In 2023, as one of the few associates licensed to practice in both Michigan and Ohio in the Detroit office of Dykema Gossett PLLC, Elizabeth Morales, ’20, was uniquely positioned to work on a significant human trafficking case as a junior lawyer. She also had relevant experience from her time as a student-attorney in Michigan Law’s Human Trafficking and Immigration Clinic (HTC).

The Hon. J. Chris Larson, ’99, created an internship program for people with intellectual disabilities and established inclusivity guidelines for his courtroom.

Food has always been a source of joy for Jessica Jiwon Choe, ’24, especially traditional Korean dishes. The main character of her debut children’s book couldn’t agree more. Choe served as a student attorney in the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic, where A Colorful Collection (ACC) was a client and earned its publisher status. Later, Choe became a client of ACC, ultimately sharing Yuna Choe and the Perfect Bowl of Rice with young readers.

Martha Umphrey, ’91, thrived as a professor in Amherst College’s Department of Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought for 30 years. Since 2024, she has embraced the challenge of serving as the college’s provost and dean of faculty.

The Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA) recently honored Matthew Preston, ’21, as a 2025 On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers awardee. Recipients are selected for their leadership, innovation, and example in upholding the law.

Samantha Shipp Warrick, ’07, has a creative bent that has served her well as an entertainment lawyer, entrepreneur, and branding strategist. Now she’s bringing blank-slate energy to LVMH Inc. as its first chief strategy and operations counsel.

Danielle Bass, ’15, a partner in the technology transactions and data, privacy, and cybersecurity practice groups at Honigman LLP in Detroit, was recently named Influential Woman of the Year by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

While working at Morrison and Foerster’s corporate department in Palo Alto, California, Emily Rutkowski, ’16, discovered her passion for advocacy when she had the opportunity to work on a number of pro bono cases. In the years since, Rutkowski has followed that instinct to help others through a number of pivots in her career and personal life—including a move to Ukraine to support fundraising and other aid efforts related to the ongoing war.

Conway, an associate at Cooney & Conway, a midsize plaintiff’s law firm in Chicago, represents victims of serious personal injury and wrongful death, specializing in cases involving asbestos-related diseases. For her efforts, she won the 2024 Young Lawyer of the Year award from the Illinois State Bar Association and Forbes named her one of Chicago’s Best Wrongful Death Lawyers of 2024.

When Charles Lowery assumed the role of president of the DC Bar, he brought a simple mantra with him: Connect the dots. The legal community in Washington, DC, offers a wealth of associations and other groups dedicated to the profession, but Lowery says there are additional opportunities for beneficial collaborations.