Sisters in Law (and Life)
Were you ever told that Law School would break you down and build you up? For eight Wayne Law alumnae enrolled as 1L's in Professor Arthur Lombard's Civil Procedure class in the early 1980s, the challenging journey of law school marked the beginning of a beautiful, lifelong friendship. Although they came from different backgrounds, these women forged a bond spanning both distance and time. When one of the "sisters" recently lost her life to cancer, the alumnae were determined to find a way to make her legacy last.
"The bond that was made among this group of women was tremendous."
After graduating from Wayne Law in 1984, it seemed that everyone was going in a different direction, but the attornies were determined to stay in touch, and they agreed to at least attempt to meet up every other year. They gathered for a weekend in Pentwater, MI, for their first informal reunion and shared their experiences making headway in the legal profession. In the 1980s, it was typical for women to be in the minority at their firms or places of work, and the alumnae could always count on one another to offer support, ideas, or laughs.
"Sisters is the right word…it's hard to convey how wonderful a group of women it is."
As the "sisters" careers developed and families grew, meeting up became more challenging, but they never went more than three years without seeing each other. After their first trip to Pentwater, they realized that geographically, Chicago served as a centralized meeting place, and they met there for almost 15 years. Now that their children have grown up and some members have retired, they have taken turns visiting each other's hometowns - stops included Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland. Next on the list is Kansas.
When a member of the sisterhood was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, the alumnae knew what to do and dropped everything to show up for her. Antonié "Tina" Walsh, who her sisters described as "heroic in her fight against cancer," passed away in 2018 and is survived by her two children, Michael and Christina.
The COVID-19 pandemic limited feasible opportunities for the alumnae to gather together in person, but in the summer of 2021, they finally reconvened in northern Michigan. On this trip to the countryside, the alumnae recounted their memories of Walsh and the "Sisters in Law" decided to make a cumulative gift in honor of her to benefit Wayne Law's Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic.
"It is good to give back, and we are pleased to do it. We're all very happy to be able to find a place at Wayne Law to make the contribution."
They may have left Wayne Law in 1984, but the "Sisters in Law" have made it clear that they will remember each other forever. As an adjunct faculty and alumna of Wayne State, Walsh had a unique connection to the University. She was described as a "sweet, smart and humble person." Her "Sisters in Law" are pleased to honor her distinctive spirit with this memorial gift.
To learn more about the work of the Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic, please visit: https://law.wayne.edu/academics/clinics/cancer
Sisters in Law (Front row: left to right)
Crispin Birnbaum, '84 of Watertown, MA went on to become a public sector attorney representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, now active as an Access to Justice Fellow in Massachusetts.
Gretchen Miller, of Milwaukee, WI transferred after her first year to the University of Michigan where she graduated and then pursued a career in civil rights and employment law. She now works in philanthropy in higher education.
(Back row: left to right)
Mary Balazs-Shellito, '84 of Wichita, Kansas practiced in areas of criminal, elder law and family mediation.
Rebecca Shiemke, '84 of Ann Arbor, MI pursued a career in legal aid advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence.
Bonnie Heitsch, '84 of Salem, Oregon recently retired as the Assistant Attorney, Oregon Departments of Justice and Transportation.
Susan Neds-Fox, '84 of Frazier, MI spent the bulk of her career at Macomb County Friend of the Court in Interstate Enforcement.
Anne Saad McAlpine, '84, of Grosse Pointe Woods, MI pursued a career in corporate/business law, beginning in a large firm, then as General Counsel for Invetech Company, and most recently, as a solo practitioner in southeast Michigan.
(Not pictured)
Antonié "Tina" Walsh, '84, pursued a career in tax law and taught business law at Wayne State's Mike Ilitch School of Business before her passing in 2018.