Working Towards Nine

Justices Michael and Megan Cavanagh talk with Host Lauren Kissel about being the first father and daughter to sit on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Justice Michael F. Cavanagh earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Law School in 1966. Justice Cavanagh was elected to the Judicial District Court, where he served from 1973 until 1974. In 1975, he was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals and served in that position until 1982. In November of 1982, he was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court and re-elected in November 1990, 1998, and 2006. Cavanagh served as Chief Justice from 1991 until 1995.

In addition to his professional career, Cavanagh has been a member of various legal and community organizations. He is a member of several bar associations and judicial committees. Cavanagh was on the Board of Directors for Cooley Law School, the American Heart Association, and the Lansing YMCA. He is a past president of the Incorporated Society of Irish-American Lawyers.

Cavanagh ties Big Four Justice James V. Campbell for longest service on the Michigan Supreme Court. He is the father of Justice Megan Cavanagh.

Justice Megan Cavanagh is a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering and Wayne State University Law School. Before joining the Michigan Supreme Court in January of 2019, she had over fifteen years of experience as one of Michigan’s top appellate attorneys and was a shareholder at Garan Lucow Miller P.C. in Detroit.

Justice Cavanagh is the Supreme Court Liaison to Tribal Courts, Child Welfare Services, the Well-Being in the Law Task Force, the Attorney Grievance Commission, and the Judicial Tenure Commission. She also serves as the Co-Lead to the Child Protective Legal Representation Task Force and on the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Task Force.

Justice Cavanagh has served as Chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan, as a council person for the Negligence Section of the State Bar of Michigan, as co-chair of the Michigan Bench Bar Appellate Conference Foundation, and as a member of the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission.

Prior to her election to the Court, Justice Cavanagh was rated as one of Michigan's Super Lawyers. She was honored by Michigan Lawyer's Weekly as Lawyer of the Year in 2006 and a Woman in the Law in 2017.

Justice Cavanagh and her husband have four children.

Lauren Kissel is an associate attorney at the Sinas Dramis Law Firm in Lansing, Michigan. She represents people in a wide variety of personal injury cases. Lauren plays a crucial role as part of the Sinas Dramis legal team in representing complex cases, such as the Andary case, which is a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the 2019 amendments to Michigan’s no-fault law on behalf of several motor vehicle accident victims, their families, and providers. She graduated from Michigan State University Law School.

Lauren is an active member of Michigan’s legal community and serves as the president-elect of the Ingham County Bar Association – Young Lawyers Section, the membership communications director of the Women Lawyers Association Mid-Michigan Region, an executive board member of the Michigan Association for Justice, and a member of the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing soccer, and going on walks with her husband and two dogs.

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WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

Host Carrie Almassian interviews Alisha Meneely, the government and community outreach coordinator

Carrie Almassian is an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Michigan.  She works in the Civil Division and defends the United States in its agencies in civil litigation including Title VII actions, tort actions brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Administrative Procedure Act matters, and immigration litigation.  Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a J.D. from Wayne State University.

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WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

Host Nicole Smithson speaks with Zenell Brown, a DISC assessment administrator. In this episode, Zenell explains what the DISC assessment is, the four types of behavioral types identified by the DISC assessment, and what our behavioral type can teach us about our leadership and communication styles.

Zenell Brown is the Region 1 administrator for the State Court Administrative Office, the former executive court administrator of the Wayne County Circuit Court, president of the Detroit Bar Association, author of Coffee and Conversations, Inclusion and Belonging, and a WLAM director.

Nicole Smithson is currently president-elect of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, creative director of Working Towards Nine, and editor-in-chief of the WLAM Journal. She is also on the editorial board of the Women Lawyers Journal, the journal of the National Association of Women Lawyers. Nicole graduated from Wayne State University Law School and the University of Detroit Mercy.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

In this episode of Working Towards Nine, our Secretary Kristina Bilowus sits down with the Michigan Center for Civic Education (MCCE) Ellen Zwarensteyn to discuss the role of MCCE, its impact on civic engagement, and opportunities for pipelines to law.

