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Education
Michigan State University, B.S.
University of Michigan, J.D.

Admitted to Practice
Michigan  1989

Prior to joining Dykema, Ms. Cotter served as the legislative assistant for the Michigan House of Representatives in Lansing. While at Michigan State University, she worked for the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service, served as a page for the House of Representatives and interned with the chairman of the House Senior Citizens and Retirement Committee. While attending law school, she taught in the Minority Affairs Program at the University of Michigan.

Experience

• Appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General and was part of the Dykema team that represented the State of Michigan in the privatization of the State Accident Fund of Michigan. Primary responsibility for drafting legislation to enable the state to sell the workers compensation insurer and in working with legislators on adoption of the legislation. Part of the transactional team negotiating the $291,000,000 privatization.

• Michigan's Governor appointed Ms. Cotter to the Michigan Natural Resource Management and Environmental Code Commission in 1992. The Commission successfully codified statutes affecting natural resources and the environment. She was later appointed by Governor Engler to serve on the Hazardous Waste Site Review Board; her term since expired.

• Significant experience before the Michigan Liquor Control Commission on liquor licensing and regulation matters.

• Appointed to the Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control in 2002. While on the Board, the University's accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools was renewed and Ms. Cotter was part of the administrative team involved in the accreditation in 2004.

Significant Decisions

• House Speaker v. Governor, 443 Mich 560 (1993)
  
  
• Michigan United Conservation Clubs v. Secretary of State, 464 Mich 359 (2001)
  
  
• Michigan Campaign For New Drug Policies v. Board of State Canvassers, Supreme Court order entered 9/10/2002 (Docket #122283)
  
  

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association

• State Bar of Michigan

• Ingham County Bar Association

• National Hispanic Bar Association

• National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys (www.naabla.com)

• Republican National Lawyers Association

Civic and Cultural Involvements

• Nonprofit Council for Charitable Trusts (2004-present)
  
  
• Michigan State University's National Alumni Board (2003-2006); Executive Committee (2006)
  
  
• Michigan State University College of Social Science Alumni Board (1992-2003)
  
  
• Crime Victim Foundation Board of Directors (1995-present)
  
  
• Board of directors of the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of America (1995-2004)
  
  
• Author of various Michigan ICLE publications
  
  
• Instructor for ICLE courses on liquor licensing and regulation
  
  

Elections and Politics

Ms. Cotter served on Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's transition team after his election in 2002.

In the 2008 Michigan general election, Ms. Cotter was involved in both statewide ballot initiatives to appear on the ballot. She represented both the Michigan Citizens for Compassionate Care on the medical marijuana initiated law and CureMichigan on the constitutional amendment to allow for stem cell research in Michigan. Both measures passed by significant margins at the November 4, 2008 election.

Awards

• Dykema Gossett Pro Bono Award (1994)