In this episode, Nicole M. Smithson speaks with Lynn Liberato about her book, Michigan’s CON-CON 11: Women and State Constitution-making in 1961. Lynn’s groundbreaking work about the eleven female delegates to the 1961 Michigan Constitutional Convention was published by Michigan State University Press in November 2025.

Lynn is a writer, historian and retired attorney. She received a 2024 State History Award from the Historical Society of Michigan for her article “Con-Con’s Petticoat Revolt: Women at the 1961 Constitutional Convention.” She has written for historical and legal publications.

Lynn's father was a delegate to the 1961 convention.

www.lynnliberato.com

WLAM's Carolyn Sullivan talks with SBM Past Presidents Nancy Diehl and Julie Fershtman about their experiences leading one of the nation's most important bar associations. This is episode is a rebroadcast of WLAM's 2025 program.

Isheeta Patel Laxmanan, South Asian American BarAssociation of Michigan, joins us to discuss South Asian American Bar Association of Michigan (SABA), its founding and where it is headed.

Isheeta Patel Laxmanan is a patent attorney and shareholderat Brooks Kushman, where she focuses her practice on patent prosecution, portfolio management, and business-driven intellectual property solutions for her clients, ranging from Fortune 10 companies to startups.

Beyond her legal practice, Isheeta is an advocate fordiversity and inclusivity within and outside her firm. She has served on the board of SABA Michigan since 2015 and is currently its President, having previously held the role in 2018. She also serves on the Board of Directors for SABA North America and is both a past Fellow and Pathfinder of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). At Brooks Kushman, she serves on the DEI Committee, leading recruiting and pipeline initiatives, and emphatically supports associate development through mentorship.

Passionate about her community, Isheeta devotes time toprograms like Engineer Girl & Girl Scouts, introducing girls to science and IP, and FATE Detroit, helping Detroit high schoolers with college-readiness and building career skills. She was named an “Up & Coming Lawyer” by MichiganLawyers Weekly in 2023 and has been listed in Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch since 2021. Isheeta has also maintained strong ties with her alma mater, the University of Michigan, by guest-lecturing on IP law and legal careers.

Tanya A. Grillo is the President of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and a Director- National Conference of Women's Bar Associations. She was recently appointed to the Macomb County Circuit Court.

Before taking the bench, Judge Grillo was the Managed Assigned Counsel Coordinator for the city of Southfield. From 2017-2018, she was the Regional Manager for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC). In that capacity, she worked with all the courts in Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland and St. Clair Counties in the State of Michigan’s goal to reform the indigent defense system. She received a Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Central Florida.

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