The American Law Institute Inducts Dykema’s Nicholas J. Wittner as a Life Member

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that Nicholas Wittner was inducted as a Life Member of the American Law Institute (ALI). He is Of Counsel to the firm and is located in its Bloomfield Hills office. ALI bestows the honor on members who have devoted 25 years of service, contributing to ALI’s pivotal projects that have shaped the law.

Wittner received the honor at the May ALI Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., where U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G Roberts, Jr. awarded Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg the Henry J. Friendly medal. Associate Justice Elena Kagan and former Solicitor General Paul Clement were also featured as speakers at the Members Reception.

ALI is the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law. According to the ALI website, “Membership in The American Law Institute is a distinct professional honor,” and the number of members that may be elected is limited to 3,000. The elected membership consists of eminent judges, lawyers, and law professors from all areas of the United States and from many foreign countries, selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in improving the law.

Wittner, who is also Professor of Law in Residence at the Michigan State University’s Law College, was elected as an ALI member in 1993. At that time, he was serving as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Product Liability Committee, which was working with ALI leadership on its Restatement, Third: Product Liability project.

After joining the ALI, Professor Wittner worked on some of the most prominent Restatement projects, and especially the seven-year long new Restatement of Product Liability project. He has also been selected as a Restatement project Adviser, recognizing particular knowledge, experience, and perspective. In total, he worked on more than 10 projects, as well as serving as a webinar Chair and speaker on emerging legal issues.

According to ALI, “1993 WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR” – “Each of the [then-admitted members] is distinguished, as evidenced by their election to this prestigious institution. Their achievements are many, diverse, and remarkable.”

Professor Wittner earned a J.D., cum laude,  from Wayne State University Law School, where he was a Senior Associate Editor of the Law Review and recipient of a Silver Scholarship Medal, and a B.S., with high honor, from Michigan State University.