SBM Blog

Attention Northern Michigan Attorneys: Legal Services of Northern Michigan Needs Your Help

Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Conflict Resolution Services, Grand-Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association and Women Lawyers Association will host an expungement clinic to clear old criminal convictions that cause barriers to employment and housing for people with felony and misdemeanor convictions. The expungement clinic will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, at Conflict Resolution Services offices, located at 521 S. Union Street in Traverse City. 

If you're an attorney in Northern Michigan, they need your help. Volunteer attorneys are needed from 9 a.m. to noon on June 3. Individuals will meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys to complete forms. You will leave having participated in a very meaningful pro bono experience. 

Clients who need expungements must call in advance (now) to register and complete a screening process. 

For more information, to register for an expungement or to sign up to participate as a volunteer attorney, contact Heather Abraham at [email protected] or 231-941-0771, Ext. 205. 

This clinic is supported by grant funding from Equal Justice Works, Rotary Charities of Traverse City and the Michigan State Bar Foundation. 

Legal Services of Northern Michigan is a nonprofit, public interest law firm committed to promoting equal access to justice by providing free civil legal services to people living at or below the federal poverty line who are 60 years old or older. LSNM serves Michigan's 36 northernmost counties. Conflict Resolution Services is a northern Michigan nonprofit that provides free and low-cost mediation services using volunteer mediators to resolve all types of conflicts. It serves Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Missaukee and Wexford counties. 

Animal Law Section to Present 2017 Sadie Award

The Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan will present Connie Page and the late Thomas Conner with the 2017 Sadie Award for their extensive work on behalf of the Ingham County Animal Shelter at a reception from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, at Midtown Brewing Co. in Lansing.

Page and Conner devoted themselves to hands-on animal care, fostered dozens of kittens and older cats to prepare them for adoption, and worked countless hours by providing adoption counseling and cleaning cages at the Ingham County Animal Shelter in Mason.

After retiring from the faculty of Michigan State University, Page and Conner worked to boost adoptions of shelter animals, especially cats. They invested time and creativity to plan events and programs, spent hours designing adoption programs, applied for grant funding and set up adoption events. They promoted activities at the shelter, photographed cats for the shelter’s website, distributed colorful handouts with photos of animals, created flyers for special adoption events, organized and operated mobile adoption stations at pet stores and special events, wrote letters in support of shelter activities, and appeared weekly with adoption-ready cats and kittens on Lansing’s local CBS affiliate, WLNS-TV6.

The Animal Law Section Sadie Award was created to recognize contributions to the well-being of animals made by Michigan residents not involved in the legal or legislative systems. The award was named in memory of Sadie, a beloved family dog who died as the result of animal cruelty.

The reception will feature complimentary appetizers. To reserve your spot at the reception, contact Tracy Sonneborn at [email protected] by Tuesday, May 16.

SBM Probate & Estate Planning Section Hosting Third Annual Happy Hour May 19

The State Bar of Michigan Probate & Estate Planning Section will host a third annual happy hour for new or young lawyers, non-members and current members looking for ways to network with peers and get more involved with and learn more about the section from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, May 19, on the 17th floor of Grand Traverse Resort in Acme.

In conjunction with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education Probate & Estate Planning Institute in Acme and sponsored by Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, the happy hour will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres, an open bar and fun, relaxed conversation. 

Put on your casual clothes, take the elevator to the top and enjoy the views as you learn how section membership can help you improve your practice. 

For more information, contact Nick Reister at [email protected] or (616) 458-8286.

 

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

To everyone who passed the February 2017 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.

Here are February Bar Exam passers, by seat number

If you're wondering whether or not you passed the February Bar Exam in Michigan, grab your seat number and check here: Michigan February Bar Exam Passers.

Chief Justice Markman lauds Kurtis Wilder as Supreme Court pick

Governor Rick Snyder has appointed Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Kurtis Wilder to take former Justice Robert Young's seat on the Michigan Supreme Court.

“My colleagues and I are extremely pleased to welcome Judge Kurt Wilder to the Michigan Supreme Court," said Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Markman in a statement. "Judge Wilder brings a quarter century of experience on the trial and appellate courts of this state. Equally important, he brings what has been a consistent commitment to the equal rule of law and unwavering support for the values of the constitutions of the United States and the State of Michigan. Governor Snyder and all of the people of our state can take great pride in this appointment."

Judge Wilder was appointed in 1998 to the Michigan Court of Appeals by former Governor John Engler. He was subsequently elected to the appeals court in 2000, and then re-elected in 2004, 2010 and 2016. Prior to serving on the appeals court, Judge Wilder served as chief judge of Washtenaw County Circuit Court. He also practiced law with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith in Lansing and Butzel Long in Detroit. 

