University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Professor Lawrence Dubin received the State Bar of Michigan’s John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award during the annual State Bar of Michigan NEXT Conference in Grand Rapids in September.
The prestigious John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award is presented periodically to an educator from a Michigan law school whose influence on lawyers has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state. The award is named after the late University of Michigan Law Professor John Reed who, over the course of his decades-long career, earned a reputation as a preeminent scholar, teacher and community member.
“We are proud of Professor Dubin and pleased to see him receive this well-deserved recognition. Throughout his 44 years at Detroit Mercy Law, he has been a dedicated professor who has made a positive impact on our graduates and their careers,” said Detroit Mercy Law Dean Phyllis L. Crocker.
Dubin, who joined the faculty at Detroit Mercy Law in 1975, has taught courses in Civil Procedure, Evidence, Trial Practice and Professional Responsibility.
His expertise on ethics in the legal profession led to his appointments by the Michigan Supreme Court as a member and chair of the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, an entity that prosecutes lawyers for acts of professional misconduct. He also served for many years on the State Bar of Michigan’s Standing Committee on Grievance and is currently the co-chair for the State Bar’s Lawyers and Judges Assistance Committee.
Dubin has produced a number of public television programs about civil rights lawyers, which included interviews with Rosa Parks, former U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Texas and Martin Luther King Jr.’s lawyer, Fred Gray. For his work on these programs, Dubin was twice awarded the State Bar of Michigan’s Wade H. McCree Jr. Award for the Advancement of Justice.
A prolific scholar, Dubin has written many books, law review articles and journal articles on the subjects of legal ethics, evidence and trial practice. He is also a frequently consulted legal expert on radio and television programs, and has been quoted many times in local and national newspapers, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and the National Law Journal.
Dubin received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Michigan. Prior to becoming a law professor, he practiced law for several years. After an illustrious career, Dubin will retire from Detroit Mercy Law in May 2019.
