Work of Art

prev
next

Photos by John Meiu
 

Portraiture ­ceremony befits architect of ‘Grand Bargain’

By Tom Kirvan
Legal News

The timing was tailor-made for U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen as he delivered his opening remarks following the presentation of his portrait before a packed audience in Detroit’s federal courthouse on March 14.

“Twenty-seven years ago today, I stood in the well of our historic Million Dollar Courtroom and took my oath of office from our beloved colleague and then Chief Judge, Julian Cook,” Rosen reflected. “That moment is indelibly etched in my memory, both for the inspiration of the oath itself and the sobering humility it reposed in me, and I have tried as best I could to be true to both the letter and spirit of that majestic oath.”

By all accounts, Rosen has more than measured up to the judicial task, establishing a legacy as the chief architect of Detroit’s “Grand Bargain” and as a federal judge who approached all of his responsibilities with “vigor, diligence, and keen intellect.”

U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland, who coincidentally was appointed to the federal bench the same year as Rosen, was among a series of speakers who lauded the honoree for his work as a “student and a servant of the law, a jurisprudential philosopher, a newly-minted entrepreneur, and an avid historian, especially in the history of all things Churchillian.”

Rosen’s role as chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan offered him the opportunity to display a sense of pragmatism in which “he never let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” according to Cleland.

He was a “leader who was inclusive; who sought out views contrary to his own, who truly involved the bench in the process of managing the court; who was driven to care about the court as an institution, and which it was obvious he revered,” Cleland said of his longtime colleague who formerly served as a partner with Miller Canfield in Detroit. “I see in this portrait a leader who, as a defender of the court, thought outside the box; a fighter who, when faced with the need for courthouse renewal, worked on the massive undertaking and its myriad of issues the way a terrier works with a bone, never giving up.”

That tenacity was particularly evident to Detroit attorney Eugene Driker, a partner in the firm of Barris Sott Denn & Driker, during his work as a mediator with Rosen throughout the Detroit bankruptcy case.

“It was obvious from the moment I was asked to join his mediation team, that Jerry fully understood the complexity and consequences of the task he agreed to lead, and he never let any of us forget them during the year and a half we worked together,” Driker said in his remarks at the portraiture ceremony.

“The probability that the complex and interrelated issues that were raised in the bankruptcy would all be successfully negotiated, that those negotiations would be completed in 16 months, and that Judge Rosen would effectively be walking around with a large kettle in hand in which 866 million dollars of new money to save Detroit would be deposited, was as likely as Justin Verlander winning the Major League batting title,” Driker said with a wink. “Against the most improbable odds, Jerry made it all come together, inspiring everyone by his commitment and especially by his incredible effort.”

The portrait ceremony, which doubled as a retirement sendoff for Rosen, was attended by a host of VIPs, including Lt. Governor Brian Calley, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Markman, former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade, and Wayne State President Roy Wilson.

Along with Driker and Cleland, other featured speakers included Miriam Noland, president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan; Linda Hylenski and James Lewis, former career law clerks for Rosen; and retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes.

Rhodes, who earned universal praise for how he handled the Detroit bankruptcy case in 2013, credited Rosen’s son, Jake, for encouraging his father to accept the chief mediation assignment when questions surrounded potential legal fallout should matters “go south.”

Rosen, according to Rhodes, was in a quandary when wrestling with the mediation decision. Jake, knowing his father’s lifelong admiration of British statesman Winston Churchill, thought the decision should be framed in historical terms.

Asked Jake of his father: “What do you think Churchill would have done?”

“Jake knew the question would resonate with his Dad,” Rhodes said. “In other words, all those lessons on Churchill came back on him as a parent.”

In turn, Rosen used his remarks to heap praise on Rhodes, who has joined his former federal colleague in the new Detroit office of JAMS, short for Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services. The venture also has attracted retired Miller Canfield attorney Clarence “Rocky” Pozza and former state Supreme Court Justice Mary Beth Kelly.

“I often say that Steve had the front room and I had the backroom,” Rosen said of the bankruptcy case. “But the truth is, Steve set the tempo and the tone for all of us. His scholarship in, and management of, one of the largest, most complex cases in American history was nothing short of heroic and inspirational. Whether in his incisive questioning of some of the brightest lawyers in the country, his erudite written opinions, his rigorous insistence on keeping to a tough, demanding schedule, or his dry wit, Steve set the example.

“I recommended him to Chief Judge Batchelder for the job of presiding over this hydra-headed monster of a case,” Rosen said of Rhodes. “This was not only my best decision in the bankruptcy, it was one of the very best decisions I made in my tenure on the bench.”

Sprinkled throughout his remarks, Rosen offered thanks to his court colleagues, including his successor as chief judge, Denise Page Hood, who presided over the portraiture ceremony. Likewise, he praised the work of Court Administrator David Weaver, his law clerks, court reporters, and case managers. He singled out his judicial assistant, Donna Vinson, “who everyone refers to as my court wife,” Rosen said with a chuckle. Vinson, who has been with Rosen “since day one on the court and for about 6 years before that at Miller Canfield,” has joined JAMS after retiring from her court post.

The ceremony warmed the heart of Rosen’s 89-year-old mother, Marge, who reminded her son that his grandmother also was a noted portrait artist.

“Thank you, Mom, and I love you,” Rosen said, adding that his father, Stan, passed away almost 9 years ago.

“I miss him every day, but I know he is here in spirit and the lessons he imparted to me remain strongly embedded within me.”

Rosen, who was nominated to the court in 1989 by then President George H.W. Bush, closed his remarks by offering special thanks to his wife and son.

“It is said that public service is its own reward,” Rosen noted. “That is true, but that is for the public servant who is privileged to serve. For the family, there are always sacrifices in time away from home, events missed, and fewer financial resources.

“Laurie and Jake have supported me in all that I have done, especially during my term as chief and the bankruptcy, and I so much appreciate everything they have done. Laurie has been with me for more than 24 years of this ride and I owe a special thanks to her – I don’t tell her nearly enough how much her support means and how much I love her. Jake – your unique insights and special talents have always been a constant source of learning for me – never more so than during the bankruptcy, when you were able to crystalize things for me in just a few words. I am very proud of you. And I love you.”
 

––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available