Before diving into weighty topics like voter-suppression laws and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the four hosts of the "#SistersInLaw" podcast are sharing some good news about COVID-19 vaccines. "My parents both are going to get their second doses next week,” says Kimberly Atkins, who was born in Detroit and grew up in Oak Park. "Some of my siblings have gotten doses. … Having the people that I love get vaccinated has been wonderful news for me.” Joyce Vance, Jill Wine-Banks and Barb McQuade have encouraging vaccine updates, too. The "#SistersInLaw" podcast debuted Jan. 29, led by three former U.S. attorneys —McQuade, Vance and Wine-Banks — and Atkins, a former lawyer and current journalist. She is a senior opinion writer at the Boston Globe. Atkins went to Wayne State University as an undergraduate and Boston University for law school. She also has a graduate degree in journalism from New York's Columbia University. “College was essentially me trying to occupy myself for four years until I could get to law school, which was what I really wanted to do," she says. But she also "really loved" writing for Wayne State's South End student newspaper. In law school and as a young practicing attorney, she missed journalism. That led to her decision to switch careers. Atkins describes the communication style of the hosts of "#SistersInLaw" with a hint of laughter. "I notice how we give each other a chance to speak. There’s not a lot of showboating. In fact, I think it’s the opposite," she says. But there is more to it than the tendency of women to interrupt less than men during conversations. Says Atkins, "We’re four people who really respect each other's views, respect each other’s expertise and like each other. We also very much care about the topics that we're talking about. I think that is the essential part of it, more than the gender.”

The estate of prominent Judge Damon J. Keith, who was the grandson of slaves and a figure in the civil rights movement, made a $100,000 bequest to a scholarship fund in his name, West Virginia State University announced Wednesday. Keith, who was sued by President Richard Nixon over a ruling against warrantless wiretaps, died in April in Detroit at 96. He spent more than 50 years on the federal bench. Before his death, he still heard cases about four times a year at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. He was a 1943 graduate of what was then West Virginia State College and went on to graduate from Howard University Law School in 1949 and Wayne State University Law School in 1956.

The estate of prominent Judge Damon J. Keith, who was the grandson of slaves and a figure in the civil rights movement, made a $100,000 bequest to a scholarship fund in his name, West Virginia State University announced Wednesday. Keith, who was sued by President Richard Nixon over a ruling against warrantless wiretaps, died in April in Detroit at 96. He spent more than 50 years on the federal bench. Before his death, he still heard cases about four times a year at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. He was a 1943 graduate of what was then West Virginia State College and went on to graduate from Howard University Law School in 1949 and Wayne State University Law School in 1956.

A significant transfer of wealth is under way locally and nationally, so it's no surprise nonprofit fundraisers are putting a concerted focus on connecting with people from the baby boomer generation. But it's also important to engage with Gen X and the massive millennial generation coming into its own, said Susan Burns, vice president of development and alumni affairs for Wayne State University and president of the Wayne State University Foundation. Burns, who has a long resume raising money not only for higher education but also health care and the arts, talked with Crain's Senior Reporter Sherri Welch about how she and her team at WSU are engaging with donors and volunteers from the various age groups, generational donor personalities and the need to connect with potential donors from every generation.

Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson will be visiting Ludington during his third annual Road Warrior bicycle tour that includes stops at four different cities in five days. Seven riders will be participating in the entire tour, including Wilson. Others will do segments, like one day, Wilson said. “This year we wanted to focus on and visit with alumni, donors and friends of the university,” said Wilson. Rob MacGregor, senior director of philanthropy at Wayne State Law School, said his daughter is riding a 100-mile segment. (Full access to article requires subscription)