William Volz

Distinguished Service Professor of Business Law and Ethics

Faculty areas of expertise

Commercial law and regulation, Business ethics, Constitutional law, Taxation policy

Get in touch

Phone
248-644-1035

Email
ab9241@wayne.edu

Office

Mike Ilitch School of Business
2771 Woodward Avenue
Room 315
Detroit, MI 48201

Get to know William Volz

Biography

Board of Directors: Michigan Audubon, Kirtland's Warbler Alliance, also several other organizations: community mental health, veterans, amateur theatre, and legal aid societies
Board of Trustees: Olde Custodian Fund (creation to $3,8 billion of money market funds), Henry Ford Health Systems Behavioral Health Services, Detroit Historical Society
Consultant: Comcast, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court, State of Michigan Office of the Governor, Merril Lynch, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Managed Asset Portfolio, Chrysler Corporation, United Automobile Workers, law firms.
Pennsylvania State University, World Campus, Project Management instruction, Masters Program, 2004-2021
Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi, Mathematics instruction, 1968
United States Army. Field Artillery Officer Candidate School. 25th Infantry Division, 1969-1972
State Bar of Michigan, 1975-present
Federal Bar, 1975-present
U.S. District Court Judge Damon J. Keith Judicial Intern, 1975
Free Legal Aid Clinic, Inc., Staff and Supervising Attorney,1975-1976
U.S. Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel, 1977
President, Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, 1995-1996,1998-2000.
Hired at WSU, 1978; Assistant, Associate, Professor, Distinguished Service Professor of Business Law and Ethics to present
Dean, School of Business, 1985-1995
Director, Center for Legal Studies, Law School, 1996-1997
Chair, Department of Accounting, 1997-1999
Associate Vice President for Academic Personnel, Office of the Provost, 2007
Executive Director, University Student Entrepreneurship, Blackstone LaunchPad, ($1.7 million grant funding), 2010-2014
University Council/Academic Senate, 1984-1985, 2000-present
Policy Committee, 2004-2020, Vice-Chair, 2006-2007
Budget Committee, 1984-1985, 2000-present, Chair, 2009-2011
Elections Committee, Chair, 2000-2005
University Faculty Hearing Panel, 2004-2006
General Education Reform/Oversight (Implementation) Committee, 2000-2019
President's Commission on General Education, 1984
Art and Art History Department Internal Review, Chair, 1999-2000, Co-chair, 2006-2007, Chair, 2011, 2018
Interdisciplinary Studies Director Search Committee, Chair, 1999
Center for Academic Ethics, Board of Directors, 1989-1995
Merrill-Palmer Institute, Committee on Employer-Sponsored Child-Care, 1990-1992
College of Liberal Arts/Science Restructuring Committee, 2003
School of Business Administration Restructuring Committee, 2004
Accounting Department and Chair Review Committee, Chair, 2004 and 2009
Review of George R. Husband and T. Norris Hitchman Endowed Chairs, Chair, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2020.
School of Business Faculty Senate, 1979-1985, Chair, 1983-1985
JD/MBA Review Committee, 2004-2005
Budget Planning Council, various University budget committees 1995-present
University Honorary Degree Advisory Committee, 2013-2019
President's Award for Excellence in Teaching Selection Committee, 2009,2012,2014,2018,2020
Provost's Office of Teaching and Learning Advisory Board (also Travel Award Committee, 2012 to present.
President's (Covid) Restart Committee-Administration and Finance, 2020
President's Distinguished Service Professor Selection Committee, 2022
Presidential Search Advisory Committee, 2008 (CFO, AVP HR, various other University search committees)
Board of Governors Budget and Finance Committee, 2007-2010
Board of Governors Personnel Committee, 2003-2007, 2014-2018
Computer Acceptable Use Planning Committee, 2019-2022
University Promotion and Tenure Committee, 2010,2011,2014,2018,2022
Law School/Dean Review Committee, 2022
Other appointed and elected committees

