Sharon McPhail
Encyclopedia
Sharon McPhail was the general counsel for the City of Detroit. McPhail served on the Detroit City Council from 2002 until 2006. McPhail was a candidate for mayor in the 1993 and 2005 Detroit elections. She was formerly a lawyer in private practice, a division chief in the Wayne County
Prosecutor's Office, and an Assistant United States Attorney.
She placed third in the primary election on August 2, coming in behind Freman Hendrix
and incumbent Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
and eliminating her from the general election on November 8.
McPhail holds a Juris Doctor
(J.D.) degree from Northeastern University School of Law
in Boston
and a bachelor's degree in sociology and English from Northeastern University
. She was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1976.
She served as staff counsel for Ford Motor Company
and later as a partner with the law firm Feikens, Stevens, Hurley & P.C., before going into private practice. She has served as President of the local Wolverine Bar Association, President of the National Bar Association
, on the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, and Vice President of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP.
She was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. In 1993, McPhail finished second in a primary election for Mayor of the City of Detroit, in field of 23 candidates. She lost the general election to Dennis Archer
by 56 percent to 43 percent. She is the first female attorney to be elected to Detroit's City Council.
McPhail was general counsel for a coalition dedicated to recapturing the right to vote for School Board in the City of Detroit.
Humanitarian of the Year award, and the National Sojourner Truth
Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc.
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
Prosecutor's Office, and an Assistant United States Attorney.
She placed third in the primary election on August 2, coming in behind Freman Hendrix
Freman Hendrix
Freman Hendrix Is a two-time mayoral candidate in the city of Detroit, running in 2005 and for the 2009 special election to replace former political foe Kwame Kilpatrick...
and incumbent Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
and eliminating her from the general election on November 8.
McPhail holds a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) degree from Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law is a law school in Boston, Massachusetts. From the time of its founding in 1898, the law school's mission has focused on addressing the needs of students and of society....
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and a bachelor's degree in sociology and English from Northeastern University
Northeastern University, Boston
Northeastern University , is a private, secular, coeducational research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has eight colleges and offers undergraduate majors in 65 departments...
. She was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1976.
She served as staff counsel for Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and later as a partner with the law firm Feikens, Stevens, Hurley & P.C., before going into private practice. She has served as President of the local Wolverine Bar Association, President of the National Bar Association
National Bar Association
The National Bar Association was established in 1925 as the "Negro Bar Association" after Gertrude Rush, George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, and Charles P. Howard, Sr. were denied membership in the American Bar Association. It represents the interests of African-American attorneys in...
, on the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, and Vice President of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP.
She was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. In 1993, McPhail finished second in a primary election for Mayor of the City of Detroit, in field of 23 candidates. She lost the general election to Dennis Archer
Dennis Archer
Dennis Wayne Archer is an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit...
by 56 percent to 43 percent. She is the first female attorney to be elected to Detroit's City Council.
McPhail was general counsel for a coalition dedicated to recapturing the right to vote for School Board in the City of Detroit.
Awards
McPhail was named one of Ebony Magazine's 100 Most Influential Black Americans and has received the March of DimesMarch of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
Humanitarian of the Year award, and the National Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she...
Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc.
Electoral history
- 2005 Race for Mayor (Detroit) (Primary Election)
- Freman HendrixFreman HendrixFreman Hendrix Is a two-time mayoral candidate in the city of Detroit, running in 2005 and for the 2009 special election to replace former political foe Kwame Kilpatrick...
(D), 45% - Kwame KilpatrickKwame KilpatrickKwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
(D) (inc.), 34% - Sharon McPhail (D), 12%
- Hansen ClarkeHansen ClarkeHansen Hashim Clarke is the U.S. Representative for . Clarke, a Democrat, was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1991 through 1992, and from 1999 through 2002. He then served in the Michigan Senate, representing the 1st District from January 1, 2003 to January 3, 2011. Clarke...
(D), 8%
- Freman Hendrix
External links
- Campaign Web site
- Official City Council web page (Archived - no longer updated)
- Bio at Detroit City Council web site(Archived - no longer updated)
- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gildon_Dissertation.pdf
- http://www.wxyz.com/content/news/detroitmayorinvestigation/story.aspx?content_id=627ff5f2-fbd3-4f15-8491-943f8d7ce144 "Sharon McPhail to resign"