State Court Administrator Chad Schmucker has been chosen to receive the Michigan State Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice Award, given each year to an individual who has significantly advanced access to justice for the poor in Michigan. The trustees of the Foundation honored Schmucker for his long public service as a judge and now as State Court Administrator in helping people overcome barriers to access to Michigan's courts, and in particular for his work with the Solutions on Self-Help (SOS) Task Force and its successor program, the Michigan Legal Help (MLH) Program. Foundation Vice President Al Butzbaugh said “Judge Schmucker made extraordinary contributions, including participating personally and involving other top SCAO staff in projects, assuring SCAO collaboration with MLH, supporting training for court staff regarding self-represented litigants, and using public speaking opportunities to emphasize the need for, and value of, pro se assistance.”
Past Access to Justice Award winners include Robert Gillett, Executive Director of Legal Services of South Central Michigan, and Candace Crowley, Director of External Development at the State Bar of Michigan.
