The State Bar of Michigan will honor former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley with the 2000 Distinguished Public Service Award during the Bar's 65th Annual Meeting. The award will be presented during the Wednesday, September 20 luncheon at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.

This award recognizes extraordinary governmental service by a member of the State Bar of Michigan. Criteria for the award include being a present or former member of the State Bar of Michigan; service in public office in a way that strengthens the American system of justice under the law; demonstration of the highest standards of integrity, fairness, leadership, excellence, dedication to principle and dedication to the ideals of democracy; and a significant lasting contribution to the nation, the state or the community in which the public servant lives or serves.

Mrs. Riley has devoted the bulk of her professional career to public service, having served for 20 years at all levels of the Michigan judiciary. She is a former Michigan Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice, has served as a judge of the Wayne County Circuit Court, and as a judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals. She has served the Supreme Court and the people of Michigan as an exemplary leader. Her success as a legal scholar and as an administrator were due in part to her personal integrity, and to her belief that the judiciary should be a model of integrity to those it serves.