DETROIT CHAPTER FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER, 1990 NOMINEES SOUGHT FOR McCREE AWARD The Detroit Chapter of the Federal Workers Compensation Commission, and Bar Association has established the in 1954, was appointed to the Wayne PeJeral Bar Association Wade Hampton County Circuit Court. Judge McCree McCree, Jr., Award for the advance­ was appointed to the United States ment of social justice. The award District Court for the Eastern Dis­ for the advancement of social jus­ trict of Michigan in 1961 by Presi­ tice will honor an individual or a dent John F.Ke~nedy,and by President group on December 6, 1990, who has Lyndon Johnson to the United States made a significant contribution to Court of Appeals for the Sixth Cir­ the community in areas involving pov­ cuit in 1966. Judge McCree resigned erty, economic or educational oppor­ from Sixth Circuit in March, 1977, tunity, or fighting discrimination to accept appointment by President involving race, gender, ethnicity, Jimmy Carter as Solicitor General of national origin, religion, or eco­ the United States. In 1981, Judge nomic status.The recipient(s) may be McCree left the position of Solici­ selected from any variety of fields tor General,and was appointed Lewis including, among others, law, social M. Simes Professor of Law at the service,community organization,jour­ University of Michigann, where he nalism, or academics. taught until his death in 1987. Deborah Gordon, Chief Judge Julian While a judge in Detroit,Wade McCree Cook of the United States District served as a faculty member of Wayne Court for the Eastern District of State University Law School, and the Michigan,and attorney Mark Granzotto University of Detroit Law School. He are Co-Chairs of the Selection Com­ cared deeply about education, was a mittee. The Co-Chairs would very founder of the Higher Education Op­ much appreciate it if you could as­ portunities Committee at Wayne State sist them by nominating an appropri­ University, and a founding trustee ate recipient for this very impor­ of Friends School in Detroit. He tant award. Please contact Deborah was a trustee at Fisk University, Gordon at 1600 Ford Bldg., Detroit, and had served earlier as an over­ Mi. 48226 or 962-3784, by November seer of Harvard College and the Uni­ 9, 1990 with nominations. versity of Pennsylvania Law School, among many other contributions to the academic community. \. Wade Hampton McCree, Jr., was an ex~remely important member of the Judge McCree was a life member of local national legal and social jus­ the National Association for the Ad­ tice communities. He began his le­ vancement of Colored People. At the gal career, in the firm of Bledsoe time of his death, he served on the and Taylor in Detroit, Michigan, in board of the Detroit Round Table of 1948. In 1952, he was appointed by the National Conference of Chris­ Governor G. Mennen Williams to the tians and Jews, as well as on the boards of numerous national and Michigan charitable and cultural or­ ganizations. .. McCREE AWARD LUNCHEON FBA CONSTITUTION SET FOR DECEMBER 6, 1990 AND BYLAWS CHANGES DEFEATED The next Chapter luncheon, scheduled We have received news that the pro­ for Thursday, December 6, 1990, at posed national Constitution and By­ the Riverfront Ballroom, promises to laws has been soundly DEFEATED. be something special. The luncheon lti dedicated to the memory of Wade With approximately 700 members vot­ ~cCree and will be highlighted by ing and a two-thirds majority being the presentation of the first annual necessary for passage,the final vote Wade McCree Award for the advance­ was 387 in favor to 330 opposed. The Illent of social justice. The featured initiative thus failed by a margin speaker at the luncheon will be Dr. of almost 100 votes. Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard University. The Detroit Chapter helped to lead Professor Sachs,the son of Ted Sachs the opposition to the proposed new was born in Detroit, Michigan, in Constitution and Bylaws. The Chapter 1954. He received his B.A. summa leadership felt strongly that the c~m laude. graduating third in his new changes would permanently ensure class from Harvard in 1976. He re­ the domination of the national or­ ceived his M.A. and Ph.D. from Har­ ganization by Washington-based at­ vard in 1978 and 1980 respectively. torneys. In addition, there was no Dr. Sachs joined the Harvard facul­ true dues rebate increase in the pro ty as an Assistant Professor in 1980 posed new Bylaws, other than merely was promoted to Associate Professor inflationary increments. The current in 1982 and Full Professor in 1983. 