Memberships

Academy of Legal Studies in Business
American Bar Association
American Political Science Association
Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Sigma Phi
Common Ground/Sanctuary
Detroit Athletic Club
Economic Club of Detroit
Harvard Business School Club of Detroit
Harvard Club of Eastern Michigan
Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters
Oakland Audubon Society
Michigan Audubon
State Bar of Michigan
American Association of University Professors-AFT

- MBA, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, 1978
- JD, Wayne State University, 1975
- Ph.D. Program, Political Science, MA, University of Michigan, 1972
- BA, Michigan State University, High Honors, Honors College, Economics,1968
- High School, Romeo Community High School, Michigan, 1964
Commercial law and regulation, Business ethics, Constitutional law, Taxation policy
Research
- Tax Policy
- Healthcare Policy
- Constitutional Law; Product Liability; Punitive Damages
- Bankruptcy
- Great Teachers
Teaching
- Commercial Law and Regulation
- Business Ethics, Business and Society
- Project Management
- Tax Policy, Tax Research
- Billings, Kim, and Volz, (2023) "Intergenerational Wealth Transfer Taxes See Substantial Changes," Tax Notes Federal. Vol. 180.
- Masters, Goeddeke, Gibney, and Volz (2022), "Balancing Rights and Responsibilities in Remedying Union Corruption: The Case of the United Auto Workers (UAW)," Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal.
- Hinchliffe, Billings, and Volz (2022), "Space Jam! Accounting for and Taxation of Brands in the NFT Space," Tax Notes Federal, Vol. 176.
- Billings, Volz, and Jones (2021), Advances in Taxation, Vol. 28.
- Billings, Huston, and Volz (2017), "Navigating Municipal Bankruptcy," The CPA Journal, Vol.87.
- Billings, Volz, and Kim (2017), "New Developments in Outbound Transfers of Intangible Property," The Tax Advisor, Vol. 48.
- Billings, Volz, and Walsh (2015), “Tax Evasion through Offshore Bank Deposits in Swiss Banks: A High Priority for the Obama Administration," The CPA Journal. Vol. 85.
- Billings, Volz, and Hatch (2014), “The Impact of Unitary Tax Principles on Multistate Corporations, The CPA Journal. Vol. 84.
- Billings and Volz (2013), “A Primer on Bankruptcy for Accountants, The CPA Journal. Vol. 83.
- Volz, Walsh and Billings (2011), “Reporting the Governance, Management, and Disclosure Policies of Tax-Exempt Organizations in the Redesigned IRS Form 990, The CPA Journal. Vol. 81.
- Volz and Ellis (2009), “An Attorney-Client Privilege for Embattled Tax Practitioners: A Legislative Response to Uncertain Legal Counsel,Hofstra Law Review. Vol. 38.
- Tazian and Volz (2007), “More Scrutiny of Directors: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act at Five, National Law Journal. Vol. 29.
- Volz and Tazian (2006), “The Role of Attorneys under Sarbanes-Oxley: The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee as Facilitator of Corporate Integrity, American Business Law Journal. Vol. 43. Cited in 12 law reviews.
- Volz (2005), “Will Private Savings Accounts Create Worker Philanthropists?, Tax Notes.
- Volz and Tazian (2004), “The Tax Treatment of Sexual Harassment Awards: Clarifying the Threshold for Exclusion, Journal of Legislation," Vol.30.
- Volz (2004), “An Anatomy of the Legal Writing of Justice John D. Voelker, Michigan Academician. Vol. 36. Won the 2003 Cohn Prize for Legal Scholarship. Michigan Supreme Court Historical Library selection.
- Volz and Spalding (2002), “Charitable Checkoffs on State Income Tax Returns: A Modest Success Story, State Tax Notes. Vol. 25. Reprinted with the same title in The Exempt Organization Tax Review. Vol. 37.
- Volz, Jones, and Wisley (2000), “Practitioner Reliance on Private Letter Rulings as Legal Authority, Tax Notes. Vol. 88.
- Volz (1998), “The Classroom Gifts of Great University Teachers, Michigan Academician. Vol.30.
- Spalding, Jones, and Volz (1998), “Teaching ‘Kidzlaw’ on The Internet, Michigan Bar Journal. Vol.77.
- Volz (1997), “Toward the Definition of a Great Teacher, Journal of Legal Studies Education. Vol. 15.
- Volz and Fayz (1994), "Punitive Damages: TXO Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp. and the Quest for Constitutional Standards," Commercial Damages Reporter. Vol. 9.
- Volz and Fayz (1993), "Michigan Just Cause Employment Contracts: The Enduring Experiment," University of Detroit/Mercy Law Review. Vol. 70. Cited in 8 law reviews.
- Volz and Fayz (1992), "Punitive Damages and the Due Process Clause: The Search for Constitutional Standards," University of Detroit/Mercy Law Review, Vol. 69. [Cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in TXO Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp., 509 U.S. 443, 500 (1993) Justice O'Connor dissenting with whom Justices White and Souter joined. Also, cited by the Alabama Supreme Court and over 70 law reviews.]
- Volz and Fayz (1991), "McBride v. General Motors: Judicial Response to Constitutional Challenges in a Products Liability Punitive Damage Limitation Statute," American Business Law Journal, Vol. 29. Cited in 5 law reviews.
- Volz and Costa (1984), "A Public Employee's 'Fair Share' of Union Dues," Labor Law Journal, Vol. 40.
- Volz and Breitenbeck (1984), "Comparable Worth and the Union's Duty of Fair Representation," Employee Relations Law Journal, Vol. 10. Cited in 6 law reviews.
- Volz and Brouwer (1983), "Contracts" for the Annual Survey of Michigan Law, Wayne Law Review, Vol. 29.
- Volz and Morgan (1983), "The Product Liability Crisis," The Michigan Economy, Vol. 2.
- Volz (1983), "Discovering an Accountant's Tax Accrual Workpapers: Should Auditors Join the Privileged Few?" Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Vol. 2.
- Volz (1982), "Accountant's Liability to Third Persons: Resistance in Negligence," American Bar Association - Barrister, Vol. 9. Cited in 4 law reviews.
Maintained an active schedule of presentations to local community groups, student and professional organizations on topics of mutual interest. Presented over one hundred papers at academic and professional conferences affiliated with institutions in eleven foreign countries and numerous American universities.
Research accomplishments and awards

