"We are pleased to have a speaker of national prominence in Nina Totenberg," said Daniel Bretz, program chair and committee member of the Labor and Employment Law Section. "We think that she will bring some great insights regarding the Supreme Court decisions over the last year, especially those dealing with labor and employment issues."

Totenberg has been honored eight times by the American Bar Association for continued excellence in legal reporting and has received many honorary degrees. Her reports air regularly on NPR's critically acclaimed newsmagazines, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition. In 1991, her ground-breaking report about the University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment by Judge Clarence Thomas led the Senate Judiciary Committee to re-open Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings to consider Hill's charges. National Public Radio received the prestigious Peabody Award for its gavel-to-gavel coverage, which was anchored by Totenberg.

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.