Miller Canfield's Michelle Crockett Named a Michigan Lawyers Weekly Leader in the Law
Miller Canfield is pleased to announce that Michelle Crockett has been named among Michigan Lawyers Weekly's Leaders in the Law, Class of 2020.
Crockett is Miller Canfield's Hiring Chair and the firm's Diversity and Professional Development Principal and is a litigator in Miller Canfield's Employment and Labor Group.
Crockett has made diversity and inclusion a central focus in her work. She was the driving force behind Miller Canfield being included in the first class of major law firms nationwide to pilot the Mansfield Rule, which requires us to affirmatively consider women and minority candidates when making hiring and promotion considerations (30 percent of the candidate pool must be women, minority and LGBTQ applicants). Miller Canfield was the only firm in Michigan to meet Diversity Lab's stringent standards for Mansfield Certification Plus and, after two years, remains the only firm in Michigan to earn the designation.
The achievement would not be possible without Crockett's relentless efforts to create actionable, measurable, results-driven initiatives that foster meaningful and sustainable change. The results have been remarkable. Specifically:
- 49% of Miller Canfield's associates are women
- 40% of the firm's non-equity principals are women
- 40% of managing directors are women
- 40% of resident directors are minorities and women
- 78% of the firm's 2019 summer associate class were women
- 55% of the firm's 2019 summer associate class were minorities
"We are extremely proud of Michelle and her leadership, not only within the firm, but in making the legal community inclusive and diverse," said Miller Canfield CEO Michael McGee.
Additionally, Crockett is a leader in the practice of law. Her notable matters include representing the Detroit Public Schools Community District during its transition and reorganization in 2016. Soon after the transition, Crockett represented the District in its suit against the Michigan State Reform Office, which announced that it would close dozens of Detroit schools, even as the ink was barely dry on the $617 million legislative plan to reorganize the district and resolve its debt. She successfully argued that under the plan the SRO could not close any schools before July 2019, enabling the opportunity for the schools in the new district to succeed.
Crockett is regularly asked to conduct high-level internal investigations for both private and public entities. These investigations involve claims of discrimination, harassment and employee malfeasance. She becomes a true partner with her clients as they evaluate and analyze evidence collected during fact-finding so she can identify effective and legally sound solutions.
In addition to her work for clients and the firm, Crockett is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law School, teaching Race in the Law and K-12 Education Law. Additionally, she is a founding member of the African American Partner Coalition, a group of law firm leaders in the metro Detroit area that formed to address diversity issues and attracting young African American students to consider legal careers.
Crockett has been recognized by numerous organizations for her leadership and achievement, including:
- D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, 2019 Trailblazer Award
- Leadership Oakland, 2018 Leader of Leaders
- Crain's Detroit Business, Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan, 2017
- Michigan Chronicle, Women of Excellence, 2015
- Best Lawyers in America, Litigation-Labor & Employment, 2013
- Michigan Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment, 2013; Rising Star, 2008
- Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, President's Award, 2010
Crockett was appointed in January 2020 to serve on the Board of Directors for the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, and is the Chair of the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Council. She is a graduate of Leadership Detroit. She is a graduate and former board member of Leadership Oakland and serves as chair of the Michigan Community Resources Board of Directors. Crockett is a former board member and chair of Alternatives for Girls and served as president of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys. She is active in many professional organizations, including:
- Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation Board of Directors, 2020
- American Bar Association, 2000-present
- State Bar of Michigan, 2000-present; Labor and Employment Law Council Member, 2013- present; Chair, 2019-present
- Oakland County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section Chair, 2016-2017; member, 2000-present
- Oakland County Bar Foundation, Trustee, 2018-present
- Leadership Oakland XVI, Class of 2006
- Leadership Detroit, Class of 2008
Michigan Lawyers Weekly's annual Leaders in the Law awards recognize attorneys for their exceptional legal skills, leadership ability and commitment to the legal community and the community at large. They will be recognized at a celebration on April 9, 2020.
