Two members of the faculty at Wayne State University Law School and one alumnus have been appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Michigan Advisory Committee.

They are: Jocelyn Benson of Detroit, director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law and former dean; Professor Kingsley R. Browne of Ann Arbor; and Roland Hwang of Northville, Wayne Law class of 1980 (J.D.) and class of 1984 (LL.M.).

According to a news release issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Advisory Committee members conduct reviews and produce reports and recommendations concerning local civil rights issues, including justice, voting, discrimination, housing, education and other important themes. Appointees serve four-year terms.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the president and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing an annual federal civil rights enforcement report.

Benson served as dean of Wayne Law from 2012 to 2016, and is currently director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law. She is CEO of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a venture led by professional sports organizations and networks to improve race relations in America. Benson is on the board of the Southern Poverty Law Center as well as iCivics, a national nonprofit organization founded by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to improve civics education throughout the country. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, a master's of philosophy from Oxford University and her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.

Browne, professor of law, previously was a partner in the San Francisco-based law firm of Morrison & Foerster, where he specialized in labor and employment law. He also clerked for Justice Luis Rovira of the Supreme Court of Colorado and then for Justice Byron White of the U.S. Supreme Court. Browne earned his J.D. from the University of Denver, his master's degree from the University of Colorado and his bachelor's degree from George Washington University.

Hwang practices immigration law, having retired from the Michigan Department of Attorney General after 27 years of service. In 1983, he cofounded American Citizens for Justice/Asian American Center for Justice, a civil rights organization. He has served as a hearing referee for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan.

Photos:

• Jocelyn Benson
• Roland Hwang
• Kingsley R. Browne