Michigan
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will join AALS President Mark Alexander in
conversation about her life, career, and thoughts about how law schools can
help defend democracy. Secretary Benson provides a unique perspective on
the current issues facing our democracy and the law. Secretary Benson will take
audience questions as selected and moderated by President Alexander. It is a
particular pleasure to welcome back one of our own to the Annual Meeting.
Jocelyn
Benson is Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State. In this role, she has become one
of the nation’s most prominent leaders in ensuring elections are secure and
accessible. A graduate of Harvard Law School and expert on civil rights law,
education law, and election law, Benson served as dean of Wayne State
University Law School in Detroit. When she was appointed dean at age 36, she
became the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100, accredited law
school. Previously, Benson was an associate professor and associate director of
Wayne Law’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. Benson is the author of
State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process. She is also a
co-founder and former president of Military Spouses of Michigan, a network
dedicated to providing support and services to military spouses and their
children. In 2015, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, and
in 2016, she became one of a handful of women to have completed the Boston
Marathon while 8 months pregnant.