Ellen Zwarensteyn serves as the Executive Director at the

Ellen comes to MCCE as an educator. A teacher and administrator, Ellen has coached nationally top ranked policy debate teams and brings almost 30 years of coaching, teaching, and/or facilitating experience. Furthermore, her Masters in Communications focused on how simulated and

In her role with MCCE, Ellen partners with various stakeholders working to advance civic education. A founding member of the MiCivics Coalition, MCCE continues to seek champions and input for our next steps for more vibrant civic education experiences. Also at MCCE, Ellen works with all schools who wish to enhance and advance civic education. MCCE also partners with numerous state and national organizations, including iCivics, Center for Civic Education, the National Constitution Center, and more. She is also a graduate of several MCCE programs (including We the People and Mock Trial) and can speak to the experiences from organizational, administrative, teacher, and student perspectives.  

MCCE works with students, teachers, administrators, and

Kristina received her JD from Cooley Law School, and her LLM from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. She received her BA from Madonna University. She currently serves as an Assistant Director at MSU College of Law, where she advises, provides career counseling, and offers professional development assistance for law students and new attorneys. Previously, she practiced family law and criminal defense in metro Detroit.

 Kristina is very active in leadership and professional organizations, including serving in organizations like WLAM (Secretary), ICBA DEI Committee (Co-Chair), OCBA DEI Committee (Co-Chair), SBM YLS (prior Chair), SBM BOC, SBM Strategic Planning Committee , MCCE Board Member,  and various leadership roles within the WLAM regions and committees.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠,

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all

Host Carrie Almassian speaks with the Honorable Jane Beckering, a United States District Court Judge in the Western District of Michigan, and the most recent Article III judge appointed to the federal bench.  Judge Beckering began her career as a commercial litigator in Chicago, Illinois.  She later returned to Grand Rapids where she practiced negligence and wrongful death cases. In 2007, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Judge Beckering to the Michigan Court of Appeals, where she served until the senate confirmed her nomination to the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan in December 2021.  Among other achievements, Judge Beckering served as the President of the Grand Rapids Bar Association and as served on the Hillman Advocacy Program steering committee for 22 years.

Carrie Almassian is an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Michigan.  She works in the Civil Division and defends the United States in its agencies in civil litigation including Title VII actions, tort actions brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Administrative Procedure Act matters, and immigration litigation.  Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a J.D. from Wayne State University. 

For more information about the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, please visit https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

The National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations (NCWBA) is a unique organization of women’s bar associations, for women’s bar associations, representing approximately 35,000 women lawyers.  It provides a national forum for exchanging ideas and information vital to organizational growth and success in today’s profession.

For leaders of women’s bar associations, active participation in the NCWBA is an easy way to access the wisdom and experience of peers in other states and provinces, to give or get inspiration and to keep up with the challenges faced by those who juggle the competing concerns of law practice, bar leadership and personal life.

The NCWBA is an affiliate of the American Bar Association, with a vote in the ABA House of Delegates. The NCWBA works closely with the ABA sections and commissions, as well as with other ABA affiliate organizations.

Sheila Abron (Willis) is a partner at Fisher Phillips, LLP, where she represents employers in all types of employment law matters, federal contractor compliance, and Title IX compliance. She frequently advises employers and speaks on topics regarding hiring, discipline, investigations, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is co-Chair of the Firm’s Affirmative Action and Federal Contractor Compliance Practice group and co-lead’s the Firm’s diversity book club. She is a former president of both the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers’ Division. She is currently President of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations and serves on the South Carolina Bar Board of Governors. A former Staff Attorney for the South Carolina Supreme Court, she is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. She is an active community volunteer, serving as a member of the Junior League of Columbia and the Board of Directors for Trustus Theater and the Riverbanks Zoo Society. She is a recipient of the Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law and has been recognized as a Woman of Influence by the Columbia Regional Business report, a Best and Brightest 35 and Under by Columbia Business Monthly, and a Top 40 under 40 lawyer by the American Bar Association.

