Bio

Josephine A. DeLorenzo serves as Co-Leader of Plunkett Cooney's Appellate Law Practice group. A member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office, she focuses her practice exclusively in the area of appellate law with particular expertise in municipal liability and insurance coverage. 

Ms. DeLorenzo is a former law clerk to Judge Kurtis T. Wilder when he served on the Michigan Court of Appeals, as well as a prehearing attorney for the court. She also has experience in journalism, having served as editor for a trade publication.

Ms. DeLorenzo received her law degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. While there, she interned for Judge Nancy Edmunds of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan and for Judge Joseph Farah of the Circuit Court for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Michigan.

Notable Cases

  • Newman v. Twp. of Hamburg, 773 F.3d 769 (6th Cir. 2014) (obtained reversal of denial of summary judgment to law enforcement officer on claim of malicious prosecution). 
  • Lange v. McGinnis, 644 F. App'x 672 (6th Cir. 2016) (obtained reversal of denial of summary judgment to city and city employees on claims of illegal workplace search and seizure)
  • Brenay v. Schartow, 709 F. App'x 331 (6th Cir. 2017) (successfully upheld summary judgment in favor of law enforcement officer on claims of illegal entry and malicious prosecution)
  • Shreve v. City of Romulus, 742 F. App'x 97 (6th Cir. 2018) (successfully upheld summary judgment in favor of city on claims of due process violation and disability discrimination)
  • Dignan v. Ypsilanti Cmty. Sch., No. 340089, 2019 WL 488770 (Mich. Ct. App. Feb. 7, 2019) (successfully upheld summary disposition for school district on job candidate’s claims of race and age discrimination)
  • Mendoza v. Robinson, No. 346579, 2020 WL 1046622 (Mich. Ct. App. Mar. 3, 2020) (successfully upheld summary disposition in favor of police officers on claims of false arrest and malicious prosecution)
  • Farm Bureau Gen. Ins. Co. of Michigan v. ACE Am. Ins. Co., 337 Mich. App. 88, 972 N.W.2d 325 (2021) (successfully upheld summary disposition in favor of driver’s insurer where the injured pedestrian’s insurer had sought to rescind an insurance policy)
  • Williams v. City of Harbor Springs, No. 354207, 2021 WL 3818049 (Mich. Ct. App. Aug. 26, 2021) (successfully upheld summary disposition in favor of the city on claims arising under the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act)
  • Dabish v. Gayar, 343 Mich. App. 285; 997 NW2d 463 (2022) (on leave granted, successfully argued no enforceable settlement agreement existed, thus obtaining reversal of order compelling plaintiff to sign agreement under threat of contempt)
  • Clinton v. Singh, No. 364398, 2023 WL 6782549 (Mich. Ct. App. Oct. 12, 2023) (on leave granted, obtained reveral of trial court’s denial of defendant insurance company’s motion in limine; Court held that the cap on the limitation of damages in MCL 257.720e for failure to wear a seatbelt does not apply to rear-seat passengers in a motor vehicle)
  • Lewis v. Sole L., PLLC, No. 22-1918, 2023 WL 11018147 (6th Cir. Nov. 17, 2023) (successfully upheld dismissal in favor of defendant law firm and principal on claims brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq.)

Books

  • Sword and Shield, Josephine DeLorenzo & Mary Massaron, co-editors, 5th ed. 2021

Publications and Lectures

  • "Hacking a Path Through the Coverage Jungle - Additional Insured Status from Construction Contracts," Co-Author, DRI's For the Defense, May 2017

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Michigan (Board of Commissioners, Commissioner-at-large, 2018 - 2021)
  • Federalist Society - Michigan Lawyers Chapter (Past Treasurer)

Credentials

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk, Judge Kurtis T. Wilder, Michigan Court of Appeals, 2011

Education

  • University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, summa cum laude, J.D., 2008
  • University of Notre Dame, magna cum laude, B.A., 1991

Admissions

  • Michigan, 2008
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2011
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Court, 2011
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2012
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2017

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • State Bar Board of Commissioners, At-large Commissioner, 2018 - 2021
  • Michigan Rising Star in Appellate Law, Michigan Super Lawyers, 2014 - 2018
  • Frank Murphy Honor Society
  • Book Awards in Constitutional Law, Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Estates & Trusts, International Law, American Indian Law and Death Penalty in America
  • Law Review, Associate Editor, 2007-2008
  • Phi Beta Kappa

Insights