SBM Blog

SBM International & Business Law sections to host "The Brexit Effect"

The State Bar of Michigan International Law Section and Business Law Section will co-host a networking and educational program called "The Brexit Effect: Potential Legal Impacts from Brexit on U.S. & Global Companies" at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Michigan State University Management Education Center in Troy. 

The evening will begin at 5:15 p.m. with a networking reception with hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and will be followed at 5:45 by the educational program. Additional networking will follow the program at 7 p.m. 

The event is free for members of the International Law Section and $25 for members of the Business Law Section and anyone who is not a member of either section. 

View more information about the event. 

In Memoriam: Donald L. Reisig, 54th SBM President

The State Bar of Michigan mourns the loss of its 54th president, Donald L. Reisig, who died Oct. 21 at the age of 81.

A 1958 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Reisig was elected president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1988-89. He had a long and distinguished legal career in the Lansing area. He started as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Ingham County, then became Ingham County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Lansing City Attorney, Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney and a 30th Circuit Court judge. He was commonly referred to as the "boy wonder" of Ingham County politics. He also served as a visiting professor and lecturer at the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 

In 1976, Reisig entered private practice with the firm Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton, McIntyre and Reisig. In 1989, Governor James Blanchard asked him to serve as Michigan Director of Drug Agencies. In 1995, at the request of the American Bar Association, he served as legal liaison to the former Soviet countries Ukraine and Georgia to assist them in converting their legal systems as independent states. In 1996, he was named Director of Legal Affairs for the Central Michigan Legal Services Agency, helping indigent people obtain legal services. And finally, he served as administrator of the 30th Circuit Court's Juvenile Division, until he retired in 2007. 

Reisig is survived by his wife, Carol Ann Keyes Reisig; three children, Chris Ward Reisig (Rory) of Williamston, Deborah Engstrom (Mark) of Okemos, and Charles Reisig of Tuscon, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Daniel Viaches (Laura) of Indianapolis, Ind., Matthew Viaches (Lisa) of Carmel, Ind., Kristi Viaches of New York City and Dalton Reisig of Tucson, Ariz.; stepchildren Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, Elizabeth Geraghty of New York, Richard Whitmer Jr. of Lansing, Kristin M. Pierce of Mason, and Kimberly M. Patterson (Joseph Titlebaum) of Port Aransas, Texas; and step-granddaughter, Lauren Pierce. Also surviving are three great-grandchildren, James, Adam and Ava. 

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Estes Leadley Funeral Home's Greater Lansing Chapel, located at 325 W. Washtenaw St. in Lansing. His family will receive friends starting at 1 p.m. at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Eaton Community Palliative Care or the National Parkinson Foundation. 

Appellate Practice Section to Present Seminar: "The Economics of Court-Appointed Appeals"

The State Bar of Michigan Appellate Practice Section will present “The Economics of Court-Appointed Appeals” from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

The seminar will start with opening remarks by Bradley Hall, administrator of the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System. Mike Naughton, regional consultant for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, will present “Practicing Smarter to Save Time and Money.” Next, a panel, consisting of Bonnie Faraone, office manager at Michael A. Faraone PC; Mitch Foster, roster attorney at MAACS; and Brandon McNamee, child welfare appellate attorney, will discuss “Reasonable Attorney Fees from Unreasonable Fee Schedules.” Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will round out the morning’s presentations with a talk about “Virtues of Pro Bono and Court-Appointed Appellate Advocacy.”

Lunch will be served, and a panel moderated by Liisa Speaker, of Speaker Law Firm, and consisting of Bradley Hall; Justice Bridget Mary McCormack; Vivek Sanakaran, clinical professor at University of Michigan Law School Child Welfare Appellate Clinic; and Noah Bradow, of the State Court Administrative Office Trial Court Services, will discuss policy, with a focus on the impetus for the MAACS, the lessons learned through its recent consolidation with SADO and potential reforms to child welfare appointed representation.

Registration costs $20 for section members and $30 for non-section members. Scholarships are available for court-appointed attorneys, but to receive a scholarship you must submit your application by mail. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://connect.michbar.org/appellatepractice/home. The registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 4.

Congratulations on Passing the Bar Exam! Here's What You Do Next.

To everyone who passed the July 2016 Bar Exam: CONGRATULATIONS!!!

In order to become licensed to practice law in Michigan, you need to accomplish three steps: 

1. You need to be administered the oath of office in a court-of-law to practice law in Michigan
2. You must fill out a State Bar of Michigan membership application
3. You must turn in the membership application and an order of admission, and pay your bar dues

Once you have completed those steps, you will be assigned a P-number. 

View a complete list of instructions on what to do to become licensed to practice law in Michigan, as well as a list of swearing-in ceremonies in courts across the state.