Tanya A. Grillo (Grillo Law, PLLC) is a criminal defense attorney based in Macomb County, MI. Ms. Grillo is the current Vice President of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, a Director at Large for The National Conference of Women Bar Associations, and a Past President - Women's Lawyers Association of Michigan; Macomb Region. From 2017-2018, she was the Regional Manager for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) for Lapeer, Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair counties and worked to reform the indigent defense system. Upon returning to private practice in 2019, Ms. Grillo has her work in indigent defense and is the Managed Assigned Counsel Coordinator for the city of Southfield, MI. She is passionate about giving back to her community and profession and sits as the Chair of the Criminal Law Committee for the Macomb County Bar Association and an advocate for Friend of Foster Kids. Ms. Grillo received a Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

In this episode of Working Towards Nine, our Marketing and Branding Director Lindsey LaForest sits down with Molly Ranns, the Director for the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program (LJAP). They discuss the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program and mental health in the law. Learn more about all that LJAP has to offer at https://www.michbar.org/generalinfo/ljap/home.

Molly Ranns is the Director for the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program where she has worked for the past 12 years.  She earned her Graduate Degree in Counseling from Michigan State University.  Molly is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and an Internationally Certified addictions therapist.  She is an Advisory Committee member to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and a member of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs.  Molly co-hosts a podcast produced by Legal Talk Network, SBM On Balance, which explores the intersection between practice management and lawyer well-being.  She was a member of the Task Force on Well-Being in the Law, a collaboration between the State Bar of Michigan and the Michigan Supreme Court, and will now serve as Vice-Chair of the Commission on Well-Being.  She presents regularly on topics pertaining to law student and lawyer well-being and has extensive experience working with impaired professionals, substance use disorders, and mental health diagnoses.

Lindsey LaForest is an Associate Attorney at Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler PLC. She focuses her work on corporate law and real estate law, while also gaining experience in estate planning and commercial litigation. She is the current Director of Programming for the Women's Lawyers Association of Michigan; Wayne Region and the Marketing and Branding Director for the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Lindsey earned a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School.

To learn more about the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program, visit this link -https://www.michbar.org/generalinfo/ljap/home.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

Loida L. Tapia has dedicated her career in building capacity for communities to engage in public policy and government both at the state and federal level. Loida led MI Poder, a new 501c4 in Michigan, to engage Latino communities across the state in civic participation and political advocacy.  She previously led the Redistricting Initiative for the Michigan Nonprofit Association; the largest statewide redistricting engagement program. In 2020 she led the ACLU of Michigan's Election Protection Program. In 2019 Loida established the Office of Public Engagement in the Michigan Department of State. As Director, she led internal analysis of policy to remove systemic barriers for marginalized communities to attain Secretary of State services and information. She led the implementation of a statewide public education strategy around new voting rights laws and helped establish the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Prior to her work in Michigan, she served as a Senior Advisory on Workforce Planning and Talent Development to the Obama Administration. As a White House appointee to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, she led the strategic outreach in workforce development in diversity and inclusion. Loida’s previous roles include working in the U.S. Senate for the Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin (2009-2011), both 2008 and 2012 Barack Obama Presidential Campaigns (2007-2008) (2011-2012), and for Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid’s 2010 Senatorial campaign. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is a proud resident of Detroit, MI. 

