SBM Blog

Judicial Vacancies—Tuscola & Wayne Counties

Court: 71B District Court, Tuscola County
Vacating Judge: Hon. Kim D. Glaspie
Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on May 15, 2019

Court: 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Wayne County
Vacating Judge: Hon. Daniel A. Hathaway
Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on May 15, 2019

To be considered for these positions, you must be a State Bar of Michigan member who meets the legal qualifications for this office. Please be aware that to be appointed you must reside within the judicial district.

To apply for the position, please email one complete packet, including your judicial appointment questionnaire, resume, writing samples, and any other attachments to [email protected].

If you have any questions about the judicial appointment process, please send your questions to [email protected].

2019 SBM Election Information

The State Bar Election Notice for the 2019 elections, including nominating petitions, can be found in the March Michigan Bar Journal, beginning on page 54. Petitions found in the Bar Journal may be used to submit your name for one of the leadership roles at the State Bar of Michigan or Judicial Tenure Commission. Nominating petitions must be submitted no later than April 30, 2019.

Michigan lawyers are advised that the following elections will be held in June 2019:

• A statewide election for a non-judicial member of the Judicial Tenure Commission
• Elections for the members of the Representative Assembly in 39 judicial circuits
• Elections for members of the Board of Commissioners in five commissioner districts
• Elections for members of the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in three districts

Electronic ballots will be distributed no later than June 1, 2019, and lawyers without an email address on file will receive a ballot in the mail. Ballots must be received postmarked or completed online no later than June 15, 2019.

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery, [email protected] or Carrie Sharlow, [email protected].

Register Now—Pushing Buttons: Using the Bad Character of Others to Your Advantage

Date: June 14-16, 2019
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Hotel, 286 Grand Ave, Mackinac Island
Cost: Seminar—Litigation Section Members $175; Seminar—Other Registrants $200;
UMLI/BLF Grand Reception Networking Event—Adults $40, Children 12 and under $18 (Tickets to the UMLI/BLF Grand Reception networking event will be distributed onsite.)
Register Online

Join the Litigation Section for its 2019 Summer Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The Litigation Section is pleased to welcome Lisa Marcy and Tina Weber as they present their popular seminar, Pushing Buttons: Using the Bad Character of Others to Your Advantage. Learn how to: effectively identify narcissists; depose, mediate, arbitrate, and try your case, while deflating the effects of narcissistic behavior; and recognize and work successfully with narcissistic co-counsel.

Program Brochure

Agenda

Friday, June 14
6-7 p.m. UMLI/BLF Grand Reception Networking Event
Friday night would not be complete without a grand reception on the Grand Hotel’s historic front porch. Join us as we mingle to network and watch the sunset with dramatic views of the Mackinac bridge.

Saturday, June 15
1-6 p.m. Seminar

Sunday, June 16
8:30-10 a.m. Council Meeting (with breakfast)

Spring Tax Clean-Up and Problem Solving Day

Date: Monday, May 6, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Location: State Bar of Michigan, 306 Townsend St, Lansing

Representatives from the MSU Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Lansing area VITA, State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section Pro Bono Panel, the Internal Revenue Service, IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service, and the State of Michigan Taxpayer Advocate, are coming together in one place to make a difference for Michigan taxpayers. We will be at the State Bar building in Lansing on May 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to handle taxpayer problems on the spot. This is open to all taxpayers (regardless of income). See the flyer for more information.

If you have questions, please contact Joshua Wease at (517) 432-6803 or [email protected].

2019 April Resource Directory Now Available

The 2019 essential Resource Directory is now available. The directory includes:

• Comprehensive contact information for courts (information not readily available in one place)
• Michigan state government contact information
• Local government contact information
• Lawyer associations contact information
• Classified legal services advertising marketplace

If you opted to receive the printed Michigan Bar Journal April issue, you will receive a portable print version by mail. A digital version of the Resource Directory is also available online. You can order extra print copies of the 2019 Resource Directory here.

Modest Means Program Needs Panel Members

The State Bar of Michigan Modest Means program faces a critical shortage of attorney panel members for family law referrals, particularly in divorce and child custody matters. Since the inception of the program one year ago, more than 600 modest means applications have been received and approved. The program, which operates through the SBM Lawyer Referral Service, is aimed at bridging the access to justice gap for the “missing middle”—people who don’t qualify for legal aid but cannot afford the market rate for legal services. Those in households with income less than 250% of the federal poverty level are eligible for services in the program. For those clients with incomes under 200% of the poverty level, your legal services will count toward the State Bar’s Voluntary Pro Bono Standard, and all panel members are exempted from the usual 10% remittance fee to the Lawyer Referral Service. Practice areas are limited to domestic/family law and Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but other practice areas will be added soon. More information on becoming a Modest Means panel member.

