The WLAM Leadership Class is a WLAM initiative created to further its mission of securing the rights of women in society, advancing the interests of women members of the legal profession, promoting improvements in the administration of justice, and promoting equality and social justice for all people. The leadership class will benefit law students by providing students with the tools to develop the professional skills necessary for success and leadership positions in law, business, government, the nonprofit sector, and the judiciary. Participation in the Leadership Class will greatly enhance participants’ business contacts, equip them with the tools necessary for professional development, and will provide opportunities that typically do not exist outside the program.
As a part of the WLAM Leadership Class, Class Participants will receive the following benefits:
- Networking opportunities with fellow women lawyers.
- Opportunity to develop leadership tools.
- Improve your career prospects.
- Obtain the ability to formulate and implement effective leadership strategies.
- Identify and develop your leadership style.
- Assist with communication skills.
- Opportunity to provide a day of service to the community.
- Learn how to effectively connect to people, develop the ability to give constructive feedback, and critically seek the feedback of your team.
- Increase your woman lawyer network.
- Meet with WLAM leaders.
- Learn more about the importance about diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership and how WLAM impacts DE&I efforts.
- A WLAM membership.
- A professional headshot with retouching provided by Emma Burcusel.
- WLAM swag.
- Many other opportunities that typically do not exist outside of the Class.
Class Members:
- Alexis Amy, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Alexis Farmer, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Genavieve Kowalski, Wayne State University Law School
- Diana Lazar, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Mecca Muhammad, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Megan Rumbles, Wayne State University Law School
- Marianna Seal, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Liberty Turner, Michigan State University College of Law
- Cassie Weck Wun, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Class Members:
- Adriana Burga, WMU Cooley Law
- Alexis Brown, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Anony Walton, Wayne State University Law School
- Codie Drake, WMU Cooley Law
- Molly DeWyse, Wayne State University Law School
- Rosanna Ameriguian, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Savanna Polimeni, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Stephanie Thomas, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
- Zahara Madahah, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Please join WLAM in training the future female leaders in the practice of law. We launched our inaugural WLAM Leadership Class in 2021 to further our mission of securing the rights of women in society and advancing the interests of women in the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Contact Lindsey LaForest for more information about sponsoring a class.
The WLAM Leadership Class was created to benefit law students by providing tools to develop professional skills necessary for success and leadership positions in law, business, government, the nonprofit sector, and the judiciary. We realized that law students were having a hard time connecting with one another, not only because of the pandemic, but because there was a lack of programming of this nature. Therefore, we created this program to help fill that gap. We hope that the Leadership Class experience provides the business contacts and leadership skills to assist in furthering professional development and in our Michigan legal community. Learn more about the Co-Chairs below.
Lindsey LaForest
Lindsey Laforest is an Associate Counsel of Real Estate Transactions for Henry Ford Health. She holds a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. During law school, Lindsey interned with Lakeshore Legal Aid during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lindsey serves on the Board of Directors for the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and is the Director of Membership for the Wayne Region. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Detroit Bar Association, Detroit Economic Club, and University of Michigan Alumni Association, and serves on the Alumni Committee for the Michigan Sport Business Conference.
Nina Lotarski
Nina Lotarski is a Senior Associate at Aloia Law, a boutique law firm located in downtown Mount Clemens. Ms. Lotarski concentrates her practice on domestic relations, commercial litigation, banking and creditor’s rights, and other general civil litigation matters. Although Ms. Lotarski is a tough litigator in the courtroom, she also counsels her clients as they navigate through the often stressful and overwhelming aspects of litigation. Ms. Lotarski’s domestic relations practice focuses on protecting her client’s parental and marital rights, including but not limited to custody rights of minor children and division of martial assets. With her experience in commercial litigation, Ms. Lotarski provides well-rounded legal representation for her clients, especially when it comes to preservation of business interests, assets and financial investments.
Ms. Lotarski obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2016 and a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2013. Ms. Lotarski is married to her husband of 12 years and has two children.
