, USPS, MERC, FINRA, and several other public and private arbitration and mediation panels. In 2024 Timmons was selected as an Associate Arbitrator with the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA) for its 2024-26 mentorship program, becoming the first Associate selected from Michigan.

Timmons earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution from Wayne State University, a Juris Doctor from Detroit Mercy Law, and is a Michigan licensed real estate broker. Timmons was named an Up-and-Coming Lawyer in 2021 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and received the ADR Hero Award in 2022 from the ADR Section of the Michigan State Bar.

Professor Adam Wright joined the faculty at Detroit Mercy Law in 2023 as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law. Before joining the faculty, he served many years working for the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in Cincinnati and San Francisco. He worked in both the civil and criminal divisions including in the National Security & Special Prosecutions Unit and the Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Unit. His research interests include public corruption, white collar crime, and criminal procedure.

Judge Linda Davis was appointed to the bench in 2000 by Michigan Governor John Engler. Prior to her judgeship, Davis spent 13 years as an Assistant Prosecutor with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. She played a crucial role in the inception of Families Against Narcotics (FAN) and has been instrumental in the success and growth of the nonprofit. In 2019, Davis retired from the 41B District Court to become Executive Director of Face Addiction Now (formerly known as Families Against Narcotics). She was appointed as a voting member of Michigan's Opioid Advisory Commission in 2022.

Judge Shannon A. Holmes is a graduate of Dillard University and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She also earned a doctorate degree from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary of Detroit.

Judge Holmes has had a distinguished career and has served the public in the following capacities: Federal Investigator for the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit, Legislative Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit, Judge Advocate in the Michigan National Guard, Administrative Hearings Officer for the City of Detroit, Human Resources Director for the City of Detroit, and Chief of Staff for the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office.

Judge Holmes has served as a 36th District Court Judge since November 2011 and currently serves as the Presiding Judge of Specialty Courts, which includes Drug Treatment Court, Veterans Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, Community Court, Human Trafficking Docket, and Street Outreach Court Detroit.

Judge Kelly served as the judge of the 62-B District Court in Kentwood for 42 years. Judge Kelly started the Regional Sobriety Court for the 62B District Court which serves several courts in Kent County and served there for 6 years.

Judge Kelly is the State Judicial Outreach Liaison for the state of Michigan and has served as a faculty member for the Michigan Judicial Institute, National Judicial College, and has presented at judicial education programs in several states.

Judge Kelly graduated from the University of Detroit in 1970. He graduated from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1975. He has five children.

Professor Aman L. McLeod joined the Law School in 2022. McLeod received a B.A. in Political Science and History from Amherst College, a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a Ph.D from the University of Michigan. McLeod previously taught at the University of Idaho, Florida Coastal School of Law, Rutgers University – Camden, and the University of Michigan. He is the author and co-author of several book chapters and articles, mostly on topics concerning judicial behavior, judicial selection, constitutional law, and state and local government law.

Adrian McKinney joined Toledo Law as an assistant professor of law in fall 2024. McKinney’s primary academic and research interests include criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, race and the law, and professional responsibility, among others.

McKinney taught at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law for over four years prior to joining Toledo Law. She also taught effective writing for appeals at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

McKinney previously served as senior staff counsel at the California Department of Corrections, an appeal panel judge at the California Cannabis Control Appeal Panel, deputy legal affairs secretary for former California Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and Deputy City Attorney for the City of Sacramento. She was also a deputy district attorney for the County of Sacramento. She also clerked for the Honorable Sandra B. Armstrong of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

In 2020, McKinney received a Woman of the Year Award from U.S. Congressman John Garamendi. In 2019, she received the Erica J. Murray Young Alumnus Award from Occidental College and a 40 Under 40 Award from the Sacramento Business Journal.

