List of University of Michigan Law School alumni explained

The list of University of Michigan Law School alumni includes notable alumni of University of Michigan Law School.

Alphabetized list

A-D

• Ralph W. Aigler (J.D. 1907), expert on property; member of U-M faculty, 1910–1954; inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
• Gideon Winans Allen (LAW 1864), Wisconsin State Assemblyman
• Ronald J. Allen (J.D. 1973), Northwestern University John Henry Wigmore Professor of Law, one of only four Americans to be designated as a Yangtze River Scholar (China's highest academic award, formerly only for Nobel Laureates) in 2007; the first law professor to receive the award, which usually goes to scientists or economists
• Justin Amash (J.D. 2005), U.S. congressman from Michigan, 2011–2021
• Edgardo Angara (LL.M. 1964), former president of the University of the Philippines; Senate President of the Philippines
• George Ariyoshi (J.D. 1952), third governor of Hawaii (1974–1986)^[1]
• Susanne Baer (LL.M. 1993), elected to the German Federal Constitutional Court in February 2011
• Melody Barnes (J.D. 1989), director of the President's Domestic Policy Council
• Mitchell Berman, Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
• Mary Frances Berry (J.D. 1970), former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights; current professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania
• Lester Bird (LL.B. 1959), Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
• Henry Bodenstab (LL.B. 1898), Wisconsin State Senator
• Heidi Bond (J.D.), bestselling author of historical romance novels under the pseudonym Courtney Milan^[2]
• Willard Lee Boyd (LAW: LL.M. 1952; S.J.D. 1962), president emeritus of University of Iowa, and its 15th president; chairman of the Association of American Universities, 1979–1980
• Steven G. Bradbury (J.D. 1988), former acting assistant attorney general (Office of Legal Counsel)
• Charles Henry Brown, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
• John Robert Brown (J.D. 1932), Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, one of the "Fifth Circuit Four"
• Vernon A. Bullard (LL.B. 1884), United States Attorney for the District of Vermont^[3]
  • William J. Bulow (LL.B. 1893), U.S. Senator from and Governor of South Dakota Rousseau Angelus Burch (1885), Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court^[4]
• Nicole (Niki) Burnham (J.D. 1994), author, RITA award winner
• Clarence A. Buskirk, 10th Indiana Attorney General (1874–1878)^[5]
• Michael T. Cahill (1996), Dean of Brooklyn Law School
• Llewellyn L. Callaway (LL.B. 1891), chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court^[6]
• David Francis Cargo (LL.B. 1957), Governor of New Mexico, 1967–71; New Mexico State House of Representatives Albuquerque (1963–67)^[7]
• Roger Carter (LL.M., 1968), dean of University of Saskatchewan College of Law; recipient of Order of Canada^[8]
  • Avern Cohn (J.D. 1949), Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan William W. Cook (JD 1882), heavily published and cited author of textbooks on corporate law; donor of the quadrangle to Michigan
• Ann Coulter (J.D. 1988), political personality, author
• Mike Cox (J.D. 1989), Michigan Attorney General, 2003–2010
• Andrew Cray, LGBT rights activist and husband of Delaware state senator Sarah McBride
• George Crockett Jr. (LAW: 1934), civil rights activist; helped found the National Lawyers Guild; first African American lawyer hired by the Department of Labor; Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit, Michigan, 1966–74; U.S. House of Representatives (D-Mich.), 1991^[9]
• Byron Mac Cutcheon (LL.B. 1866), American Civil War officer; Medal of Honor recipient; politician from Michigan^[10]
• Clarence Darrow (attended), trial lawyer; defense counsel in the Scopes Monkey Trial and Leopold and Loeb
• Harry M. Daugherty (LL.B. 1880), United States Attorney General, 1921–24, Republican Party boss, member of the "Ohio Gang"
• William R. Day (LL.B. 1870), United States Secretary of State, 1898; United States Supreme Court Associate Justice, 1903–1922
• Pat DeWine (JD 1994), Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, 2017–
• Donald McDonald Dickinson (LL.B. 1867), in 1887 appointed by Grover Cleveland as United States Postmaster General; served from January 6, 1888, until the end of Cleveland's first term in 1889
• Gershwin A. Drain (J.D.), District Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan^[11]
• Mike Duggan (J.D. 1983), incumbent and 75th mayor of Detroit, Michigan, serving since 2013, and former deputy County Executive of Wayne County

