Don’t miss your chance to help shape the future of the bar exam! The NCBE Testing Task Force is conducting a practice analysis survey to gather current data on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and technology that newly licensed lawyers use in their jobs. Your input is needed! Take the survey today: https://www.testingtaskforce.org/2019PAsurvey Continue reading

The Business Law and Government Law Sections are invited to attend this informative event. Date: Thursday, September 12, 2019 Time: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Location: Inn at St. John's, 44045 Five Mile Rd, Plymouth Register: online or by mail form Preregister by September 9, 2019 Costs: (includes seminar, breakfast, lunch, and a networking reception) Section Member Seminar Registration—$75; Section Student Member Seminar Registration—FREE*; Non-section Student Member Seminar Registration—$20*; All other seminar registrants—$125; Section Annual Meeting (does not include seminar, meals, or reception)—FREE *Students must register using their law school email address. Limited onsite registration available—for a $30 fee in addition to... Continue reading

The Michigan Supreme Court recently adopted comprehensive amendments to Michigan’s civil discovery rules. These rules were developed by the State Bar of Michigan’s Civil Discovery Court Rule Review Committee. The rules had not been holistically revised in 35 years, and these amendments represent a significant change in pretrial civil litigation procedures, with the goal of making discovery more efficient and less burdensome, increasing everyone’s access to our courts to resolve their civil legal dispute in a cost-effective manner. The New Civil Discovery Rules will be effective on January 1, 2020. To prepare practitioners for this change, the State Bar of... Continue reading

Court: 90th District Court, Charlevoix County Vacating Judge: Hon. James N. Erhart Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on September 6, 2019 To be considered for this position, 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 appointments@michigan.gov. If you have any questions about the judicial appointment process, please... Continue reading

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2019 Time: 9:00 a.m.–Noon Location: Crowne Plaza West, 925 S Creyts Rd, Lansing Cost: Free, but registration is requested for proper facilities planning. Breakfast will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. There is no charge to attend the Annual Meeting. Register: online or by mail form Registration deadline is September 15, 2019. Agenda Family Law Council elections, proposed amended bylaws, and a program related to the importance of the Family Division will be presented. A detailed agenda will be emailed to those who register by September 15. Council Application Notice of Proposed Bylaw Changes Amendment requires... Continue reading

The State Bar of Michigan Business Law Section will host “Business Boot Camp I (Grand Rapids): Basic Training for Every Business Lawyer” from November 4-5, 2019 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, and from January 30-31, 2020 at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth. This award-winning course will provide you with practical tools you can put to use immediately. In just two days you will receive grounding in eight key areas of business practice, with guidance from the leaders who handle them every day. They will teach you how to: Develop confidence, attract clients, and impress partners... Continue reading

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 Time: 9:30 a.m.–Noon Location: Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC, 313 S Washington Sq, Lansing Cost: Free, but registration required to attend Register: online or by mail form Must register to attend. Mark your calendar and register for the Agricultural Law Section's Annual Meeting and program in Lansing on September 24. Business meeting to start at 9:30 a.m., with the program following at 10:00 a.m. A networking lunch is scheduled for after the program. Parking will be available on the street side and in the city lot nearby. For more information about the event contact... Continue reading

The Testing Task Force of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is interested in your insights regarding the job activities of newly licensed lawyers. Complete the Task Force’s nationwide 2019 practice analysis survey, which is gathering current data on the knowledge, skills, abilities, other characteristics, and technology newly licensed lawyers use to accomplish the job tasks they perform. To participate and learn more about the study, visit https://www.testingtaskforce.org/2019PAsurvey. The results of this survey will be used by NCBE to develop the next generation of the bar exam and will benefit the profession as a whole. Let’s make sure the... Continue reading

The State Bar of Michigan, The Joseph Project, Lakeshore Legal Aid, D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, and the Oakland County Bar Association are partnering to offer a human trafficking training on Thursday, October 17, 2019, from 8:00 a.m.–noon. The Legal First Responders: Equipping Attorneys to Empower Human Trafficking Survivors training will be hosted by WMU-Cooley Law School at its Auburn Hills Campus. There will be a simultaneous broadcast of the training to WMU-Cooley’s campuses in Lansing and Grand Rapids. The event is free of charge with the commitment to accept a human trafficking referral on a pro bono basis within... Continue reading