12 percent rebate of national dues to local chapters is still unfair, Currently, Dr. Sachs is the Galen L. sinc~ local chapters are forced to Stone Professor of International supplement the meager rebate amounts Trade at Harvard University and a with local dues to conduct programs. Research Associate of the National In our Chapter, we are hampered in Bureau of Economic Research. He raising funds for such worthy pro­ serves as an econom1C advisor to jects as the Rakow Scholarships, the several governments in Latin America McCree, Pratt and Freeman portraits and has contributed to the design of by the unfair proportion of dues re­ economic reform programs introduced tained in Washington. in Poland, and Yugoslavia at the be­ ginning of 1990. Dr. Sachs now di­ We want to thank, the many Detroit rects a project on economic reform Chapter members, who made the effort ill the Soviet Union and Eastern to locate postcards, in the August Europe for the United National Uni­ issue, of the Federal Bar News and versity.World Institute for Develop­ Journal and returned those postcards ment Economics Research in Helsinki, with a "no" vote. You helped defeat Finland. He was recently cited by this objectionable ballot initiative The Economist magazine as one of the It is possible that a more balanced world's leading young economists. document will be proposed in the 1991 fiscal year. We will keep the For tickets to this important event, Chapter membership informed of de­ please contact Program Chair, Tom velopments. Cranmer,or his Legal Assistant Carol Cerwin. at 646-2400. 2 "STATE OF THE COURT" LUNCHEON A HUGE SUCCESS On October 18, over 200 members of You know Julian Cook as Judge, law­ the Detroit Chapter gathered to hear yer, friend, and I'm sure that his Chief Judge Julian Abele Cook,Jr.de­ biographical statistics are familiar tail the state of the United States to you and are not as important to District Court for the Eastern Dis­ you as are his courtroom demeanor, trict of Michigan. In addition to and decisions. noting a decline in the number of civil case filings, Judge Cook's I know Julian Cook as husband,friend comments enlightened the membership and father. I think that he is the on such important issues as the re­ kindest, the most handsome, the most view and revising of the Local Court gentle, the most devoted, and the Rules, reorganization within the most intelligent person in the en­ Clerk's Office and courthouse secur­ tire universe. But there are other ity. Highlighting the luncheon, were aspects of his character which may the comments of Carol Cook, who sur­ interest you -- and which will in­ prised her husband by serving as t rod u c e him toy 0 u a s jus t · an" a v e r - Judge Cook's "introducer." For those age guy. " of you who missed Carol's delightful introduction, her comments are re­ He sometimes drives me, and his se­ printed below: cretary,Pat, crazy with his very eK­ acting notes to us. They are writ­ Little did I think that 33 years af­ ten on napkins, backs of envelopes, ter my groom brought me from the scraps of paper, edges of newspapers wedding altar in Washington, D.C., - giving the date 18 Oct. 1990, time to Michigan, where he was to become 12:02 p.m., and numbered detailed a law clerk in Oakland County Court, instructions.We have had many laughs that I would one day be asked to in­ behind his back-comparing our notes. troduce him to you, the Federal Bar; Then, we know that everything comes to make the State of the Judiciary to a halt for Georgetown Basketball address. For, in 1957, and for too and Penn State Football, (his Alma many years afterward, the federal Maters). He may not remember your bench, the state bench, law firms name, but ask him who made the se­ and most legal opportunities were cond touchdown, in the 1978 Penn virtually closed to people of color, State/Syracuse Game. Sports stats and, indeed, to most women. "One are forever embedded in his mind need not apply" was the order of the along with all of that legal clutter day. which you all must retain. Our thanks to President Jimmy Carter Some people shop at Neiman Marcus for his sensitivity and commitment and Saks, but we search for flea to human rights and to diversity in markets and thrift shops-even while the federal courts for appointing traveling. He buys tools, phones, Julian Abele Cook, Jr., in 1978 to clocks, radios, and gadgets - we the bench and for making this day often have to ship home our question­ possible. May this nation continue able treasures. He has a collection to value equal opportunity for all of used phones - now most of them of its citizens. Now that I have don't work, but invariably, he will made my philosophical statement, let buy more.He has at least nine screw me get on with the business at drivers and thirteen wrenches, of hand.