Abril Valdes Siewert has dedicated her career to social justice. Ms. Siewert has spent the last decade specializing in immigration law; however, recently joined the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission for the State of Michigan as an Administrative Law Specialist. She has worked with small and large firms, as well as non-profit organizations such as Lakeshore Legal Aid; and as the Immigrant Rights Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan. During her time at the ACLU, she co-authored the Michigan Crimmigration resource guide which was distributed throughout the state. Ms. Siewert is licensed in the states of Michigan and California. She received herJ.D., from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her B.A. in English, from California State University Los Angeles. She is a Governor Whitmer appointed Commissioner and Secretary for the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, Secretary for the State Bar of Michigan’s Immigration Law Section, Director at Large and co-chair of the Diversity Equity & Inclusion committee for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, as well as a Board of Director for the Hispanic Bar Association.

[SHOW NOTES]

United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book) http://tinyurl.com/4t9mc2ez

Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation--and Positive Strategies for Change

http://tinyurl.com/55vazbpj

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

Host Carrie Almassian speaks with the Honorable Janet Neff, a United States District Court Judge in the Western District of Michigan.  Judge Neff  attended Wayne State University Law School and was one of six female students in a class of 200, graduating with her J.D. in 1970.  She went on to become the first female partner at a law firm in Grand Rapids and the first female president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association.  Judge Neff was elected to four terms to the Michigan Court of Appeals where she served from 1989 to 2007.  In 2007, Judge Neff was appointed as the first Article III federal district court judge appointed in the Western District.  She assumed senior status on March 1, 2021. 

Carrie Almassian is an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Michigan.  She works in the Civil Division and defends the United States in its agencies in civil litigation including Title VII actions, tort actions brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Administrative Procedure Act matters, and immigration litigation.  Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a J.D. from Wayne State University. 

For more information about the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, please visit https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/.

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. 

Host Alexandria Casperson speaks with Chief Deputy Attorney General Fadwa Hammoud about her experience making history as the youngest ever Michigan Solicitor General and the first Arab-American Solicitor General in the United States, as well as the first Arab-American Muslim woman to argue in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. Hammoud also discusses the impact of public education and importance of public service. 

Fadwa Hammoud is currently the Chief Deputy Attorney General at the Michigan Department of Attorney General. In total, Chief Deputy Hammoud oversees over 500 employees and is responsible for managing the Department’s $100 million annual budget. Chief Deputy Hammoud started with the Department when she was sworn in as Michigan’s 12th Solicitor General on January 15, 2019. Hammoud assumed her role as Michigan’s top appellate attorney after years of public service on behalf of the people of Wayne County. As Lead Attorney under Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy, Hammoud established the Business Protection Unit and prosecuted criminal enterprise, homicide, financial crime, and identity theft cases. Hammoud also served as a Trustee and Treasurer of the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education and the Henry Ford College Board, championing public education in her hometown. A first-generation American, Hammoud advocated on behalf of Wayne County’s various ethnic and immigrant communities and advised state, county, and city leaders on their affairs. 

Alexandria Casperson is an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan. She is currently in the Civil Rights and Elections Division, and formerly worked in the Criminal Trials and Appeals Division with a focus on public integrity cases. Alexandria started her legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Wanye County and served as the Department Executive for the Wayne County Mortgage and Deed Fraud Unit.  She is a Past President of WLAM-Wayne and currently acts as their Director of Finance. Alexandria serves on several committees for the State Board and is the Chair of the Leadership Class Committee. Alexandria earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law, and is a born and raised Yooper. 

You can reach Chief Deputy Fadwa Hammoud by email - [email protected]. For more information about the Michigan Department of Attorney General visit https://www.michigan.gov/ag. Chief Deputy Hammoud argued Brown v Davenport in front of the Supreme Court. Listen to the argument at https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/20-826 and read the court’s decision at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-826_p702.pdf. 

Learn more about WLAM on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ and on our social media platforms ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠.  

WLAM supporters can sponsor the Working Towards Nine Podcast. Sponsorship includes a 30-second promo, either audio created by the sponsor or ad copy read by the producer and the sponsor’s name cited in the show notes. Check out our website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more and purchase a sponsorship.  

WLAM wants the WTN Podcast to be accessible to all who listen. If you would like a free transcript of an episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.