E-G

• David M. Ebel (J.D. 1965), Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit^[12]
• Harry T. Edwards (J.D. 1965), former chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit^[13]
• Larry Elder (J.D. 1977), syndicated radio and television talk show host
• Rossa Fanning (LL.M 2000), Attorney General of Ireland (2022–present)^{[14] [15]}
• John Feikens (J.D.), politician and judge from Michigan; Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (1986–present); was nominated to the same district court by three presidents^[16]
• Heidi Li Feldman (J.D. 1990), American law professor
• Jeffrey L. Fisher (J.D. 1997), Stanford Law School professor; prevailing counsel in Crawford v. Washington and Blakely v. Washington
• Harold Ford Jr. (J.D. 1996), former U.S. Representative from Tennessee; Democratic Leadership Council chair^[17]
• Ralph M. Freeman (LL.B. 1926), Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• John J. Gardner (attended 1866–1867), U.S. Representative from New Jersey; mayor of Atlantic City^[18]
• Ralph F. Gates (J.D. 1917), 37th governor of Indiana^[19]
• Richard Gephardt (J.D. 1965), U.S. Representative from Missouri (1977–2005); House Majority Leader, 1989–1995; Minority Leader, 1995–2003^[20]
• Heather K. Gerken (J.D. 1994), 17th Dean of Yale Law School^[21]
• Charles E. Gibson Jr. (LL.B. 1952), Vermont Attorney General^[22]
• Ernest Willard Gibson (attended 1898–99), United States Senator from Vermont^[23]
• Arthur L. Gilliom (LL.B. 1913), 25th Indiana Attorney General (1925–1929)^[24]
• Paul Gillmor (J.D. 1964), U.S. Representative from Ohio, 5th District; President of the Ohio Senate^[25]
• Jay Gorney (LL.B. 1919), Tin Pan Alley songwriter who co-wrote "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?;" blacklisted during McCarthy era
• Ronald M. Gould (J.D. 1973), Judge, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit^[26]
• Jim Graham (D.C. City Councilmember)
• Chuck Greenberg (J.D. 1985), owner, CEO of the Texas Rangers
• Wycliffe Grousbeck (J.D. 1986), owner of the Boston Celtics

H-K

• Franklin D. Hale (LL.B. 1877), Vermont Auditor of Accounts, and longtime U.S. Consul in several locations
• Seneca Haselton (LL.B. 1875), mayor of Burlington, Vermont, U.S. Minister to Venezuela, Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[27]
• Kirby Hendee (LL.B. 1953), Wisconsin State Senator
• J. Lister Hill (attended), former U.S. Senator from Alabama^[28]
• James P. Hoffa (LL.B. 1966), president, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• James W. Houck (J.D. 1985), Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy
• Harland Bradley Howe (LL.B. 1894), United States District Court for the District of Vermont
• Wilbur E. Hurlbut (LL.B. 1893), Wisconsin State Assemblyman
• Bela S. Huntington (attended 1882–83), member of the Oregon House of Representatives
• Sada Jacobson (J.D. 2011), Olympic fencing silver and bronze medalist
• Valerie Jarrett (J.D. 1981), senior advisor to President Obama
• Christopher M. Jeffries (J.D. 1974), real estate developer and namesake of Jeffries Hall
• Robert M. Johnson (J.D. 1971), former publisher of Newsday
• Matthew M. Joyce, United States federal judge^[29]
• Amalya Lyle Kearse (J.D. 1962), Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit^[30]
• Paul S. Kemp (J.D. 2000), fantasy author, known for Forgotten Realms novels; defender of shared world fiction; his novel Deceived (2011) was on the New York Times best-seller list
• Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy (J.D. 1947), Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit^[31]
• Raymond Kethledge (J.D. 1993), Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit^[32]
• John Knauf (1892), justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court^[33]