2019 SBM Election Information

The State Bar Election Notice for the 2019 elections, including nominating petitions, can be found in the March Michigan Bar Journal, beginning on page 54. Petitions found in the Bar Journal may be used to submit your name for one of the leadership roles at the State Bar of Michigan or Judicial Tenure Commission. Nominating petitions must be submitted no later than April 30, 2019.

Michigan lawyers are advised that the following elections will be held in June 2019:

• A statewide election for a non-judicial member of the Judicial Tenure Commission
• Elections for the members of the Representative Assembly in 39 judicial circuits
• Elections for members of the Board of Commissioners in five commissioner districts
• Elections for members of the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in three districts

Electronic ballots will be distributed no later than June 1, 2019, and lawyers without an email address on file will receive a ballot in the mail. Ballots must be received postmarked or completed online no later than June 15, 2019.

If you have questions, contact Marge Bossenbery, [email protected] or Carrie Sharlow, [email protected].

"Tips and Tools" for a Successful Practice Seminar

Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Cost: $100 (attorneys licensed to practice less than five years, including law students and unlicensed graduates);
$125 (attorneys licensed to practice five years or more)
Location: State Bar of Michigan, Lansing
Register online or by mail/fax form before May 3

View the Agenda 

Date: Thursday, November 7, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Cost: $100 (attorneys licensed to practice less than five years, including law students and unlicensed graduates);
$125 (attorneys licensed to practice five years or more)
Location: State Bar of Michigan, Lansing
Register online or by mail/fax form before November 5

View the Agenda 

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 effective law office management. Participants will receive seminar materials prepared by the distinguished faculty. The seminar is 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.

Children's Law Section: Admirable Advocacy for Proud Parents & Kind Kids

When:  May 17, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (ET) 

This excellent child welfare event will present speakers on topics such as: training past trauma; the intersection of juvenile law and men’s rights; evidentiary and infant mental health issues; assessing credibility/reliability of children’s tender years statements; and case law updates.

Register online or by mail/fax

Agenda
8:30 a.m. Check in and Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Training Past Trauma
Presenter: Shenandoah Chefalo
Author and Advocate at Center for Trauma Resilient Communities
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Men’s Issues In Juvenile Law (Sanders Redux)
Presenter: Tobin Miller, Office of the Children’s Ombudsman
11:45 a.m. Lunch (lunch included)
12:30 p.m. Elusive Evidence: Evidentiary Issues
Presenter: Joshua Pease, The Kronzek Firm, PLC
1:30 p.m. Baby Blues: Infant Mental Health
Presenter: Erin Werth
Program Coordinator for Genesee County Infant/Toddler Treatment Court Program
2:30 p.m. Break
2:40 p.m. Credibility/Reliability: Assessing the Credibility and Reliability of Children’s Tender Year Statements
Presenter: Tracy Green, 3rd Circuit Court Judge
3:40 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Contemporary Cases: Case Law Update
Presenter: TBA

Location

Michigan State University College of Law
648 N Shaw Ln.
East Lansing, MI 48824 

Professional Liability Insurance Issues for Solo & Small Firms

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2019
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m.
Location: WMU Cooley Law School, 2630 Featherstone Rd, Room 145, Auburn Hills
Cost: FREE to Solo and Small Firm Section members and current WMU Cooley students; $35 to non-members payable by check made out to the State Bar of Michigan to be collected at the program

Optional Pre-Registration: RSVP to [email protected] to let us know if you will be attending. Please indicate whether you are a current Solo & Small Firm Section member.

Please join us for a panel discussion on professional liability insurance and risk management best practices for solo and small firm lawyers. Our panelists include the president & CEO of one of Michigan’s leading professional liability insurance agencies, a practice management advisor for the State Bar with prior experience as a carrier’s legal liability claims director, and the chair of a distinguished law firm’s professional liability practice group. Gain valuable perspectives on common professional liability exposures, how to best protect against them, and how you can effectively work with your carrier should you ever face a claim against you or your firm. Mark your calendars for April 25, no pre-registration required.