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What's happening at #SBMNext?

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It's not too late to register for #SBMNext!

It's not too late to register for the NEXT Conference, the largest legal conference in the state.

Among this year's highlights:

Dan Abrams, chief legal analyst for ABC News and founder and CEO of Abrams Media, will deliver the keynote presentation about "High Profile Trials and Clashes Between Lawyers and the Media" at 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 28. There is no charge to attend this opening keynote.

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 at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

World-class educational tracks, which can also be attended as a la carte sessions, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 28 and Friday, Sept. 29, featuring many helpful topics on the most up-to-date legal technology; judicial perspectives; marketing and managing your practice; updates in estate planning, criminal law, tax law, immigration law, international issues in marriage and divorce, and selling the small business; tips for health and disability planning; law firm branding; starting your own practice; and the balanced practice. The faculty includes these top-notch speakers and many more: Hon. David M. Lawson, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan Hon. Kurtis T. Wilder, Michigan Supreme Court Hon. Christopher Murray, Michigan Court of Appeals Hon. Lita Masini Popke, Third Judicial Circuit Court Barron K. Henley, Affinity Consulting Group LLC Ross Fishman, Fishman Marketing Paul J. Unger, Affinity Consulting Group LLC.

On Thursday, Sept. 28, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen J. Markman will swear in the 83rd president of the State Bar, Donald G. Rockwell, and other officers. In addition, Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Michael J. Riordan will swear in the 2017-2018 chair of the Representative Assembly, Joseph P. McGill, and the Michael Franck and Unsung Hero awards will be presented at the assembly business meeting.

Also on Thursday, the All-Member Reception will take place at Cobo Center from 4-5 p.m., and the Celebrating Diversity Reception will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Punchbowl Social in Detroit. 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.

Formerly known as the State Bar Annual Meeting and Solo & Small Firm Institute, the SBM 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. Tailor the program to your needs by creating your own unique experience. Want to attend a section meeting, grab lunch, and catch an educational session or two? We've got you covered. Or maybe you'd rather focus on education and networking? You can do that too with a new, inclusive "All-Member" lunch and reception. With two day, one day, and a la carte pricing options, it's the conference that fits your schedule. Your conference, your way.

Join 1,000 legal colleagues already registered for #SBMNext

Date: Wednesday–Friday, September 27–29
Location: Cobo Center, Detroit

What do you have to do at SBM NEXT Conference to be eligible to win a ton of prizes, including a flat screen TV sponsored by the Paul Goebel Group, a Visa gift card, State Bar of Michigan merchandise and more?

Complete four easy steps:
1.Pick up a passport to prizes from the registration desk Thursday morning
2.Collect stamps from exhibitors at their booths throughout the day
3.Turn your completed passport in at the registration desk by 4:15 p.m. Thursday
4.Hang out, enjoy free food and drinks at the All Member Reception from 4-5 p.m. in the Exhibitor Hall to be present (and thus eligible to win) for the prize drawing

It's that easy.

Formerly known as the State Bar Annual Meeting and Solo & Small Firm Institute, the SBM 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. Tailor the program to your needs by creating your own unique experience. Want to attend a section meeting, grab lunch and catch an educational session or two? We've got you covered. Or maybe you'd rather focus on education and networking? You can do that too with a new, inclusive "All Member" lunch and reception. With two day, one day, and a-la-carte pricing options, it's the conference that fits your schedule.

Your conference, your way.

Register Now

Need a better technology quotient? Boost yours at #SBMNext

We know you're an Instagram whiz, but in order to compete successfully in the legal marketplace, you've got to figure out how to harness technology to make your work more efficient and effective. Lucky for you, we're offering a brand new technology educational track at SBM NEXT Conference that will help you improve your productivity by utilizing Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant; gain proficiency with PDFs; master Microsoft Word; and get a rapid-fire 60 tech tips in 60 minutes, as well as become effective at paperless trial preparation, prepare a trial presentation on your iPad, and make your case to the jury with legal technology.

New, a-la-carte pricing on educational sessions will allow you to attend only the sessions most beneficial to you, while also fitting in section meetings and educational events, as well as other networking opportunities.

Formerly known as the State Bar Annual Meeting and Solo & Small Firm Institute, the SBM 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. Tailor the program to your needs by creating your own unique experience. Want to attend a section meeting, grab lunch, and catch an educational session or two? We've got you covered. Or maybe you'd rather focus on education and networking? You can do that too with a new, inclusive "All Member" lunch and reception. With two day, one day, and a-la-carte pricing options, it's the conference that fits your schedule. Your conference, your way.

Put your downtime to work in the new Learning Lounge @ #SBMNext

If you want to pick up some new skills at SBM NEXT Conference without having to sit through a structured seminar, we're offering just want you want in our all-new Learning Lounge, where you can join in a hands-on learning lab experience with a skilled expert in an informal setting.

