The State Bar of Michigan has named Jeffrey S. Kopp the recipient of its 2012 Unsung Hero Award. Presented annually by the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly’s Nomination and Awards Committee, this award recognizes a member of the State Bar who has maintained high standards for their practice while benefiting others through their legal knowledge and experience.
Kopp is a partner in the Litigation Department in Foley’s Detroit office, where he serves as the office Pro Bono Coordinating Partner, as well as the office Recruiting Partner. In addition, Kopp is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. In this role, Kopp worked to uphold the legal rights of detainees in Iraq, which included hosting and assisting delegations of the International Committee of the Red Cross who were permitted to interview the detainees. Since returning from Iraq in 2008, Kopp has assumed the lead legal position as the Staff Judge Advocate for the largest military police brigade in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he continues to provide legal support for commanders, soldiers, and their families.
Kopp is also active in local and state bar activities. He serves as a Director on the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (DMBA) Board, where he has planned mentoring events for new lawyers. As the former President of the Barristers of the DMBA, he was active in overseeing numerous civic and charitable programs and coordinating activities with the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar. He also was the impetus behind the DMBA’s “Teenagers and the Law” handbook, where he was the Editor-in-Chief. Kopp currently serves as a volunteer lawyer for Project Salute, a pro bono program of the University of Detroit Mercy Law School that offers pro bono legal advice to veterans on their disability and pension benefits claims. In addition, he regularly handles pro bono matters for the Detroit Legal Services Clinic and Legal Aid and Defenders Association. Kopp is also a board member of Arkay Incorporated, a non-profit organization in Wayne and Oakland Counties that provides job rehabilitation and coaching for the disabled.
