Jeffrey McCracken, '04
A law degree from Wayne State University Law School can open doors to a wide variety of careers. Just ask 2004 Wayne Law alumnus Jeffrey McCracken, a well-known and highly regarded corporate bankruptcy reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
McCracken, who earned his bachelor's degree in journalism and political science in 1992 from Wayne State University, applied to Wayne Law to learn about the world around him, as well as develop his intellect,writing and problem-solving skills.
"All I have ever wanted to do for a living is work as a reporter," said McCracken, a Southgate, Michigan native. "I love asking questions and putting together the pieces of information into a story that hopefully tells people something they didn't know. My education at Wayne Law helped me develop and enhance my skills and knowledge base. My law degree played a large role in landing a job at The Wall Street Journal."
McCracken was working as an automotive reporter at the Detroit Free Press at the time of graduation from Wayne Law. Shortly after, he took a job at The Wall Street Journal in Detroit where he made a name for himself covering the auto industry, supplier bankruptcies and the United Auto Workers union.
According to McCracken, who now spends his days in New York meeting with bankruptcy lawyers, investment bankers and privateequity funds, Wayne Law Professor Peter Henning continues to impact his understanding and appreciation of the law.
"Professor Henning, with whom I took corporate law and whitecollar-crime courses, did a great job of providing real-world examples of securities law or [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] statutes at work," McCracken said. "He also spent a lot of time explaining how a prosecutor or defense attorney approached their job in a white collar crime case, how the SEC works, which I found helpful in understanding the behind-the-scenes development of a case."
McCracken's role as a corporate bankruptcy reporter has led him to apply these principles nearly every day. And, although he lives 600 miles away from Detroit to a house along the Hudson River in Edgewater, N.J., Professor Henning still remains a regular adviser.
"Professor Henning and I continue to talk - especially during big corporate cases," he said. "I value his advice and still continue to learn from him."
That appreciation is certainly mutual.
"One of the greatest aspects of my job is the opportunity I have to connect and reconnect with students, alumni and peers," said Henning. "I am so impressed and inspired by Jeff, and continue to learn from him as well. He is a great example of Wayne Law alumni making a difference and impacting our world through their knowledge of the law."
Given the current economic turmoil, McCracken is keeping particularly busy. His expertise and background in the law and in writing have enabled him to cover some of the largest stories of the year, from the auto industry bailout and GM struggles to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and other looming corporate collapses.
"We are living through a very interesting time in America right now," said McCracken, who is married to the former Jennifer Watson, a Wayne State University business school grad, and has twin three-year-olds. "I am lucky. I love my job and am glad to have the opportunity to help inform people and make sense of legal or financial issues that are often difficult to understand. I like to learn about things I don't know much about, which I get to do as a journalist."
To read articles by McCracken, visit The Wall Street Journal online at wsj.com. For more information on Wayne Law, visit the Law School online at law.wayne.edu.