DETROIT (April 15, 2009) - Samuel Saks' potential did not go unnoticed by his professors during his time at Wayne State University Law School.

"He was a phenomenal student," said Professor Ralph Slovenko. "He was intelligent and motivated - the type of student who makes teaching a pleasure."

A 2005 graduate, Saks' talent made for a promising future. Now, just four years after graduation, Saks is celebrating his first published book, "Contemporary Issues in Law and Mental Health Practice," which focuses on educating mental health professionals on the proper use of mental health evidence in litigation.

"It is our hope that the book will provide insight into legal issues facing mental health professionals working within the judicial system," said Saks, who co-authored the book with Mike Brock, a mental health counselor who works in family law. "While the book is targeted toward these mental health professionals, an understanding of their point of view, training and ethical codes is helpful to all lawyers who work with them."

According to Saks, the publication, as well as his passion for mental health law, formed with the help of Professor Slovenko.

"I first became interested in mental health law and related areas while attending Professor Slovenko's excellent seminars on those subjects," said Saks. "With Professor Slovenko's help, I was able to turn a paper I wrote for his class into a published article."

Although Saks now has a few published articles under his belt, "Contemporary Issues in Law and Mental Health Practice" served as an entirely new experience for the up-and-coming lawyer.

"I learned the hard way that writing a book is not equivalent to writing a very long article," he said. "It took approximately a year and a half to put everything together and smooth out the wrinkles. My biggest challenge was making the legal intricacies understandable to our intended audience - mental health professionals."

Saks additionally drew upon his student experience as the executive articles editor of the Wayne Law Review.

"[Working for the Wayne Law Review] certainly helped me become a better editor," Saks said. "As did writing for Wayne Law professors like Brad Roth, Julia Qin and Ralph Slovenko."

After graduation, Saks clerked for Judge Sheldon Weisberg of the Arizona Court of Appeals. He currently works with Cantelme & Brown, PLC in Phoenix, Ariz. and focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, representation of government entities, construction law, education law, employment law and real estate litigation. He also serves as the president-elect of the State Bar of Arizona Young Lawyers Division.

Saks graduated magna cum laude from Wayne Law and was a member of the Order of the Coif, an honorary scholastic society for law school graduates. Saks also was the recipient of the Ford Motor Company Leadership Award.

Although there is no formula to Saks' success, the young lawyer does offer some advice for law students.

"Interning is a great way to get practical experience and have one less final to take at the end of the semester," said Saks, who interned in the federal district court and the Michigan Supreme Court. "If you can, clerk for a judge; there is no better post-law school job."

About Wayne Law
Wayne Law University Law School has educated and served the Detroit metropolitan area since its inception as Detroit City Law School in 1927. Located at 471 West Palmer Street in Detroit's re-energized historic cultural center, the Law School remains committed to student success and features modern lecture and court facilities, multi-media and distance learning classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, and the Arthur Neef Law Library, which houses one of the nation's 40 largest legal collections. Taught by an internationally recognized and expert faculty, Wayne Law students experience a high-quality legal education via a growing array of hands-on curricular offerings, five live-client clinics, and access to well over 100 internships with local and non-profit entities each year. Its 11,000 living alumni, who work in every state of the nation and more than a dozen foreign countries, are experts in their disciplines and include leading members of the local, national and international legal communities. For more information, visit www.law.wayne.edu