SBM Blog

State Bar of Michigan Announces 2017 Election Results

Seven attorneys—David C. Anderson, Bernhardt “Chris” D. Christenson, III, Shauna L. Dunnings, James W. Heath, Hon. David A. Perkins, Daniel D. Quick and Gregory L. Ulrich—won contested seats in this year’s Board of Commissioners elections. All will serve three-year terms expiring at the close of the 2020 Annual Meeting.

David C. Anderson and Daniel D. Quick were both elected to serve District I, representing Oakland County. Anderson is a shareholder at Collins Einhorn Farrell in Southfield, dedicating his practice primarily to defending Michigan lawyers and law firms against personal liability claims. Quick is a trial lawyer with Dickinson Wright in Troy and national leader of the firm's commercial litigation practice.

Bernhardt “Chris” D. Christenson, III, was elected to serve District B, representing Bay, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola Counties. He started his own firm, Christenson & Fiederlein in Flint in 2006.

Shauna L. Dunnings was elected to serve District E, representing Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Livingston, Montcalm and Shiawasee Counties. She currently serves as administrator for the 30^th Judicial Circuit Court in Lansing.

James W. Heath, Hon. David A. Perkins and Gregory L. Ulrich were elected to serve District H, representing Monroe, Lenawee and Wayne Counties. Heath currently serves as the City of Detroit’s first inspector general, and in that role is responsible for rooting out waste, abuse, fraud and corruption in city government. Judge Perkins serves on the 36^th District Court in Detroit. Ulrich runs a law practice in Grosse Pointe Woods with a focus on business law, real estate law, finance, technology and litigation.

The SBM Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the State Bar on finance, public policy, professional standards and member services and communications.

Judicial Tenure Commission

James W. Burdick, of Bloomfield Hills, won a contested election for a three-year term on the Judicial Tenure Commission that will commence Jan. 1, 2018 and will expire on Dec. 31, 2020.

The JTC is a constitutionally created body that promotes the integrity of the judicial process and preserves public confidence in the courts. 

Board of Tellers is Tabulating 2017 SBM Election Results

We'd like to issue thanks for the hard work of the 2017 Board of Tellers, including (from left to right) Pam Amato, Jason Hanselman and Sandra Lake, who are in the SBM building today certifying our election results. Stay tuned ... results will be released soon. 

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Make connections that will build your dream career at SBM NEXT Conference. http://ow.ly/YLlS30cOzI2

Low-Income Genesee Residents Can Ask Lawyers Questions for Free

Low-income residents of Genesee County can now get legal help through a new online tool. MI Free Legal Answers operates like an online legal aid clinic, allowing low-income Genesee County residents to get answers to non-criminal legal questions by logging onto the site from any device at any time. The new site was developed and is sponsored nationally by the American Bar Association and is sponsored in Michigan by the State Bar of Michigan, working in collaboration with the Genesee County Bar Association and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan. The site has launched as a pilot program in Genesee County and may eventually be available to all low-income Michigan residents. The website is free for clients to use and mobile friendly. With funding from the ABA and other national sponsors, SBM pays no cost to participate and offer the website to low-income residents of Genesee County.

Visitors to the site who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit—about $49,200 for a family of four—can post up to three questions per year to the site and receive answers from licensed Michigan attorneys. Visitors can ask about any non-criminal matter, including questions about divorce, child custody, bankruptcy, credit problems, landlords, land contracts, and more. Attorneys in the program will not represent visitors in court or prepare legal documents, but they will direct users to appropriate legal aid clinics, self-help guides, and other resources.

Visitors and attorneys communicate through a secure messaging portal and can upload documents and photos to help facilitate conversations. All visitor questions and attorney answers are kept completely confidential.

For more information, visit MI Free Legal Answers at https://mi.freelegalanswers.org.

Registration Now Open for SBM NEXT Conference

This year the State Bar of Michigan will launch a new event called SBM NEXT Conference September 27-29 at Cobo Center in Detroit.

Formerly known as the State Bar Annual Meeting and Solo & Small Firm Institute, the NEXT Conference will focus on the future of law practice by bringing Michigan lawyers together in a whole new way to learn, share ideas, make connections and more. The State Bar will give lawyers the tools to develop their dream careers, gain the most recent updated information about their law practice areas, learn technology tricks to streamline their practices and build better professional networks.

Lawyers can tailor the program to their needs by creating their own unique experiences. NEXT Conference offers lawyers the flexibility to sign up for two-day, one-day, and a la carte pricing options for education. So lawyers can attend a morning section meeting, network at lunch and catch an education session or two in the afternoon. Or they can focus strictly on education and networking, by attending all-day education programs and a new, inclusive all member networking lunch and reception.

Find out more or register for NEXT Conference.

SBM Members: Today is the Deadline to Vote in SBM Elections

SBM members: today is your last chance to make your voice heard by choosing leadership for the State Bar of Michigan and Judicial Tenure Commission for the next few years. You have until 11:59 p.m. on today to cast your votes (or get your ballot in the mail to be counted).

There are contested races for the Judicial Tenure Commission, the Board of Commissioners in Districts B, E, H, and I, and the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in District 3. Unless your address on file is in one of the districts where there is a contested race, you have only received a ballot for the Judicial Tenure Commission race.

