SBM Blog

Breaking: Nation's First Daughter-Father Team Prevails in Michigan Case Before U.S. Supreme Court

By a vote of six to two  (with Justice Kagan recused), the Court vacated and remanded the decision of the Michigan Supreme Court in Michigan v. Bryant (09-150).  In an opinion by Justice Sotomayor, the Court held that a statement given to police by a wounded crime victim identifying the person who shot him is admissible at trial if the victim dies before trial.  The Court concluded that because the  primary purpose of the interrogation was to enable police to deal with an ongoing emergency, the statements resulting from that interrogation were not testimonial and could be admitted without violating the Confrontation Clause. Justices Scalia and Ginsburg dissented.  The ABA Journal reports that Justice Scalia's dissent accuses the Court of having an "active imagination," and complains that the majority has left confrontation clause jurisprudence "in shambles."

As we reported in Michigan Daughter-Father Legal Team Marks a U.S. Supreme Court First , the case was argued by Lori Palmer, an assistant prosecutor for Wayne County, second chaired by her father, chief of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office appellate division.

What U.S. Lawyers Earn, and Where Michigan Stands

The ABA Journal has the latest statistics on what lawyers earn, complementing the State Bar's own 2010 Economics of Law Practice Report (PDF).  Click here for the legend to the map and the full report.  In the top 35 law markets, the ABA report puts Detroit-Warren-Livonia at #14.  In terms of mean wages, however, Michigan doesn't show up until #32 of 35, for Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills.

The Law's Best Public-Private Partnership Under Congressional Attack

The contentious history and chronic underfunding of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) are so familiar to LSC supporters (including the State Bar) that it's not a surprising that this basic important truth about the program often goes unnoticed: LSC is one of the most successful public-private partnerships in our nation.  At a time when public-private partnerships are being touted as an innovative and powerful answer to many of our most pressing public funding problems, it's important to drive this point home.  Esther Larden, President and CEO of the Pro Bono Institute, drives the point home in the National Law Journal:

[LSC] funds leverage substantial additional funding from other sources, and its grantees, through pro bono, leverage millions of hours of pro bono service. If Legal Services Corp. funding diminishes, pro bono service, despite its current momentum, will decline steeply as well. Our legal pro bono efforts are the envy of the rest of the world. Congress needs to understand that cutting funding for legal services will stop the flow of valuable and free private assistance. This proposed funding cut not only threatens the very core of access to justice; it is economically unwise.

Here's what happened to LSC funding in the House, "Federal Funding for Legal Aid Takes 18% Hit in House Budget".  Tell your Congressional representative and Senators about the importance of this great public-private partnership.  The State Bar's Public Policy Resource Center can help.

Oh, Snap! Michigan Law Takes a Blow Below the Belt

Perhaps if a Jamaican beauty queen (who is also a Michigan Law student) hadn't been involved, this dust-up at the University of Michigan Law School would have flown under the blogosphere radar.  As it stands, however, Above the Law seized upon a mini-free speech controversy wrapped up in sex and insecurity (the catalyst was the school's Mr. Wolverine 2011 contest) to suggest that Michigan Law students are petulant, self-centered and thin-skinned.  Read it if you're bored silly, but be warned, it's kinda long.

Here's the skinny.  Mr. Wolverine is an annual fundraiser organized by the Latino Law Students Association to raise money for summer intern funding for law students working with public interest organizations. (Good for you, LLSA.  And good for you, guys who had the balls to participate.)  A good time presumably was had by all.  Then former Miss Jamaica chose to give clever, mostly kind, but a little snarky advice to future contestants through the student publication Res Gestae. And all hell broke loose.

Advice to everybody, including ATL: lighten up.  Life in the law is tough enough as it is.

Are Lawyers Leading the Way in Libya?

According to the BBC and the Washington Post, they are.  The BBC report says that Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya, is being run by a committee made up partly of judges and lawyers.  The Washington Post says the committee is led by a female lawyer "who has barely slept all week."

HT: Legal Blog Watch

Did You Do Mock Trial as a Student? Or Wish You Had?

Now's your chance to give back, or give a young person the chance you never had. Michigan's premier law-related education organization, the Michigan Center for Civic Education, urgently needs volunteers to serve as judges and bailiffs/timekeepers for the upcoming Michigan High School Mock Trial Tournament. The State Bar of Michigan is a sponsor.  Go here for more information.  Register here.

Volunteers have the option of serving for two morning trials, from 7:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. or one afternoon trial, from 1:30–4:30 p.m. on two different days:

• March 5 at U.S. District Court in Detroit
• March 5 at Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids
• March 12 at Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac

Photo: Ypsilanti High's mock trial team, coached by Michigan Law's Future Advocates in Training (FAIT), in Amicus.

Almost Perfect Oscar Night Appetizer

 

Below the line, some personal favorites they missed:

In Memoriam: James D. Cole

James D. Cole, of Fenton, died January 21, at the age of 53.  He was a 1984 graduate of the Detroit College of Law.

In Memoriam: Donald H. Poniatowski

Donald H. Poniatowski, of Lapeer, died January 28, at the age of 68.  He was a 1979 graduate of the University of Detroit.

In Memoriam: Peter D. Sickels

Peter D. Sickels, of Monroe, died February 10 at the age of 46.  Mr. Sickels became a member of the State Bar of Michigan in 1980.  Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to Childrens Advocacy Network P.O. Box 501, Monroe, MI 48161.