Jerold D. Lax, J.D., associate professor of urban planning in the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, will retire from active faculty status on May 31, 2002.

Professor Lax received his B.A. degree from the University of Michigan in 1963 and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in 1966. He passed the bar in 1967 and then returned to Michigan to practice law. From 1969-70 Professor Lax served as city attorney for Ann Arbor, and in 1974 he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan as an assistant professor of urban planning. He was promoted to associate professor in 1977. Professor Lax is also a partner in the law firm of Bodman, Longley & Dahling.

Civil litigation, land use planning, municipal government, and employment law are Professor Lax's areas of specialty. During his time at the University, Professor Lax has taught many excellent courses in these areas, including: "Legal Aspects of the Planning Process," a required course covering broad issues for students earning a master of urban planning degree; "Contemporary Legal Developments," a seminar covering many specific issues for planners such as dispute resolution and comparative planning law; and an excellent course on legal aspects of urban planning that provides resources and knowledge which students reference throughout their careers. His work in conflict resolution at the state level and his law practice in Ann Arbor have made him a valuable asset to the program at the University.

Professor Lax's highly visible commitment to public service is reflected in the long list of organizations where he served as a board member: the Performance Network, the Washtenaw Jewish Foundation, Temple Beth Emeth, and the public corporation law section of the State Bar of Michigan. His professional activities include serving as a mediator for the Washtenaw County Circuit Court and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and the Michigan Employment Relations Commission. In addition, he was chair of the Michigan Civil Service Commission's Employment Relations Board and is a member of the Michigan State Bar's Attorney Discipline Board Hearing Panel.

The Regents now salute this distinguished faculty member by naming Jerold D. Lax associate professor emeritus of urban planning.