All eligible members with an e-mail address on file with the State Bar may vote securely online. This can be done by one of two methods. The first way is to access the voting website via the member area of www.michbar.org, where you will need to sign in and click on the VOTE NOW button to be directed to the voting website.The second way is to access a secure link directly to the voting site  in the e-mail from [email protected] that was sent on May 26 with the subject line, "Vote now in the 2017 State Bar of Michigan election - e-ballot enclosed." 

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery at [email protected]or (517) 346-6327, or contact Election Services Co. at [email protected].

Attention Lenawee, Monroe and Wayne County Attorneys: Vote For Your Commissioner Today

Attention Lenawee, Monroe and Wayne County (District H) lawyers: This year four attorneys are running for three seats on the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners. That means your vote matters more than ever in this race. You should have received an electronic ballot for the 2017 SBM elections via e-mail. If you don't have an e-mail address on file, you will receive a paper ballot. You have until 11:59 p.m. on June 15 to cast your votes (or get your ballot in the mail to be counted).

The District H Board candidates are James Heath, of Detroit, who serves as the city of Detroit's first ever inspector general, responsible for fulfilling the office's mission of "ensuring honesty and integrity in city government by rooting out waste, abuse, fraud and corruption;" Mark Koroi, of Plymouth, a general practitioner with a focus on litigation; Hon. David Perkins, of Detroit, a 36th District Court judge; and Gergory Ulrich, of Grosse Pointe Woods, who runs a law practice with a focus on business law, real estate law, finance, technology and litigation. 

To read full bios of all candidates, access the voting website via the member area of www.michbar.org, where you will need to sign in and click on the VOTE NOW button to be directed to the voting website.

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery at [email protected] or (517) 346-6327, or contact Election Services Co. at [email protected].

Please Fill out a State Bar Volunteer Service Application Today

If you haven't yet filled out an application for volunteer service on a State Bar of Michigan committee or workgroup, please consider doing so today.

The State Bar of Michigan received an overwhelming response to our original invitation to apply for volunteer service to implement the Bar's new Strategic Plan in May. If you were one of the many people who filled out an application, THANK YOU!! The first appointments to committees and workgroups will be made from applications received by June 5.

Additional appointments will be made throughout the year and if you fill out an application today, your application will be part of that ongoing appointment process. We encourage you to continue to follow communications regarding State Bar initiatives and opportunities.

Please apply for service now.

Attention Oakland County Lawyers: Vote Today in Contested Board Election

Attention Oakland County lawyers: This year five attorneys are running for two seats on the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners. That means your vote matters more than ever in this race. You should have received an electronic ballot for the 2017 SBM elections via e-mail. If you don't have an e-mail address on file, you will receive a paper ballot. You have until 11:59 p.m. on June 15 to cast your votes (or get your ballot in the mail to be counted).

The Oakland County Board candidates are David Anderson, of Southfield, a shareholder at Collins Einhorn Farrell PC, with a practice dedicated primarily to defending Michigan lawyers and law firms against professional liability claims; Timothy Burns, of Clawson, a solo criminal defense attorney; James Low, of Southfield, managing partner of The Dollar Law Firm who concentrates his practice in representing medical providers in no-fault cases; Daniel Quick, of Troy, a trial lawyer with Dickinson Wright and national leader of the firm's commercial litigation practice; and Rasul Raheem, of Bloomfield Hills, an attorney at Plunkett Cooney in the Banking, Creditors' Rights, and Restructuring Group. 

To read full bios of all candidates, access the voting website via the member area of www.michbar.org, where you will need to sign in and click on the VOTE NOW button to be directed to the voting website.

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery at [email protected] or (517) 346-6327, or contact Election Services Co. at [email protected].

Attention Young Lawyers: Vote Today in Contested Young Lawyers Section Executive Council Election

Attention young lawyers of every Michigan county excluding Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties: This year six attorneys are running for four seats on the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in District 3. That means your vote matters more than ever in this race. You should have received an electronic ballot for the 2017 SBM elections via e-mail. If you don't have an e-mail address on file, you will receive a paper ballot. You have until 11:59 p.m. on June 15 to cast your votes (or get your ballot in the mail to be counted).

The Young Lawyers Section Executive Council Candidates are Bobby A. Finklin Jr., of Lansing, who serves as managing attorney at The Ficklin Law Firm and primarily practices social security disability appeals, criminal defense, small business and nonprofit startup law; Jonathan D. Goslow, of Ann Arbor, an attorney at Hudson Legal, LLC, with a practice focused on employment-based immigration; Kara R. Hart-Negrich, of Lansing, who serves as a staff attorney at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the State Historic Preservation Office, where she practices everything from fair housing to cultural heritage law; Samantha J. Jonas, of Muskegon, an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Muskegon County Family Court Division; Amy S. Krieg, of East Lansing, assistant director of career development for Michigan State University College of Law; and Laura M. Kubit, of Caro, a civil legal aid attorney with Lakeshore Legal Aid, serving low-income and senior populations of Tuscola, Bay, Midland, Gladwin, Clare, Isabella, Gratiot and Saginaw counties. 

To read full bios of all candidates, access the voting website via the member area of www.michbar.org, where you will need to sign in and click on the VOTE NOW button to be directed to the voting website.

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery at [email protected] or (517) 346-6327, or contact Election Services Co. at [email protected].