Michigan State University (MSU) awarded Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree its prestigious George N. Bashara Distinguished Alumni Award during its law commencement ceremony last month.
Sabree is a double graduate from MSU: he received both his undergraduate degree and law degree there. He’s since managed his own law practice—in fact, he is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan, the U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Sabree had an illustrious public-service career with the City of Detroit and served in the Wayne County Treasury Office as deputy treasurer, chief deputy treasurer, and chief assistant corporation counsel. He also served as a judge for the Michigan Court of Appeals before his current position as Treasurer. He was appointed to it in 2016.
As Wayne County Treasurer, Sabree works on behalf of 43 municipalities and is responsible for the receipt, custody, investment, and disbursement of all county funds with a special emphasis on the collection of delinquent property taxes.
“The Bashara award was established to recognize outstanding alumni of Detroit College of Law, now MSU Law,” MSU’s College of Law’s website stated, “who meet rigorous criteria, including participation in and contribution to alumni affairs, outstanding personal service to the college, personal accomplishments that enhance the reputation of the college.
“It is named for George Bashara, a 1960 graduate of the Detroit College of Law which would become the Michigan State University College of Law. He was a well-respected lawyer in Michigan and a Michigan Court of Appeals Judge and a member of the Detroit College of Law’s (DCL) Board of Trustees.”
Sabree said of winning the award: “I’m humbled and honored to receive the Bashara award. Judge Bashara was such an icon in the legal community and at MSU Law. Also, I am appreciative because there are so many who attended the Law College and could have received such recognition.”
“My time at DCL and MSU Law changed my life,” he told the website. “The law school experience was a blessing since I had been out of school for 15 years and was given the opportunity to earn a law degree. My father had to drop out of law school in the 1940’s because he couldn’t afford the tuition, so going to law school was a major step forward for our entire family. The law degree opened many doors for me and allowed me to combine my knowledge of the law with my previous work experience.”
Sabree imparted this piece of advice to current and future MSU law students: “Cherish the relationships you make in law school and stay in touch with as many of your friends and classmates as possible. My MSU Law classmates have become lifelong friends and we have helped each other professionally as well as personally. A talk to new students about this is important because when you’re in the law school ‘battle’ you don’t think about relationships, you’re thinking about surviving and thriving in school.”
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