SBM Blog

Lawyer Trust Accounts Seminar: Management Principles & Recordkeeping Resources

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020; 1:15–4:45 p.m.
Cost: $50 for lawyers; $25 for non-lawyers, law students, & unlicensed graduates
Location: State Bar of Michigan, 306 Townsend St, Lansing
Participants can register online or by mail form. Advance registration is required.

Registration deadline is Friday, February 21. No "walk-in" registrations will be accepted.

View Faculty and Agenda

This half-day ethics seminar will feature presentations on how to manage lawyer trust accounts, including how to effectively use forms, checklists, and other recordkeeping resources. The seminar, which is open to lawyers and their staffs, is an excellent way to learn how to comply with 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, SBM Professional Standards Assistant Division Director Alecia Ruswinckel, and Attorney Grievance Commission Senior Associate Counsel Rhonda Pozehl.

The registration fee is $50 for lawyers and $25 for non-lawyers, including law students and unlicensed graduates. Payment and the completed registration form must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 21, 2020.

For more information, contact the State Bar of Michigan ethics helpline at (877) 558-4760 or by email at [email protected].

Nominations for Major State Bar Awards Close Feb. 14

Nominations are still open for major State Bar of Michigan awards, but they will close soon on February 14. Awards will be presented at a celebration luncheon on September 17. Download an application today to nominate your candidate for the Roberts P. Hudson, John W. Reed, Champion of Justice, Frank J. Kelley, Kimberly M. Cahill, John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono and Liberty Bell awards. https://www.michbar.org/News/NewsDetail/nid/5665

Justice for All Task Force to Host Town Hall Meetings

The Michigan Supreme Court’s Justice for All Task Force has scheduled two public town hall meetings seeking input on its plan to achieve 100 percent access to our civil justice system. The first meeting is on February 14, 2020, in Grand Rapids. The second meeting is on February 24 in Detroit. Additional information is provided below.

Because the right to a lawyer does not apply to civil cases, there is a significant gap when it comes to equal access. Presently, in 75% of civil cases, at least one side cannot afford a lawyer, and they are losing in court because they don’t have the legal information or help they need. In its efforts to close this gap, the task force will be inventorying available resources for people with legal problems, identifying gaps, and developing a plan to achieve 100% access.

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack and Justice Brian K. Zahra will open the meetings with short statements and then moderate public testimony. Local officials and representatives of community service organizations will also be invited to share their views. Those who want to speak will be invited to fill out a speaker’s card, and a time limit will be set based on the number of speakers.

The meetings will take place as follows:

Grand Rapids
Friday, February 14, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–Noon
Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation
1530 Madison Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Detroit
Monday, February 24, 2020, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Hall
1358 Abbott St, Detroit, MI 48226

Future meetings will be scheduled as needed to complete the task force’s work.

For more information, visit the task force web page.

New Rule Will Allow the Public to Bring Cell Phones to Court

Cell phones in court aren’t just for lawyers anymore.

Beginning May 1, 2020, the public will be allowed to bring cell phones and other personal electronic devices (such as a tablet or laptop) into courthouses and courtrooms. Users will be able to retrieve or store information, access the internet, send/receive text messages (silently), and reproduce court documents (as long as it leaves no marks and does not unreasonably interfere with the operation of the clerk’s office). 

The Michigan Supreme Court order amends MCR 8.115, which restricted such use (rules regarding cell phone use varied widely from court to court). The new rule proposal was developed by the State Planning Body and supported by the State Bar. The objective was to create consistency with respect to cell phone use, and broaden litigants' ability to use cell phones and portable electronic devices to support their cases in court. 

The amended rule does include restrictions to maintain security and prevent disruption. For example, devices must be silenced in the courtroom and cannot be used to make or receive calls while court is in session.

Read the full text of the amended rule.

Federal Income Tax Committee: Financial Products & Cash Management Issues for Corporations

Date: Thursday, January 30, 2020
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m.
Location: Honigman LLP, 2290 First National Building, 660 Woodward Ave, Detroit

There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP to Linda Robinson at [email protected] by Friday, January 24.

Speaker: Hubert Raglan, Director, Washington National Tax, KPMG LLP

Topics to be discussed include hedging, cash management, debt workouts and bad debts, and the end of LIBOR. Lunch will be provided.

Government Law Section Winter Seminar

The Henry Dearborn
February 7, 2020
This seminar will focus on the employment setting in municipal government, including investigation and handling of sexual harassment investigations.

Register by February 4, 2020. 

Agenda