McKinney earned her Bachelor of Arts from Occidental College, a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge, and her juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Melanie Regis is an Assistant Professor of Law at the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina. After working as a public defender for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for ten years, Melanie relocated back to her hometown of Charleston to start a solo practice handling criminal appeals and post-conviction work. It was during this time that Melanie became an adjunct professor at Charleston Law and developed a spark for teaching. Melanie has taught Trial Advocacy, Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure- Adjudication, Criminal Procedure- Police Investigations and created a course on criminal motions practice. Melanie has been published in the Temple Law Review and is co-authoring a treatise on South Carolina Criminal Law and Procedure forthcoming in 2026.

Christos Strubakos holds a Ph.D. in Medicine from Wayne State University, specializing in neurophysiology and neuroimaging. He holds J.D. magna cum laude from University Detroit Mercy School of Law. He currently works as a Research Attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals and teaches cognitive science and neuropsychology as an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor.

Professor Christopher Trudeau joined Detroit Mercy Law in 2022 as a Visiting Associate Professor of Law and in 2023 promoted to Associate Professor of Law. He came from University of Arkansas, Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law where he is an Associate Professor of Law. Professor Trudeau has also taught at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he was an Associate Professor of Medical Humanities & Bioethics. Before joining the faculty at University of Arkansas, he taught for a decade at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While there, he developed an award winning pro bono legal program to assist patrons at the Christo Rey Community Center in Lansing, MI.

Professor Trudeau’s research focuses on clear communication in the legal and healthcare contexts. Over the past 15 years, Trudeau has become an internationally recognized expert on clear legal communication, informed consent, and health literacy. He is the first lawyer to be appointed to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Health Literacy and the FDA’s Risk Communication Advisory Committee. He frequently speaks on creating clear legal documents that people can understand, on clearly communicating about clinical trials, and on the impact of regulatory changes on informed consent practices in heath care and human subjects research.

Eugenio Mollo, Jr. is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and the inaugural director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Toledo College of Law. Under Eugenio’s supervision, law clinic students represent local community members with critical legal needs working through the U.S. immigration system. Students are exposed to the difficult circumstances often facing immigrants, including people seeking family reunification and safety from domestic violence, persecution, torture, and human trafficking. Eugenio joined the College of Law in 2016 as an Adjunct Professor to teach Immigration Law courses, and he joined the full-time faculty in 2022. He currently teaches the Immigrant Justice Clinic, Advanced Immigrant Justice Clinic, and Immigration Law.

In 2006, Eugenio began his legal career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) in Toledo, a nonprofit law firm that represents low-income individuals and groups to achieve equal justice and opportunity. From 2013 to 2022, he served as the managing attorney of its Agricultural Worker and Immigrant Rights practice group.

Eugenio is a member of the Toledo Bar Association, where he serves on the Grievance Committee and Pro Bono Advisory Board. He also sits on the Advisory Committee of Welcome Toledo-Lucas County, the region’s immigrant-friendly initiative. Eugenio earned his B.A. from the University of

Illinois and his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he was the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Gender, Race & Justice.

Axana Soltan is a human rights lawyer and public policy advocate recognized for her innovative and ethical approaches to legal advocacy. She has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Justitia Award from the Palace of Justice in Vienna, Austria and has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024. She was named by Forbes “as one of the most powerful zealous fighters against the Taliban regime” for her women’s rights and education advocacy.

Her work bridges theory and practice to address systemic societal issues and empower marginalized communities worldwide. She will present her insights on mastering effective legal advocacy at the 109th Detroit Mercy Law Review Symposium.

Andrew F. Moore began teaching at Detroit Mercy Law in 1998. He is an expert in immigration law and international human rights law. In 2000, he founded the immigration law clinic at Detroit Mercy Law. Professor Moore served as the law school's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2011-2013.

His scholarship focuses on the needs of immigrants, including articles on the intersection of criminal law and immigration law, refugee issues between the U.S. and Canada, widespread fraud in the provision of legal services and the need for improved mental health care for immigrants in the United States.

In addition to being a faculty member, he serves the mission of the law school by organizing the annual mass for judges and lawyers (Red Mass) and serves as moderator for the St. Thomas More Society.