Court: 36th District Court, City of Detroit Vacating Judge: Hon. Cylenthia LaToye Miller Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on August 21, 2019 To be considered for this position, 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 appointments@michigan.gov. If you have any questions about the judicial appointment process,... Continue reading

The Business Law and Government Law Sections are invited to attend this informative event. Date: Thursday, September 12, 2019 Time: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Location: Inn at St. John's, 44045 Five Mile Rd, Plymouth Register: online or by mail form Preregister by September 9, 2019 Costs: (includes seminar, breakfast, lunch, and a networking reception) Section Member Seminar Registration–$75; Section Student Member Seminar Registration–FREE*; Non-section Student Member Seminar Registration–$20*; All other seminar registrants–$125; Section Annual Meeting (does not include seminar, meals, or reception)—FREE *Students must register using their law school email address. Limited onsite registration available—for a $30 fee in addition to... Continue reading

Date: October 11-12, 2019 Location: Inn at St. John’s, 44045 Five Mile Rd, Plymouth, MI 48170 Registration: online or by mail Registration deadline is October 7, 2019. Cost ADR Conference—$150 or $75 for law students Family Mediation Module—$60 or $30 for law students Awards Banquet—$50 Annual Meeting—Free (Saturday 8:30-9:30 a.m.) The ADR Annual Conference has been approved for 11 hours of advanced mediation training featuring Michigan practitioners and experts. Schedule Speaker Biographies Sponsorships available. See the sponsor registration form for more details. Hotel information: The Inn at St. John’s has reduced rates for our Section, based on availability, on reservations... Continue reading

Brought to you by the Administrative and Regulatory Law Section in partnership with the Young Lawyers Section. Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019 Time: 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Location: University Club of MSU, Lower Level Ballroom, 3435 Forest Rd, Lansing Register: online or by mail form To help ensure an accurate lunch count, registrations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 13. Cost: $20 for Young Lawyers and Admin Law Section members; $25 for non-section members; $15 for law students. Learn valuable insights from attorney Bret Totoraitis of Consumers Energy Company and William Fahey of Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes... Continue reading

The Probate & Estate Planning Section is invited to attend this informative event. Date: October 2–4, 2019 Location: Crystal Mountain, 12500 Crystal Mountain Dr, Thompsonville Register: online or by mail form Registration deadline is September 25, 2019 Conference Schedule Fall 2019 Conference Scholarship Application (and agreement)—must be received by August 9, 2019. This year's keynote speaker will be Eric Carlson. Eric has broad experience in many forms of long-term services and supports, including home and community-based services, nursing facility care, and assisted living facilities. He led Justice in Aging’s extensive research (funded through The Commonwealth Fund) on Medicaid-funded assisted living... Continue reading

Congratulations to the State Bar of Michigan 50-Year honorees! A special Golden Celebration luncheon will take place on Friday, September 27, 2019 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. To register for the event online, visit www.etouches.com/50year. Guests who choose to purchase their ticket by check should download the paper form and mail it in with payment. This year's honorees. Hotel Accommodations: Reservations can be made by calling the Hyatt Place Novi at Suburban Collection Showplace at (800) 233-1234 and identify yourself as being with the State Bar of Michigan. To receive the group rate of $132 plus taxes, reservations... Continue reading

The SBM Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) currently receives more than 500 calls each week from people looking for lawyers. Many of these are unable to find a match because there are not enough attorneys in some geographic areas or in some practice areas. The SBM has revised and improved LRS. The resulting system produces far better matches for attorneys and consumers alike. We're ready to begin a significant marketing initiative to consumers and need to “stock the shelves” by adding more SBM members as LRS panel members. Better matching technology means a higher likelihood of securing paying clients than ever... Continue reading

SBM Board of Commissioners Three attorneys—E. Thomas McCarthy Jr., Thomas G. Sinas, and Erika L. Butler—won contested seats in this year’s Board of Commissioners elections. All will serve three-year terms expiring at the close of the 2022 Annual Meeting. McCarthy and Sinas were elected to serve District C, representing Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Newaygo, Kent, Osceola, Mecosta, Clare, Isabella, and Gladwin counties. McCarthy, a shareholder at Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, has been an elected member of the Board of Commissioners since 2013. Sinas practiced in Minnesota until 2013, when he returned to Michigan and opened the Grand Rapids office of... Continue reading

