SBM Blog

SBM Government Law Section to Host “From Marihuana to Microbreweries” Seminar

The State Bar of Michigan Government Law Section will host a winter seminar, “From Marihuana to Microbreweries,” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 8 at Henry Hotel, located at 300 Town Center Drive in Dearborn.

Morning sessions begin at 9 a.m. and will cover the following topics: “White Paper Regarding the Marihuana Ballot Proposition,” “Public Employees & Recreational Marihuana,” “Recreational Marihuana & Public Places” and “Prosecuting Cannabis Driving Cases.” Lunch will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Afternoon sessions, beginning at 1 p.m., will cover the following topics, “Liquor Laws Update,” “Municipal ROW Preemption, The FCC ROW & Cable Franchise Owners,” "Planning or Regulating Autonomous Vehicles & Other Mobility Trends” and “Cracker Barrel.”

Registration must be completed by Feb. 5, and costs $125 for section members, $25 for law students and $150 for everyone else. The registration fee covers lunch and complimentary valet parking. To register, visit connect.michbar.org/govlaw. A block of rooms are being held at the hotel at a reduced rate until Jan. 18. To reserve a room, visit http://bit.ly/2D3Igib or call 888-709-8081. For additional information contact Chris Forsyth at cforsyth@grandtraverse.org.

Check out the Latest On Balance Podcast: A National Movement for Cultural Change

The latest episode of the State Bar of Michigan’s On Balance podcast features Terry Harrell, executive director of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. In this episode of On Balance, hosts JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent talk to Terry Harrell about her work with the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being and what many see as a need for complete cultural shift. They also discuss the task force’s “Well-Being Report,” a resource for encouraging wellness that lawyers and legal employers can use in their firms.

On Balance, on the Legal Talk Network, delivers useful and entertaining ideas on managing life as a lawyer. To subscribe to On Balance in iTunes, follow two easy steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click on this link, or enter this link in your browser: http://ow.ly/HOOZ30hZOy1. 2. Click the purple "Subscribe" button that shows up right under the name of the podcast. To access On Balance in Google Play, follow these three steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click this link, or enter this link in your browser: http://ow.ly/GDas30hYSEy. 2. Click the subscribe button (located just beneath the On Balance logo). 3. Click the subscribe button that appears in the pop-up.

Access to Justice Campaign Launches New Initiative to Honor Financial Donors

The Access to Justice Campaign is proud to launch a new initiative to recognize Michigan attorneys who invest in access to justice through financial donations to the ATJ Fund. Beginning in 2019, the Access to Justice Campaign will publish three new annual statewide lists to recognize donors to the ATJ Fund, which supports civil legal aid services to low-income individuals and plays an essential role in increasing access to justice.

The Access to Justice Campaign will recognize law firms and corporate legal departments on a tiered basis, starting at $1,000. Individuals and solo practitioners will also be recognized on a tiered list, starting at $300. In addition, leadership firms that achieve a per-attorney average donation of at least $300 will qualify to be recognized on a tiered list that will include levels of $300, $500, $750 or $1,000 per lawyer.

Michigan is currently ranked 44^th in the country in per attorney giving to civil legal aid. Based on successful models from other states, the campaign has recently transitioned to a collaborative centralized fundraising effort to increase resources for fifteen civil legal aid programs. Financial donations make a meaningful difference in the ability of legal aid to help low income families in Michigan.

Also beginning in 2019, the State Bar of Michigan will launch the A Lawyer Helps Pro Bono Honor Roll to recognize Michigan attorneys who provide 30 or more hours of pro bono legal services in a calendar year. The Voluntary Pro Bono Standard, as adopted by the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly, encourages Michigan attorneys to provide 30 or more hours of pro bono legal services each year or contribute a minimum of $300 ($500 for those whose income allows) to support civil legal services to low-income individuals. Many attorneys and law firms exceed those standards and publishing tiered lists to recognize financial donations and contributions of pro bono services will provide additional recognition of the efforts of Michigan attorneys. The lists will replace the Circle of Excellence.

