Attorney, Professor, School of Law, University of Detroit
1926
Bio:
Background information is taken from correspondence in the faculty member's University archive file, including a completed faculty questionnaire. Alvin D. Hersch was born in 1888 and was a fourth generation family resident in Detroit. He received his law degree from Detroit College of Law in 1909. He was a member of the Michigan State Bar, the Detroit Bar Association where he served a chairman of the Legislative Committee, and a member of the Board of Governors Detroit Alumni Senate. Hersch was a member of the Board of Directors Detroit Round Table of the National Conference of Christian and Jews. Dr. Hersch, drafted and introduced the bill that established the Detroit Traffic Court. He is also known in the State as the drafter and proponent of the Model Public Defender Bill which would establish a State attorney to defend the rights of citizens who are financially unable to furnish their own attorney in court. Dr. Hersch joined the faculty of the University of Detroit in 1918 where he taught federal and legal procedures. He was appointed by the Detroit Bar Association in 1929 to draft the Traffic Court Bill. Upon approval of the State legislature, the Bill established an independent Traffic Court which took over traffic violation judgments from Recorder's court judges and unified the present system of fines and laws under one court. The Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree was conferred on Dr. Hersch during Commencement, University of Detroit, June 8, 1926.