 

SBM to Present “Tips and Tools” For a Successful Practice Seminar on Nov. 1

The State Bar of Michigan will present “Tips and Tools for a Successful Practice” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the State Bar’s Michael Franck Building in downtown Lansing.

The semi-annual seminar features presentations on how to maintain mutually beneficial client relationships, draft effective fee agreements, manage lawyer trust accounts, analyze ethical issues, and use innovative techniques and technology for law office management. The seminar presents an excellent opportunity for solo practitioners and new lawyers to obtain ethical guidance and practical information from colleagues who have successfully implemented law office management techniques and utilized economically-priced technology to improve the efficiency of their law practices.

Registration costs $100 for lawyers who have been in practice for less than five years and $125 for those who have practiced law for five years or more. The registration fee includes seminar materials, a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://www.michbar.org/tipstools. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 28.

For more information contact Karen Spohn with the State Bar of Michigan Professional Standards Division at [email protected] or (517) 346-6309.

SBM Young Lawyers to Host Breakfast Billing Seminar with ICLE

The State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section will host a seminar, “Breakfast Basics: Alternative Fee Arrangements,” 8:30-10:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education building, located at 1020 Greene Street in Ann Arbor. ICLE will co-host the seminar. 

The seminar will feature a panel discussion about how to set fees in order to become profitable, while remaining credible and affordable to clients. The panel, which will consist of Alari Adams of A Squared Legal Group in Detroit, Erin Bonahoom of Canvas Legal in Detroit, Denise Couling of Couling Law and Mediation in Brighton and Brian Schwartz of Miller Canfield in Detroit, will also talk about creative options that go beyond the billable hour to boost efficiency and help clients avoid sticker shock. 

For more information about the seminar, or to register, visit http://bit.ly/2dINLoU.

ABA Young Lawyers Division to Host Fall Conference in Detroit

The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will host its Fall Conference Oct. 19-23 at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. The State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section is a sponsor of the conference. 

The conference will offer those in attendance the opportunity to earn Continuing Legal Education credit and meet practice-area experts and legal profession influencers. Educational sessions will examine such topics as professional ethics in regard to networking, marketing and gaining experience as a solo practitioner, crafting your elevator pitch, lessons learned in Flint, ethics and interplay of the judicial system and media, gender identity and Title IX, cybersecurity, balancing work and life and student loans, women in politics and leadership, prosecutorial discretion in the wake of public outcry, and LGBTQ family law practice tips. 

A special educational lunch program on Oct. 21, “Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings too: Hot Topics in Professional Sports,” will feature a panel that will examine sports law, including on and off-field player conduct, collective bargaining agreements and the legalization of sports gambling. 

The Fall Conference also offers many dynamic networking opportunities. Two tours of the Shinola Factory will take place Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. A speed networking event will take place Oct. 20 at the Westin Book Cadillac, followed by a welcome reception at Punch Bowl Social in Detroit. A tour of downtown Detroit will be followed by a dinner dance at Detroit Golf Club on Oct. 21. A tour of the Henry Ford Museum and Ford Rouge Factory will take place Oct. 22. Conference attendees can also attend a Detroit Red Wings game on Oct. 22 and a Detroit Lions game Oct. 23. 

On-site registration is available. For more information about the conference, visit www.ambar.org/yldfall16 or contact Shenique Moss at [email protected].  

SBM Marijuana Law Section to Host First Conference

The State Bar of Michigan Marijuana Law Section will host its first conference, “Marijuana—What Every Lawyer Must Know,” from Friday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 23 at Firekeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek.

The conference will kick off Friday evening with opening statements by Bernard Jocuns and Daniel Grow, a presentation on “National Developments in Medical and Recreational Marijuana Law” by NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, and an opening reception.

Saturday will be filled with educational seminars, covering these topics: “Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act Overview—Navigating the MMA’s House of Cards,” "MythBusters: The Truth about Marijuana Science,” “Weed Mart—Profits or Prison? Advising Cannabusiness Clients,” “A Finger on the Pulse of the MMA—A Doctor’s View,” “How Do I Defend My Client When the Courts Keep Changing the MMA?” and “Cannabis and Psychomotor Performance: The Latest Science You Need to Know and Know Right Now.”

Sunday will also be filled with educational seminars: “Will I Lose My Children over Weed? The Impact of Marijuana on Child Custody and Child Welfare Cases,” “What’s the Legislature Up to? The Latest News on Medical and Recreational Marijuana,” “Are You High? Measuring THC in the Human Body,” and “Not in My Backyard: Zoning Issues and Local Regulation on Property.” Daniel Grow will also provide closing remarks.

For more information, or to register online, visit www.michbar.org/news/viewevent/eid/577.