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Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. talked about innovations at the state courts, imposed performance standards for trial judges and how tech and process design are helping to streamline the judiciary. The State Bar of Michigan's JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent interviewed Chief Justice Young on the Legal Talk Network on September 22 at the SBM Annual Meeting in DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Fred K. Herrmann, of Detroit, has been sworn in as the chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for 2016-2017. Thirty-seventh District Court Judge John M. Chmura officiated at the Sept. 22 ceremony, held during the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
The 150-member Representative Assembly is the final policy-making body of the State Bar. The Michigan Supreme Court created it in 1971 at the request of the SBM Board of Commissioners in order to increase geographical representation and member participation in State Bar policy. Herrmann represents the Third Judicial Circuit in the Assembly.
Herrmann maintains a diverse litigation practice focused on class action defense, multidistrict litigation, antitrust, patent and other intellectual property litigation, attorney and other professional liability defense, and contract disputes, as well as supply chain and other disputes implicating the Uniform Commercial Code.
Herrmann is a member of the SBM Board of Commissioners and served on the SBM 21st Century Practice Task Force. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter and serves as co-chair of its Pro Bono Committee.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as editor of the Michigan Journal of International Law.
Lawrence P. Nolan, of Eaton Rapids, has been sworn in as the 82nd president of the State Bar of Michigan. Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. presided at the Sept. 22 ceremony, which took place in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Nolan is the founder and president of Nolan, Thomsen & Villas in Eaton Rapids, where he focuses his practice on personal injury, wrongful death, criminal, probate, domestic relations, estate planning and real estate law.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. also swore in other officers for the 2016-2017 bar year, including President-Elect Donald G. Rockwell, of Flint; Vice President Jennifer M. Grieco, of Birmingham; Secretary Dennis M. Barnes, of Detroit; and Treasurer Robert J. Buchanan, of Grand Rapids.
Nolan will lead an organization of over 45,000 members that works to improve the administration of justice, promotes the legal profession, and builds public understanding of the legal system. He has been involved in State Bar work for more than a decade and has served on many of its committees and groups. He has served on the SBM Board of Commissioners since 2006, and has served as treasurer, secretary, vice president, and president-elect. He has also served on the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly.
Nolan served as president of the Ingham County Bar Association from 2003-2004, the Ingham County Bar Foundation from 2005-2009, the Thomas M. Cooley Chapter of the American Inns of Court from 2004-2006, and the Eaton Rapids Rotary Club from 1985-1986. He served as president of the Diocese of Lansing Catholic Lawyers Guild from 2013-2015. He has also served on the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Board since 1983, and currently serves as its vice chairperson. He is a fellow of the Ingham County Bar Foundation and the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He also serves as the secretary of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Nolan serves as a founding member of the Legal Eagles hockey team, and still serves as the team’s captain. He has received the Louis A. Smith Distinguished Jurist Award, the Ingham County Bar Association’s prestigious Leo Farhat Outstanding Attorney Award, and the Thomas M. Cooley Distinguished Alumni Award. Michigan Lawyers Weekly has also named him a Leader in the Law.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, and he earned his juris doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Members of the legal community will gather Sept. 21-23 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids for the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting and Solo and Small Firm Institute.
Among this year's highlights:
Members of the legal profession who have achieved the highest honors in the areas of leadership, professional integrity and pro bono and community service will be recognized at the Awards Banquet, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Award winners from the Michigan State Bar Foundation, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and Michigan Association for Justice will also be recognized. SBM President Lori Buiteweg and President-Elect Lawrence Nolan will present the awards.
The Solo and Small Firm Institute will take place on Thursday, Sept. 22, and Friday, Sept. 23, and host a faculty of 18, including these national speakers:
Speakers will share their expertise about future trends in the legal services industry, serving more clients with greater efficiency, time management skills, getting great technology on a budget, delegation skills, technology tools for collaboration, better communication skills, purchasing liability insurance for a law firm, increasing a firm’s data security, building a culture of accountability at a firm, as well as updates in many areas of substantive law, including medical marijuana, family, real property, and criminal law.
On Thursday, Sept. 22, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. will swear in the 82nd president of the State Bar, Lawrence P. Nolan, and other officers. In addition, 37th District Court Judge John M. Chmura will swear in the 2016-2017 chair of the Representative Assembly, Fred K. Herrmann, and the Michael Franck and Unsung Hero awards will be presented at the assembly business meeting.
Also on Thursday, the Celebrating Diversity Reception will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Mojos Dueling Piano Bar in Grand Rapids. Hosted by the Justice Initiatives Committee, the reception will celebrate the diversity of the State Bar, and acknowledge the work accomplished over the past year in support of achieving greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in Michigan.
On Friday, the 50-Year Golden Celebration Luncheon will take place from noon to 2 p.m. This event honors lawyers for 50 years of membership in the State Bar of Michigan.
For more information on this year's Annual Meeting, visit www.michbar.org/annualmeeting.
The State Bar of Michigan Insurance & Indemnity Law Section will host its Annual Meeting and Educational Program from 9-11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
The business meeting will take place from 9-9:30 a.m. and the educational program from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The educational program, “Commercial Property from Start to Finish,” will feature a panel that will take a comprehensive look at the complex risk factors involved in insuring commercial property. Don Balmes, of Willis Risk Solutions, will discuss common strategies used to insure commercial real property and what insurance coverage is available in the marketplace. Patrick King, of Fabian Skylar & King, will provide insight into the claims process, examine how to approach recovery of a commercial property loss and explain policy coverages most frequently invoked in the event of a loss. W. Daniel Troyka, of Conlin McKenney, will provide the insurance company perspective and identify some policy provisions frequently invoked by insurance carriers during the claims process. Bill Butler, of Butler & Associates, will explain the appraisal process that is frequently invoked in the event of a dispute between the insured and the insurer.
There is no cost to attend the business meeting or educational program. Registration is requested, but not required. To register online, visit http://bit.ly/sbmamreg. For more information, visit http://connect.michbar.org/insurance/home, or contact Adam Kutinsky at [email protected] or 248-642-7835.
The State Bar of Michigan Paralegal/Legal Assistant Section will host its Annual Meeting and educational program from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, at the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
The section business meeting will begin at 10 a.m., complete with an election and swearing-in of new officers and a presentation of scholarships to paralegal students. At 11 a.m., Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Professor Victoria Vuletich will present a keynote, “How & Why the Legal Profession is Restructuring & What it Means for Us.” A complimentary lunch will round out the event from noon to 1 p.m.
The meeting, program, and lunch are free of charge, but registration is required. To register, visit www.michbar.org/annualmeeting/registration. For more information about the section meeting, contact Jennifer Petty at [email protected] or KathyAnn Blunck at [email protected].
The SBM Paralegal/Legal Assistant Section originated in 1990 and provides education to its members through publications, seminars, and professional networking. More information can be found at http://connect.michbar.org/paralegal or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sbmplas.
The State Bar of Michigan Solo & Small Firm Section will host its Annual Meeting and Educational Program from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
The business meeting will take place from noon to 12:30 p.m. and the educational program from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The educational program, “Constitutional Crossfire: Is the Constitution a Living Document?” will feature a panel of lawyers and judges who will examine the originalist v. pragmatist debate over Constitutional interpretation.
A deli-style lunch buffet will be provided on a first come-first served basis. There is no cost to attend the business meeting, lunch or educational program. Registration is requested, but not required. To register online, visit http://connect.michbar.org/solo/home. For more information, contact Mary Ericson at [email protected] or 248-425-3675.