The Learning Lounge, which will feature comfy couches and charging stations, will be in operation from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday in Room 250-A at Cobo Center.

Experts will walk you through these topics: "Speech Recognition—Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking in a Legal Practice," "Casemaker Legal Research Training for Beginners," "10 Questions: Things You Didn't Know You Could Get from the State Law Library and Library of Michigan," "Boundless Pro Bono with MI Free Legal Answers," "Building a Powerful Professional Network on Social Media," "Casemaker Legal Research 2.0 Training for Intermediate Users," "Road Warrior's Briefcase—What Do You Need to Carry to Stay Connected and Productive Wherever You Work?" and "E-Filing."

Dan Abrams, chief legal analyst for ABC News and founder and CEO of Abrams Media, will kick off the State Bar of Michigan 2017 NEXT Conference by delivering the opening keynote presentation about "High Profile Trials and Clashes Between Lawyers and the Media" at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, September 28.
Mr. Abrams has a long and celebrated career in legal journalism, previously serving as co-anchor of Nightline, chief legal correspondent and analyst for NBC News, and general manager of MSNBC. In addition, he hosted The Abrams Report, a nightly legal affairs program, and the acclaimed Verdict with Dan Abrams. Dan is the founder of eight web properties including Mediaite, a news and media website; Runway Riot, a fashion site for women of all sizes; The Mary Sue, covering tech and geek culture; and LawNewz, which covers crime and legal news. All told, the Abrams Media Network serves close to 15 million unique visitors per month.

Formerly known as the State Bar Annual Meeting and Solo & Small Firm Institute, the SBM 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. Tailor the program to your needs by creating your own unique experience. Want to attend a section meeting, grab lunch, and catch an educational session or two? We've got you covered. Or maybe you'd rather focus on education and networking? You can do that too with a new, inclusive "All Member" lunch and reception. With two day, one day, and a-la-carte pricing options, it's the conference that fits your schedule. Your conference, your way.

SPECIAL ALERT: Dues Notice Will (Only) Be E-mailed This Year

Starting this year, the State Bar of Michigan will e-mail dues notices containing a link to annual dues invoices and disclosure forms to members. Making this change is not only more efficient and convenient for members, but it also allows the State Bar to devote bar dues to valuable member programs and services rather than paper and postage.

On September 20, members will receive an e-mail from the State Bar of Michigan inviting them to log into the member area and complete their annual disclosures online and pay their dues with a credit or debit card. If they prefer not to pay online, they can print dues invoices and annual disclosure statements, complete the statements, write checks for dues, and mail the statements and checks to the State Bar's lockbox. The State Bar will provide a phone number for members who experience any log-in difficulties to call to have a dues invoice and annual disclosure statement mailed to them. The State Bar will also send members several reminder e-mails to remind them to complete the dues invoices and annual disclosure statements well in advance of the November 30 deadline, after which a $50 late fee will be assessed.

For those who practice law at a law firm, legal aid office, government entity, corporation, or other entity with more than one attorney on staff with centralized payment processing, those members can access annual disclosure statements and dues invoices online on September 20, print the documents, complete the information requested, and then give the completed documents to an administrator. The administrator can then mail all documents for the attorneys in the entity, along with a check for the total amount of the dues, to the State Bar's lockbox for processing. In order to access their annual disclosure statements and invoices, and pay their dues quickly and easily online or print the documents to mail, members should upgrade their internet browsers to their newest versions.

Members who do not have a valid e-mail address on file will receive a paper dues invoice and annual disclosure statement by mail.

Members with questions should contact SBM Director of Finance & Administration Jim Horsch at 517-346-6324 or [email protected]. 

A Lawyer Helps: Here, There, and Everywhere

When It Rains, Help Pours In. Use your legal skills to help flood victims in Michigan and Texas.

In Michigan: Midland, Isabella, Bay, and Gladwin Counties, Michigan Flood Disaster Relief Legal Services

Low income flood victims are in need of legal services for:

• Counseling on landlord-tenant problems
• Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
• Assistance in consumer protection matters, remedies, and procedures
• Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
• Assistance with securing FEMA and other government benefits
• Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims
• Help with home repair contracts and contractors

Volunteer Now 

Submit your completed Volunteer Agreement Form to [email protected].

For more information, see the FAQs.

In Texas: Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Legal Services

The Texas emergency order permits out-of-state lawyers to provide legal services on a temporary basis in a variety of practice areas ranging from brief advice to full representation.

Volunteer Now

The Supreme Court of Texas emergency order, which permits out-of-state lawyers to provide legal services for a 6 month period beginning August 30, 2017, serves as a national call for action to the legal profession, and another opportunity to show Michigan lawyers in action.

Submit the form to the State Bar of Texas, which serves as a clearinghouse for out-of-state lawyer volunteers. Out-of-state lawyer volunteers must also submit the State of Texas Registration for Temporary Practice of Texas Law form before or shortly after providing legal services to Hurricane Harvey victims.