SBM Blog

Happy New Year!

We wish you all a fabulous 2018 (the year of the dog)! 

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes for a warm and festive holiday season from all of us at the State Bar of Michigan! 

Now Accepting Orders for the April 2018 Alphabetical & Resource Print Directories

The State Bar of Michigan online member directory contains the most up-to-date information and serves as the primary method for locating SBM members. The online member directory receives over 12,000 hits daily as more than 16,000 members have already opted out of receiving any printed directory information. Members are moving swiftly to online resources to meet a wide variety of their practice needs, including directory information. One reason among many, printed directories quickly become obsolete. The last time the State Bar printed member directory information, more than 19,000 member records (e.g., name, membership status, contact information) had changed as of the publication date. By contrast, online directories are constantly refreshed with up-to-date information.

For those members who still prefer to receive things in print, however, we have two options.The newly-formatted April Resource Directory is a sleek, portable, highly practical guide to information not easily found in other printed materials. Examples include contact information for circuit, district, probate, appeals, municipal, tribal, federal, and problem-solving courts; local, state, and federal agencies; law schools; lawyer associations; State Bar sections; fields of practice listings; and lawyer discipline summaries. The Resource Directory is sent to members who currently opt in to receive a print edition of the Michigan Bar Journal. Extra copies of the resource directory can be ordered for $10.

For those who wish to receive a membership list in print, we offer the April Resource Directory Plus Alphabetical Member Roster, which includes all the information found in the April Resource Directory plus a complete listing of all members of the State Bar of Michigan as of February 15—active, emeritus, inactive, and affiliate. Printed copies of the April Resource Directory Plus Alphabetical Member Roster may be purchased by members for $35, and by non-members for $60. Copies can be ordered online. A full PDF version of the printed Alphabetical Roster will be available for no charge in our member area following its publication in April.

Anyone interested in purchasing a printed April Resource Directory Plus Alphabetical Member Roster, or an extra copy of the April Resource Directory, must place an order by March 15, 2018.

Representative Assembly Accepting Award Nominations

Nominations are being accepted for two State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly awards. The Michael Franck Award is given annually to an attorney who has made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of the legal profession. The Unsung Hero Award is presented to a lawyer who has exhibited the highest standards of practice and commitment for the benefit of others.

Nominees for both awards must be State Bar members in good standing and their contributions may have been made either during the past year or by virtue of cumulative effort or service. Materials submitted should include sufficient details about the nominee's accomplishments. The Assembly's Nominating and Awards Committee will review the applications and make awards recommendations to the Representative Assembly. The Representative Assembly, chaired by Joseph P. McGill, is the final policy-making body of the State Bar.

The nomination deadline is Saturday, March 10, 2017. Apply online. For more information about the Representative Assembly Awards contact Carrie Sharlow at [email protected] or 517-346-6317.