Judge Wilder earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. 

Trust Accounts Seminar Set for June 27 in Lansing

The State Bar of Michigan will present a seminar, “Lawyer Trust Accounts: Management Principles and Recordkeeping Resources,” from 1:15-4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27 at the State Bar of Michigan Michael Franck Building, located at 306 Townsend Street in Lansing.  

This half-day ethics seminar will feature presentations on how to ethically manage lawyer trust accounts and effectively use forms, checklists and other recordkeeping resources. The seminar, open to lawyers and their staff members, is an excellent way to learn more about Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 and 1.15A.

Participants will receive practical information as well as materials prepared by the presenters: SBM Professional Standards Division Director Danon Goodrum-Garland, SBM Assistant General Counsel Nkrumah Johnson-Wynn, Professional Standards Assistant Counsel Alecia Ruswinckel and Attorney Grievance Commission Senior Associate Counsel Rhonda Pozehl.

View the event agenda or register for the event. The registration fee is $50 for lawyers and $25 for non-lawyers. Payment and the completed registration form must be received by Friday, June 23. No walk-in registrations will be accepted. For more information contact Karen Spohn with the State Bar of Michigan Professional Standards Division at (517) 346-6309 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Attention Michigan Attorneys: We Need Your Help

Michigan attorneys: we at the State Bar of Michigan need your help, expertise and passion to implement our new strategic plan. Please consider signing up to volunteer to help advance the core mission of the State Bar to promote the professionalism of lawyers; advocate for an open, fair and accessible justice system; and provide services to lawyers that enable them to best serve clients.

You will see from this year's volunteer application that while we maintain our commitment to the traditional matters of the mandatory bar, we are also looking carefully to match your passion, talents and work style preferences to exciting new opportunities. We hope the application will also help us ensure that our efforts reflect as many viewpoints, talents, backgrounds and experiences as possible. The application offers an opportunity to upload a resume so remember that as you consider your choices.

An e-mail address on record with the Bar is a requirement of volunteer service. If you have questions about the application, you can e-mail [email protected] or call (517) 346-6300 during regular business hours. If you are a current committee member, your staff liaison is ready to assist you.

Please take a look at and complete the application before the end of May, as SBM President-Elect Don Rockwell will begin making appointments to committees and workgroups in June. He will also continue to make appointments as volunteer opportunities arise throughout the 2017-2018 bar year. The State Bar of Michigan's reputation as a leader in upholding the values of the profession, serving the public, and delivering value to our members has been built over decades, mostly via extraordinary volunteer work of thousands of members like you. We look forward to working with you.

 

SBM Animal Law Section to Present Wanda Nash Award to Christian Bucey

The State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section will present the 2017 Wanda Nash Award to Christian Bucey, a graduating third year law student at Michigan State University College of Law, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, in the Castle Board Room at MSU College of Law in East Lansing. In his first year of law school, Bucey joined the MSU Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter. In his second year of law school he served on the Animal Law Moot Court team, served as a panelist for the SBM Animal Law Section special program, “20^thAnniversary: Past, Present & Future,” received an Honorable Mention award at the Animal Law Conference for a critical analysis he wrote on the canned hunting industry, and became a semi-finalist in the National Animal Law Competitions at Harvard Law School. After his second year in law school, he served as litigation clerk for the Animal Legal Defense Fund in California, working on both state and federal animal law issues and helping the Humane Society of the United States on its Humane Lobby Day. In his third year of law school, he continued to serve as a remote extern for ALDF and served on the executive board of MSU’s SALDF chapter.

Named for the SBM Animal Law Section’s founder, the Wanda Nash Award is presented annually to a graduating law student who has had the most impact on animal law. Nominations are made by professors who teach animal law in Michigan law schools. The awards ceremony will include a program and refreshments. Reserve your seat to attend the awards ceremony by emailing Bee Friedlander at [email protected] by May 8.

SBM Animal Law Section to Host Brunch with Delci Winders in Ann Arbor on May 7

The State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section will host a Meet & Greet brunch that will feature Delci Winders, an academic fellow with the Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Program and national expert on animal law, and will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 7, at Seva restaurant, located at 2541 Jackson Ave. in Ann Arbor.

Those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage in an informal question-and-answer session with Ms. Winders while enjoying brunch. You must make a $5 donation to reserve your seat in advance by May 4. Those in attendance will order off the regular brunch menu and be billed separately for their meals. The event is co-hosted by Attorneys for Animals.