Professor Moore is married and the father of 2 young daughters, which accounts for most of his time outside of the law school.

Stephen Anthony Hnat is a Viet Nam Era veteran and graduate of the University of Michigan with degrees in Statistical Analysis, Social Work and in Psychology. He is currently undertaking doctoral studies in Theoretical Physics. He has worked as a psychotherapist and gained national recognition innovating treatment methods for chemical dependencies and with high-risk patients.

Since 1990 he has worked as a trial consultant with notable attorneys such as Gerry Spence and Geoffrey Fieger in many high-profile cases such as the Kevorkian (“Dr. Death”) criminal trials and the Jenny Jones (Amadure vs. Warner Brothers) civil trial. He has participated in trials setting record money verdicts in eight States. His book “The Authentic Attorney – The Winning Strategy of Great Trial Lawyers” has sold over 500 copies and has been praised for being a practical and inspirational book on trial methods and professional development.

Julia Belian is an expert in estates and trusts, foundations and charitable organizations, and property law. She had a 10-year career as a journalist before earning a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She has practiced in Minnesota and California, primarily in the fields of estate planning and exempt organization law, which are her primary teaching areas as well. She served as an expert witness last summer in the Hutchinson murder trial in Oakland County and was recently awarded a Feminist Scholarship Grant from the University of Detroit Mercy's Women's and Gender Studies department for her work on undue influence.

For questions regarding the Law Review Symposium, please contact Allie Farris, Symposium Director at farrisaj@udmercy.edu.

Call for Proposals:

The University of Detroit Mercy Law Review is currently accepting proposals for our annual symposium. In celebration of the 102nd Volume of the Detroit Mercy Law Review, this year’s theme is From Theory to Practice: Mastering the Art of Effective Legal Advocacy. The symposium will take place in Detroit, Michigan, on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Effective legal advocacy refers to the art of persuasively using the law to represent clients, resolve disputes, and promote justice. Effective legal advocacy entails more than just a mastery of legal principles; it requires the strategic acumen to apply them persuasively in a diverse and often high-stakes environment. Whether orally advocating for clients in courtrooms, negotiating complex transactions, or crafting and presenting compelling legal arguments, successful advocacy goes beyond technical proficiency—it demands a deep understanding of human behavior, communication, and ethics.

This symposium topic seeks to delve into the nuanced skills, methodologies, and strategic innovations that transform legal theory into effective advocacy. By fostering a dialogue among leading practitioners and scholars, we aim to explore how young lawyers can develop the necessary advocacy skills to excel in litigation or transactional practice, focusing on advanced strategies and techniques that proffer successful client outcomes both in and out of the courtroom. Participants will gain insights into not only the practical mechanics of advocacy, but also the broader implications for justice, policy, and societal change.

Detroit Mercy Law Review invites academics, scholars, practitioners, and other stakeholders to submit proposals for panel presentation and/or publication on topics involving effective legal advocacy. Some potential topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Litigation and trial advocacy, including winning trial techniques, jury selection, and the psychology of legal persuasion.
• Transactional advocacy, including negotiation strategies and drafting contracts that advance client goals.
• Legal ethics in advocacy: balancing zealous representation with professional responsibilities.
• Public interest and social justice advocacy related to navigating legal challenges to promote policy change and equality.

Submission Procedure:

Proposals should be approximately 250–500 words, double-spaced, and should detail the proposed topic and presentation. Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM EST, Friday, November 15, 2024, by email to Allie Farris, Symposium Director, at lawreview@udmercy.edu. In your email, please indicate whether your proposal is for a presentation only, or if you plan to submit an article based on your presentation for potential publication in the Detroit Mercy Law Review. Also, please include a current CV or resume.

If you do not wish to present at the Symposium but would like to submit a relevant unpublished article for potential publication in the Detroit Mercy Law Review, please indicate that in your email as well. If your article is already complete, please attach a copy for review.

Decisions will be emailed on or before December 16, 2024. The final completed manuscripts must be submitted by March 12, 2025, for the Law Review Staff to commence editing.