L-Q

• Cary D. Landis (LL.B., 1899), 25th Florida Attorney General (1931–1938)
• Eric Lefkofsky (J.D. 1993), serial entrepreneur; co-founder of and angel investor in Groupon; president of private equity and consulting firm Blue Media, LLC; named to Forbes 2011 list of billionaires
• Jeffrey Lehman (J.D. 1981), 11th President of Cornell University
• Brian Leiter (J.D. 1987), professor, University of Chicago
• U. S. Lesh (LL.B., 1891), 24th Indiana Attorney General (1921–1925)^[34]
• Jason Levien (J.D. 1997), co-owner of the Major League Soccer club D.C. United and Welsh club Swansea City A.F.C.
• Tom Lewand (J.D. 1996), president of the Detroit Lions
• E.W. Marland (LL.B., 1893), oilman; U.S. Congressman; Oklahoma governor^[35]
• J. Thomas McCarthy (J.D. 1963), author of McCarthy's Treatise on Trademark and Unfair Competition
• Francis McNulty Jr. (LL.B. 1888), Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives, 1896–1898
• Charles Edward Merrill (1906–1907), co-founded stock brokerage firm Merrill Lynch with Edmund C. Lynch; worked at Merrill Lynch, 1914–56
• Charles W. Miller (1884), 18th Indiana Attorney General (1903–1907)^[36]
• Robert E. Minahan (LL.B. 1894), Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
• Jeffrey P. Minear (J.D. 1982), Counselor to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
• Mayo Moran (LL.M. 1992), Professor of Law, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College, Toronto
• Frank Murphy (LL.B. 1914), United States Attorney General, 1939; United States Supreme Court Associate Justice, 1940–1949^[37]
• Gordon Myse (LL.B. 1960), Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
• Harry Nelson, author
• Helen W. Nies (L.L.B. 1948), Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1990–1994
• Ronald L. Olson (J.D. 1967), attorney and name partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
• Kevyn Orr (J.D. 1983), partner with Jones Day LLP and emergency financial manager of the city of Detroit, Michigan, 2013–2014
• Rob Pelinka (J.D. 1996), general manager of Los Angeles Lakers; former sports agent, known for representing Kobe Bryant
• Frank Plumley (attended 1867–68), United States Congressman from Vermont
• Mark F. Pomerantz (J.D. 1975), New York attorney
• Lloyd Welch Pogue (J.D.), pioneering aviation attorney; chairman of the now-defunct Civil Aeronautics Board
• John Porter (J.D. 1961), United States Representative from Illinois, 1980–2001
• Rob Portman (J.D. 1984), director of the Office of Management and Budget; United States Senator from Ohio^[38]

