Michigan Lawyers Weekly has chosen Professor Dana A. Thompson, ’99, as a 2026 Legal Innovation Award honoree for Innovation in Legal Education, specifically citing her work as the founding director of the Law School’s Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic.
Honorees were chosen “for exemplifying how the legal profession is evolving to better serve clients, improve access to justice, and modernize how legal services are delivered,” according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Thompson, a clinical professor of law, directs Michigan Law’s Transactional Law Clinics Program and is the founding director of the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic. She currently serves as director of the Community Enterprise Clinic.
Thompson has devoted most of her legal career to representing community-based organizations and small businesses on transactional matters to advance economic, racial, and social justice in urban communities.
The first of its kind in the United States, the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic provides no-cost legal services to a significant number of University of Michigan student-led and other startups. It offers an array of services and resources including direct legal representation, office hours, workshops, and blog posts with current information about entrepreneurial legal issues.
Similarly, the Community Enterprise Clinic represents community-based and nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, social enterprises, and small businesses in Detroit and other disinvested urban communities.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from Michigan Lawyers Weekly,” Thompson said. “To me, it reflects the impact that the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic has had in helping strengthen the University of Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem while providing law students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities.
“It also affirms something I have long believed: The law can be a powerful tool for innovation, helping entrepreneurs transform ideas into ventures that create economic opportunity and positive change. I am grateful to the students, clients, colleagues, and partners who have contributed to the clinic’s success over the years.”
Legal Innovation Award honorees are selected by a panel of judges from Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Winners are chosen based on professional accomplishments, bar leadership, community service, and a focus on innovation.
The awards will be presented June 26 at the Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Legal Innovation Summit in Lathrup Village, Michigan.