Thank you to the 2019 State Bar of Michigan Board of Tellers for meeting in Lansing to certify the State Bar of Michigan election results. L-R are Ernscie Augustin, Jeffrey M. Barker, and Nicole A. Evans. Election results will be posted tomorrow on the SBM website. Continue reading

Dates: January 25–February 1, 2020 Location: Jamaica Inn, Ochos Rios, Jamaica Non-refundable deposit due by July 23, 2019 Registration Form The Jamaica Inn exemplifies the elegance, luxury, and exquisite service of Jamaica's tourism heyday with attention to details such as fresh flower bouquets in the rooms. Marilyn Monroe honeymooned here with playwright Arthur Miller, and Winston Churchill also visited often. Situated on what many consider to be the premier private beach in Jamaica, each of Jamaica Inn's 47 rooms and suites suite has a private balustraded balcony overlooking the beach and the Caribbean. SEMINAR The advanced level seminar is taught... Continue reading

Court: 39th District Court, City of Roseville Vacating Judge: Hon. Catherine Bove Steenland Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on July 17, 2019 Court: 54-A District Court, City of Lansing Vacating Judge: Hon. Hugh Barrington Clarke, Jr. Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted electronically and received by 5:00 p.m. on July 17, 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... Continue reading

Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019 Time: 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Location: University Club of MSU, Lower Level Ballroom, 3435 Forest Rd, Lansing Register: online or by mail form To help ensure an accurate lunch count, registrations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 13. Cost: $20 for Admin Law and Young Lawyers Section members; $25 for non-section members; $15 for law students Learn valuable insights from attorney Bret Totoraitis of Consumers Energy Company and William Fahey of Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC about how to successfully present cases before Michigan administrative tribunals as well as best practices for... Continue reading

The Michigan Supreme Court today adopted extensive amendments to the rules governing civil discovery. The rules were developed by the State Bar of Michigan Civil Discovery Rule Review Special Committee, which was chaired by Daniel D. Quick. The rules provide that the scope of discovery should be proportional to the needs of the case, adopt initial disclosure requirements, and clarify issues concerning electronically stored information. “This package of rule changes represents the most comprehensive effort to improve civil discovery rules in at least a generation,” said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. “The Court is grateful to the State Bar for... Continue reading

Dr. Noelle Nelson gives listeners simple techniques for connecting with all types of clients and teach lawyers how to communicate, even if they disagree with their client. Disconnects in lawyer/client communication often lead to unhappy clients or even the loss of their business. But the State Bar of Michigan: On Balance Podcast has good news—better relationships with clients can be achieved! Hosts Tish Vincent and JoAnn Hathaway talk to Dr. Noelle Nelson about her book, “Connecting with Your Client: Success Through Improved Client Communication Techniques.” Dr. Nelson offers simple techniques for connecting with clients of all personalities and temperaments and... Continue reading

Dates: July 18–20, 2019 Location: Grand Hotel, 286 Grand Ave, Mackinac Island Cost: $295 for Section members; $395 for non-section members Register with ICLE Cosponsored with ICLE There’s no better place to get advanced content in patent, trademark, and copyright law. Hear from top minds while you bask in the beauty of Mackinac Island. Join 200+ top-notch practitioners for elegant receptions and unparalleled networking. Benefits of Attending Gain insight straight from USPTO director Andrei Iancu. Stay current with critical updates on patent, trademark, and copyright law. Grasp the impact of Belmora, Octane Fitness, Helsinn, SAS, Shaw, ReDigi, and more. Take... Continue reading

The June 2019 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal, focusing on Labor and Employment Law, is available online. Articles include: Balancing Customer Care and Employee Civil Rights A Warning to Employers About Communications with Employees Representing Employees of Educational Institutions in the #MeToo Era Working in a State of Flux: LGBTQ Employment Law Update Recruiting in the Robot Age Other features include: President's Page A Century Later: An Examination of Women in the Law by Jennifer M. Grieco Plain Language Evolving They by Brad Charles and Thomas Myers Best Practices Best Practices in Determining Whether a Claim Sounds in Ordinary... Continue reading