R-Z

• Luis María Ramírez Boettner (J.D. 1944), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, 1993–1996
• Clark T Randt Jr. (J.D. 1975), United States ambassador to China (2001–2009)
• Nicholas Ranjan (J.D. 2003), District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Branch Rickey (LL.B. 1911), Major League Baseball executive and Hall of Famer; created the modern minor league system and signed Jackie Robinson to a contract, breaking the sport's 20th-century color line
• Richard Riordan (J.D. 1956), Mayor of Los Angeles, 1993–2001
• John M. Rogers (J.D. 1974), Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit^[39]
• Marvin B. Rosenberry (J.D. 1893), Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
• Donald Stuart Russell, U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1965–1966; 107th Governor of South Carolina, 1963–1965^[40]
• Ken Salazar (J.D. 1981), former U.S. Senator from Colorado; former United States Secretary of the Interior^[41]
• Miriam Defensor Santiago (LL.M. 1975, S.J.D. 1976), member of the Senate of the Philippines; Judge of the International Criminal Court
• Joseph Francis Sartori 1881, founder and president, Security First-National Bank, co-founder, president, Los Angeles Country Club^[42]
• Anthony Joseph Scirica (J.D. 1965), chief judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• Robert E. Scott (S.J.D. 1973), bankruptcy scholar and professor at Columbia Law School
• Carol Sanger (J.D. 1976), reproductive rights expert, professor at Columbia Law School
• Theary Seng, Cambodian-American human-rights activist and lawyer
• Ma. Lourdes Aranal Sereno (LL.M. 1993), Filipino jurist, lawyer and law professor; former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Myra C. Selby (J.D. 1977), first woman and first African American Justice on the Indiana Supreme Court
• Cynthia Leitich Smith (J.D. 1994), author
• Rick Snyder (J.D. 1982), former CEO of Gateway; former Governor of Michigan^[43]
• George Alexander Spater (J.D. 1933), chairman of American Airlines, 1968–1973
• Oliver Lyman Spaulding (LL.B., 1896), U.S. Army brigadier general^[44]
• Robert Stafford, US congressman and senator; 71st Governor of Vermont^[45]
• Bert Sugar (J.D. 1961), author of more than 80 books; editor and publisher of The Ring, a magazine devoted to boxing (his daughter Jennifer attended Michigan as an undergrad)
• George Sutherland (attended 1891), United States Supreme Court Justice^[46]
• Kent D. Syverud (J.D. 1981), dean of the Washington University School of Law
• Masaaki Tanaka (LL.M), president and chief executive officer of UnionBanCal Corporation and its principal subsidiary, Union Bank of California
• Daniel Tarullo (J.D. 1977), member of Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve Board since January 28, 2009
• Hobart Taylor Jr., executive vice chairman of the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities,^[47] Special Counsel to President Lyndon Johnson,^[48] director of the Export–Import Bank of the United States;^[49] first African American editor of the Michigan Law Review^[50]
• Arn Tellem (J.D.), sports agent; former columnist for The New York Times
• Larry Dean Thompson (J.D.), lawyer; deputy Attorney General of the United States under United States President George W. Bush until August 2003^[51]
• William Wheeler Thornton (LL.B. 1876), judge; author; Indiana Deputy Attorney General; Indiana State Supreme Ct. Librarian
• Norman O. Tietjens (J.D. 1930), judge of the United States Tax Court^{[52] [53]}
• John D. Voelker (JD 1928), justice of the Michigan Supreme Court; author of Anatomy of a Murder
• John M. Walker Jr. (J.D. 1966), former Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit^[54]
• Moses Fleetwood Walker (attended 1881–1882), baseball player and author; first African-American to play major league professional baseball
• Johnnie Mac Walters, former Commissioner of Internal Revenue
• Albert D. Walton (LL.B. 1907), former US Attorney for the district of Wyoming
• James Franklin Ware, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and Senator
• Charles W. Waterman (LL.B. 1889), U.S. Senator from Colorado
• Walter W. Wensinger (LL.B. 1917), highly decorated lieutenant general in the Marine Corps during World War II
• Sarah Killgore Wertman (LL.B. 1871), née Sarah Killgore, the first woman to be admitted to the bar of any US state
• David Westin (J.D. 1977), president of ABC News
• Mary Collins Whiting (1835–1912), lawyer, business woman, teacher
• James J. White (J.D. 1962), Robert A. Sullivan Professor of Law at Michigan Law; expert on the Uniform Commercial Code
• G. Mennen Williams (J.D. 1936), 41st Governor of Michigan and the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President John F. Kennedy
• Ralph Wilson, owner, Buffalo Bills
• Bob Woodruff (J.D. 1987), journalist; ABC News anchor
• Frank Wu, dean of University of California, Hastings College of the Law
• John C.H. Wu (J.D. 1928), principal author of the constitution of the Republic of China
• Sam Zell (LSA B.A. 1963; J.D. 1966), land developer; founder of EQ Office; former National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts chairman; current chairman and majority owner of the Tribune Company