Published a book on trial procedure and over forty articles in law reviews, academic and professional journals. My work in business and commercial law have been cited in more than one hundred journals, law reviews, by the United States Supreme Court, and by a state supreme court. Published over one hundred other essays, papers and book reviews. Served on the editorial boards of five journals. Proceedings editor for papers in several national and regional conferences. Twice won the Cohn Prize for Legal and Public Policy Scholarship of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters.

Teaching awards
- Mike Ilitch School of Business Alumni Association, Inspirational Teacher Award [2018]
- President's Council, State of Michigan, Distinguished Professor of the Year (WSU Nom.) [2009]
- President's Award for Excellence in Teaching [2007]
- School of Business Administration Distinguished Teaching Award [2001]
- Professional Development Division Executive Education Leadership Award [1995]
- School of Business Administration Distinguished Faculty Award [1982]
Professional service awards
- Wayne State Student Entrepreneurship, Blackstone LaunchPad, awarded $1.7 million external funding [2010-2014]
- Wayne State University Alumni Association Faculty Service Award [2006]
- Lviv (Ukraine) Institute of Management Distinguished Leadership Award [1993]
- Wayne State University Club Leadership Award [1992]
- Michigan Department of Social Services/Detroit Self-Employment Project Distinguished Service Award [1992]
- Association of Black Business Students Wayne State University Chapter – Distinguished Service Award [1990]
- Wayne State University Chapter Beta Alpha Psi (national accounting honorary fraternity) [1982]