The Michigan State Bar Foundation and State Bar of Michigan will widely publicize recognition on all lists through web posts, in the Michigan Bar Journal and through other printed and electronic communications. Both programs will be featured on the A Lawyer Helps webpage. Find more information about the A Lawyer Helps program at michbar.org/alawyerhelps.

For more information about the Access to Justice Campaign please see atjfund.org, or contact ATJ Campaign Coordinator Laura Musachio at laura@msbf.org.  

Nominations Open For Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award

Are you as proud of your bar association's work as Kristen Pursley and Donna MacKenzie are about what they have accomplished with the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan? 

Then consider nominating your association or a volunteer of your association for a State Bar of Michigan Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award. The Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award was established in memory of the 2006-2007 SBM president, who died in January of 2008. This award is presented to a recognized local or affinity bar association, program or leader for excellence in promoting the ideal of professionalism or equal justice for all, or in responding to a compelling legal need within the community during the past year or on an ongoing basis.

In 2018, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan received the award because of its work to advance the interest of women in the legal profession, promote improvements in the administration of justice and promote equality and social justice. It has grown into a statewide organization containing nearly 600 members and seven regional chapters within which more than 350 women have taken on the leadership role of president, including Kimberly M. Cahill. WLAM and its seven regional chapters host over 50 events each year to improve communities across the state by reading to children, collecting donations for soup kitchens and participating in charity fundraisers. WLAM currently works to advance gender pay equity and to end family responsibilities discrimination. It also encourages the professional improvement of members by engaging them in business development seminars, pro bono service, legal education, leadership training, and networking events. In 1983 WLAM formed a charitable arm, the Women Lawyers Association Foundation. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to 246 law students.

Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. For more information, visit State Bar of Michigan Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award. 

Nominations Open for Major State Bar Awards

Nominations are now open for major State Bar of Michigan awards that will be presented at a 2019 awards celebration.

The Roberts P. Hudson Award goes to a person whose career has exemplified the highest ideals of the profession. This award is presented periodically to commend one or more lawyers for their unselfish rendering of outstanding and unique service to and on behalf of the State Bar, given generously, ungrudgingly, and in a spirit of self-sacrifice. It is awarded to that member of the State Bar of Michigan who best exemplifies that which brings honor, esteem and respect to the legal profession. The Hudson Award is the highest award conferred by the Bar.

The Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award recognizes extraordinary governmental service by a Michigan attorney holding elected or appointed office. Created by the Board of Commissioners in 1998, it was first awarded to Frank J. Kelley for his record-setting tenure as Michigan’s chief lawyer.

The Champion of Justice Award is given for extraordinary individual accomplishments or for devotion to a cause. No more than five awards are given each year to practicing lawyers and judges who have made a significant contribution to their community, state, and/or the nation.

The Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award was established in memory of the 2006-07 SBM president, who died in January of 2008. This award will be presented to a recognized local or affinity bar association, program or leader for excellence in promoting the ideal of professionalism or equal justice for all, or in responding to a compelling legal need within the community during the past year or on an ongoing basis.

The John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award, named after a Grand Rapids attorney who was dedicated to making legal services available to all, recognizes a member of the State Bar who excels in commitment to pro bono issues. This award carries with it a cash stipend to be donated to the charity of the recipient’s choice.

The John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award was introduced in 2011 and is named for a longtime and beloved University of Michigan Law School professor and Wayne State University dean. This award will be presented periodically to a professor from a Michigan law school whose influence on Michigan lawyers has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state.

All SBM award nominations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.

The Liberty Bell Award recipient is selected from nominations made by local and special-purpose bar associations. The award is presented to a non-lawyer who has made a significant contribution to the justice system. The deadline for this award is Friday, May 10, 2019.

An awards committee co-chaired by SBM Vice President Robert J. Buchanan and SBM Secretary Dana M. Warnez reviews nominations for the Roberts P. Hudson, John W. Reed, Champion of Justice, Frank J. Kelley, Kimberly M. Cahill, and Liberty Bell awards. The SBM Pro Bono Initiative Committee reviews nominations for the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award. These recommendations are then voted on by the full Board of Commissioners at its April meeting.

