Weekly Student Coffee Hour – Spring Semester 2026
2026-01-27 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-02-03 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-02-10 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-02-17 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-02-24 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-03-03 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-03-10 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit) and 4 more dates | Law School Building, 2nd Floor, Carl Levin Center, Detroit, 48202, United States
Join the Levin Center for free coffee and tea! Held every Tuesday during term time, our Student Coffee Hour is a great opportunity to find out more about the Levin Center and our student programming. Drop by, grab a coffee, and don’t forget to say hi!

Winter 2026 Career Panel
2026-03-24 12:15 - 13:15 | Law School Building, 2nd floor R: 2261
Do you want to learn from Wayne Law Alums how they pursued a career in public service? Join our Winter 2026 Career Panel!
We are featuring three previous Levin Center Summer Legal Interns, who returned to Washington, D.C., after graduating Wayne Law:

Yara Gayar – Counsel at the Oversight & Investigations subcommittee of House financial services committee
Nick Jakymowych – Assistant Counsel, House Office of the Legislative Counsel
Daina Robinson – Attorney Advisor, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Have your questions at the ready and join us for lunch and coffee on Tuesday, March 24 at 12:15pm in room 2261.
RSVP HERE

Working with IG’s: What Inspectors General Do and How They Can Be of Help
2026-03-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Capitol Hill, Cannon 240
Please join us for an informative one-hour briefing on the role of Inspectors General (IG’s) in the work of Congress. In particular we will look at how IG’s can address important issues raised by your constituents and how they can evaluate and/or improve programs in the jurisdiction of your committees. This briefing is limited to congressional staff members.
RSVP HERE
(*This event is for congressional staff only*)
Moderators

Zack Schram – Senior Congressional Oversight Fellow, Levin Center
Zack served for 10 years as counsel to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and recently as Chief of Investigations and Strategic Response in the CIA’s Office of General Counsel.

Tim Stretton – Director, Congressional Oversight Initiative, Project On Government Oversight
Tim served for 6 years for Senator Susan Collins and the Senate Aging Committee.

Guest Speaker:
Allison Lerner – Former Inspector General at the National Science Foundation; Vice Chair and Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), and previously serving for 17 years at the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General
Robert Storch – Former Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Special IG coordinating oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine, first IG appointed to the National Security Agency (NSA), Deputy IG and Whistleblower Ombudsperson at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Legal Briefs, featuring Jim Townsend, Director of the Levin Center for Oversight & Democracy
2026-06-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom (details will be shared with registered guests ahead of the event)
The Legal Briefs program highlights current legal and civic issues for alumni, students, and friends of Wayne Law. This virtual event is hosted and moderated by the law school’s development and alumni affairs team. The program’s total run time is approximately one hour and includes time for presentation, questions, and discussion.
On Wednesday, June 17, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EDT, join us for our latest Legal Briefs program featuring Jim Townsend, Director of the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University Law School.
During this program, Jim Townsend will introduce the Levin Center’s mission and work, including its engagement with Congress, state legislatures, secondary schools across Michigan, and the academic community. He will also discuss the Levin Center’s Congress 250 campaign, which marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and examines the enduring role of Congress as the promise of representation in American democracy.
Jim will draw connections between Senator Carl Levin’s distinguished service in the U.S. Senate and the mission the Levin Center advances in honoring his legacy. He will also highlight ways Wayne Law alumni can support this work, particularly through opportunities that benefit and engage current law students. Following his remarks, Jim will answer questions from attendees.
This event is virtual and will be hosted via Zoom. Login details will be shared with registered guests ahead of the program.
For more information about the Levin Center, please visit https://levin.andrewhickman.me/

Wayne Law in Washington, D.C.
2026-07-16 17:00 - 19:00 | The Dubliner Restaurant, 4 F St NW Washington, DC 20001, DC, United States
Join fellow alumni, Levin Center Board members, donors, and friends of Wayne State University Law School and the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy for an evening of conversation, connection, and celebration in Washington, D.C.
Guests will have the opportunity to meet this year’s Levin Center Washington interns and hear how Wayne Law students are making an impact in public service, government, and civic leadership.
Interim Dean Lance Gable will provide updates on the Law School’s continued momentum, student opportunities, and vision for the future.
Levin Center Director Jim Townsend will discuss how the Levin Center is advancing legislative oversight at both the federal and state levels, supporting oversight scholars through innovative data initiatives, and expanding civic education programs designed to educate the next generation of voters and leaders.
Reconnect with the Wayne Law community, expand your network in D.C., and celebrate the enduring influence of Wayne Law alumni and supporters across the country.
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
RSVP HERE
(Registration closes on 7/12/2026.)

Student Coffee Hour - Fall 2026
2026-09-01 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-08 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-15 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-22 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-09-29 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-10-06 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-10-13 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-10-20 12:00 - 13:30 and 3 more dates | Law School Building, 2nd Floor, Carl Levin Center, Detroit, 48202, United States
Join us every Tuesday during the semester from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. for our Levin Center Student Coffee Hour during the fall semester 2026. Free coffee and tea and stick around for a chat with Levin Center staff if you have any questions about our student programs!

Pushing the Purse: Congressional Budgeting as a Tool of Oversight
2026-09-10 12:15 - 13:30 | Webinar
Join us for a seminar featuring the Levin Center’s 2025/26 Elise J. Bean Oversight Fellow, Kevin Angell, as he presents his research on the relationship between congressional budget processes and legislative oversight.
Kevin’s project, “Pushing the Purse,” examines how Congress uses its budgetary authorities to shape executive branch behavior and respond to instances of presidential non-compliance. Drawing on interviews with congressional and executive branch staff, as well as original quantitative data on committee reports, hearings, and budget activity, his research explores how oversight functions in practice within the appropriations process.
This seminar offers an opportunity to engage with original research on the intersection of congressional budgeting, oversight, and executive accountability.
RSVP HERE

Could Rebooting Congress Help Save American Democracy?
2026-09-17 16:00 - 17:30 | Patrich Auditorium, 471 West Palmer Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Could Rebooting Congress Help Save American Democracy?
The case for strengthening Congress as an institution of deliberation,
accountability, and compromise
Join the Levin Center and Wayne Law for a Constitution Day conversation on the challenges facing Congress today and the opportunities to revitalize its role in American democracy. As public trust in government has declined and political polarization has deepened, some observers point to the long-running erosion in congressional performance and capacity as a driving force in this dysfunction.
This panel will explore both the causes and consequences of that decline and consider what it would mean to reinvest in Congress. Drawing on perspectives from practice, scholarship, and policy, the discussion will examine ways Congress might better support meaningful debate, strengthen its oversight responsibilities, and rebuild public confidence in democratic institutions.

Panelists:

Hon. Barbara Comstock
Former U.S. Representative

Philip Wallach
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute & Author of Why Congress

Professor Steven Winter
Walter S. Gibbs Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law, Wayne State University Law School

RSVP: Constitution Day 2026 – RSVP – Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

The event is part of the Levin Center’s Congress 250 campaign and Wayne Law’s 100th anniversary celebration. Students, faculty, and members of the broader community are welcome. The panel will be followed by a reception in the Partrich Auditorium lobby.

Levin Center Student Open House
2026-09-29 12:15 - 13:30 | Law School Building, 2nd Floor, Carl Levin Center, Detroit, 48202, United States
Join us for lunch on September 29 during the Levin Center’s Student Open House. The Levin Center provides many opportunities for Wayne Law students from internships in Washington, D.C., to Research Assistantships and career panels. Come find out more over lunch and coffee!
