One of the country's foremost reporters and commentators, Howard Fineman, will be the keynote speaker at the State Bar of Michigan's Labor and Employment Law Section's two-day meeting in Ypsilanti January 31 and February 1st, 2003. The conference will be held at the Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest.

As Newsweek's Chief Political Correspondent, Senior Editor and Deputy Washington Bureau Chief, Fineman leads the magazine's award-winning political coverage. He is also a news analyst for NBC and its cable networks, MSNBC and CNBC appearing regularly on various news shows and reporting for The Today Show and Dateline. Fineman has covered every president since Jimmy Carter and was among the first journalists to report on the rise of George W. Bush, who Fineman first interviewed in 1987. He has reported and written cover stories on a wide range of issues including the 2001 election, the Lewinsky scandal, the rise of the religious right, the emergence of talk radio, the impact of digital technology on society, race and politics, and the influence of Hollywood on politics. His Newsweek work has helped the magazine win three National Magazine Awards. Fineman has won and shared in several other awards, including a New York Headliner's Club "Page One" and an American Bar Association "Silver Gavel."

"We are pleased to have a speaker of national prominence in Howard Fineman," said Daniel Bretz, program chair and committee member of the Labor and Employment Law Section. " We think Mr. Fineman will be a very stimulating and witty commentator on current political and legal issues."

Just before the keynote address on Friday, January 31st, the Labor and Employment Law Section's Distinguished Service Awards will be presented posthumously to attorneys John F. Brady and Joseph C. Marshall III, who passed away last year. The award honors individuals committed to excellence and who have made major contributions to the practice of labor and employment law.

John Brady had practiced law since 1973 and was a founding shareholder in the firm of Brady, Hathaway, Brady and Bretz, P.C. He specialized in representing management exclusively in employment counseling and litigation and all areas of labor relations. His law practice brought him before local, state and federal administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the National Labor Relations Board. He also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the state of Michigan since 1975. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America continuously since 1989.

Joseph Marshall of Dickinson Wright, PLLC represented many of the nation's largest corporations in his distinguished 25-year career. He also served as personal counsel to Dennis Archer during his tenure as mayor of Detroit. Marshall was strongly committed to the promotion of diversity in the legal profession and was a vocal advocate for the inclusion and advancement of lawyers of color and women. He was an active member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association and served as its president from 1991 to 1992. He was also active in local community-based organizations like Crossroads for Youth, Franklin Wright Settlements and the Coalition on Temporary Shelter.

A video presentation highlighting the legacy of Michigan labor and employment lawyers will be shown on Saturday, February 1st. Also on the agenda are a panel discussion and topical updates on current labor and employment law issues of critical interest to both Section members and general practitioners. The deadline for registration is Tuesday, January 21, 2003. For more information about this mid-winter meeting call Karen Williams at the State Bar of Michigan, (517) 346-6367 or visit the Bar's web site at www.michbar.org and click on Sections.