Last year's non-winning nominations will automatically carry over for consideration this year. Nominations should include sufficient details about the accomplishments of the nominee to allow the committees to make a judgment.

Any SBM member can nominate candidates for awards. To apply online or download application forms visit http://www.michbar.org/programs/eventsawards. Cummiskey Award nominations can be directed to Robert Mathis at rmathis@michbar.org; all other nominations can be submitted to Anne Smith at asmith@michbar.org.

State Bar of Michigan NEXT Conference 2018: The 2018 Legal Trends Report

If you haven't already, check out this episode of the State Bar of Michigan’s On Balance podcast, which features Jack Newton, founder and CEO of Clio, one of the pioneers of cloud-based practice management. In this episode of On Balance, guest hosts Laurence Colletti, Robert Mathis, and Samantha Meinke talk to Jack Newton about the 2018 Legal Trends Report and what it reflects about the legal industry. They discuss the data that’s included in the report and how attorneys can use this information to improve the business side of their practice. On Balance, on the Legal Talk Network, delivers useful and entertaining ideas on managing life as a lawyer.

To subscribe to On Balance in iTunes, follow two easy steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click on this link, or enter this link in your browser: http://ow.ly/HOOZ30hZOy1. 2. Click the purple "Subscribe" button that shows up right under the name of the podcast. To access On Balance in Google Play, follow these three steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click this link, or enter this link in your browser: http://ow.ly/GDas30hYSEy. 2. Click the subscribe button (located just beneath the On Balance logo). 3. Click the subscribe button that appears in the pop-up.

Will you be in Detroit on November 6? Join us for the dedication of the 41st Michigan Legal Milestone!

The State Bar of Michigan will dedicate our 41st Michigan Legal Milestone, commemorating the fact that Michigan's government was the first in the English-speaking world to outlaw capital punishment for murder and lesser crimes from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6 at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit. The event will start with a reception with hors d'oeuvres from 4-5 p.m., followed by a program featuring a panel of speakers. 

Speakers include: 

Jennifer M. Grieco,
President of the State Bar of Michigan

Janet K. Welch
Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan

Brian C. Summerfield
Partner at Kostopoulos Rodriguez PLLC and President of the Detroit Bar Association

David G. Chardavoyne
Lawyer, Adjunct Law Professor, and Author of “A Hanging in Detroit”

Eugene G. Wanger
Lawyer, Author, and Delegate of the 1963 Michigan Constitutional Convention

Robert A. Sedler
Professor at Wayne State University Law School

Please RSVP by filling out the online RSVP form at eiseverywhere.com/milestone18 by Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

Pay Your Dues Online

To complete your annual disclosures and pay your 2018-2019 dues online with a debit, credit card or e-check, go to e.michbar.org and log in using your member login and password.

More information.

Limited Scope Alerts—New Discussion Group

In an effort to help the implementation of new limited scope practice rules, State Bar volunteers and staff have launched an online peer discussion and support group to encourage conversation among limited scope practitioners, judges, those who want to learn more about limited scope practice, or those who are thinking about trying it out. The discussion group is designed to encourage users to conduct open and respectful conversations, share experiences, ask questions, identify best and creative practices, collaborate with a community of like-minded professionals, and otherwise help in the successful implementation of the new rules in Michigan. Sign up for the discussion group in SBM Connect and join the conversation.

Your SBM Password Might Need a Reset

The SBM member area website has recently been updated to conform to new and improved security standards. The upgrade requires all passwords to meet minimum requirements that will help to protect your information. Your password must now contain at least seven characters with at least one number and at least one letter. If your password does not meet these requirements, go to the forgot username/password page to reset your password. If you need further assistance, please contact our member services team at (888) 726-3678 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EST, or email sbmaddressfix@michbar.org. It is especially important that if you need to update your password please do so now, before you need to fill out your mandatory disclosures and pay your dues in mid-September. If you no longer have access to your email address on file, you can reset your password in three easy steps.