See also

• University of Michigan Law School

Notes and References

1. Web site: George Ariyoshi . 23 October 2012 . National Governors Association.
2. Web site: About Courtney . 8 June 2015.
3. Book: Carleton, Hiram . Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont . 1903 . Lewis Publishing Company . 9780806347943 . 1 . New York, NY . 461–462 . .
4. Web site: Rousseau Angelus Burch – Kansapedia – Kansas Historical Society . 6 December 2020 . www.kshs.org.
5. Book: Monks . Leander John . Courts and lawyers of Indiana . 1916 . Federal Publishing Company . Indianapolis .
6. "Supreme Court Commission Is Named By The Justices", The Anaconda Standard (March 8, 1903), p. 3.
7. Web site: David Francis Cargo . 23 October 2012 . National Governors Association.
8. Uncredited, Profile of Roger Carter ; Robertson Stromberg. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
9. Web site: George W. Crockett, Jr. . 23 October 2012 . National Governors Association.
10. Web site: Byron Cutcheon . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
11. Web site: Gershwin A. Drain . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
12. Web site: David M. Ebel . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
13. Web site: Harry T. Edwards . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
14. News: Judges lack the resources to deal with this recession . 17 December 2022 . Irish Independent . 24 October 2013 . en.
15. Web site: PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE AND LIABILITY UPDATE . PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE LAWYERS’ ASSOCIATION . 18 December 2022.
16. Web site: History of the Federal Judiciary . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
17. Web site: Harold Ford, Jr. . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
18. Web site: John J. Gardner . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
19. Web site: Ralph F. Gates . 23 October 2012.
20. Web site: Richard Gephardt . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
21. Web site: Heather Gerken Selected as Next Dean of Yale Law School . 21 February 2017 . April 23, 2017 . Yale Law School.
22. News: June 7, 1954 . Charles E. Gibson Opens Law Office in St. Johnsbury . 5 . Burlington Free Press . Burlington, VT . subscription.
23. Book: Ellis, William Arba . Norwich University, 1819–1911; Her History, Her Graduates, Her Roll of Honor . 1911 . Capital City Press . 3 . Montpelier, VT . 283.
24. Verbeek . Ann Gilliom . The League and the Law: Arthur L. Gilliom and the Problem of Due Process in Prohibition-Era Indiana . Indiana Magazine of History . December 2011 . 107 . 4 . 289–326 . 10.5378/indimagahist.107.4.0289 . 10.5378/indimagahist.107.4.0289 .
25. Web site: Gillmor, Paul E. . April 2, 2021 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
26. Web site: Gould, Ronald Murray . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160730115701/http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf/hisj . 30 July 2016 . 11 August 2016 . Biographical Directory of Federal Judges . Federal Judiciary Center.
27. News: July 22, 1921 . Judge Haselton Dies at Age of 73 . 8 . Burlington Free Press . Burlington, VT . subscription . . Newspapers.com.
28. Web site: J. Lister Hill . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
29. Web site: Pat ThJoyce, Matthew M.omas . September 6, 2012 . Federal Judicial Center.
30. Web site: http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/nGetInfo?jid=1236&cid=999&ctype=na&instate=na . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
31. Web site: Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120212235248/http://www.michbar.org/journal/article.cfm?articleID=105&volumeID=9&viewType=archive . 12 February 2012 . 23 October 2012 . Michigan Lawyers in History.
32. Web site: Raymond Kethledge . 23 October 2012 . History of the Federal Judiciary.
33. Web site: John Knauf . www.ndcourts.gov . 7 October 2022.
34. Web site: Ulysses Samuel Lesh . Indiana State Library. 8 December 2020 .
35. Scales, James R. and Danny Goble (1982). "E.W. Marland: The New Deal's Pale Imitation." Oklahoma Politics: A History. University of Oklahoma.
36. Book: Monks . Leander John . Courts and lawyers of Indiana . 1916 . Federal Publishing Company . Indianapolis .
37. Web site: Frank Murphy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100530155443/http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/nGetMan?jid=1722 . 30 May 2010 . 23 October 2012 . Federal Judicial Center.
38. Web site: Rob Portman . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
39. Web site: John M. Rogers . 23 October 2012 . Federal Judicial Center.
40. Web site: Donald Stuart Russell . 23 October 2012 . National Governors Association.
41. Web site: Ken Salazar . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
42. Web site: Joseph Francis Sartori . 18 April 2015.
43. Web site: Rick Snyder . 23 October 2012 . National Governors Association.
44. Book: Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. . 1998 . Generals in Khaki . Raleigh, NC . Pentland Press . 343 . 978-1-5719-7088-6 . Google Books.
45. Web site: Robert Theodore Stafford . October 10, 2012 . NNDB.
46. Web site: George Sutherland . 23 October 2012 . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
47. News: September 11, 1962 . Gets Promotion . A11 . The Washington Post . none.

    News: Negro Will Head Job Equality Unit. The Washington Post. September 11, 1962. A20.

48. News: April 5, 1964 . Negro Named Associate Counsel to Johnson . A8 . The Washington Post . none.

    News: 3 Are Appointed to Johnson Staff. The New York Times. April 5, 1964. 83.

49. News: Karnow . Stanley . August 26, 1965 . Four Added To Goldberg U.N. Staff: James Roosevelt, Others Tapped in Changing of Guard . A1 . The Washington Post . none.

    News: President Appoints Negro Export-Import Bank Aide. The New York Times. August 26, 1965. 12.

50. Web site: Pruitt . Benadette . June 18, 2013 . Taylor, Hobart Jr. . December 26, 2016 . Handbook of Texas Online.
51. Web site: Larry Dean Thompson . 23 October 2012 . Soylent Communications.
52. Official Congressional Directory (1979), p. 749.
53. United States Tax Court, "Memorial Proceedings for the Honorable Norman O. Tietjens, Judge, United States Tax Court", Reports of the Tax Court of the United States, Vol. 81, p. iii–xxi.
54. Web site: John M. Walker, Jr. . 23 October 2012 . Federal Judicial Center.