State Bar of Michigan: Vote Today in State Bar Elections

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Vote Today in State Bar Elections—Deadline Tuesday, June 15

6/14/10

Electronic voting for the 2010 State Bar of Michigan elections ends at 12 midnight EST on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Paper ballots must be postmarked by June 15, 2010.

Elections are being held for the Judicial Tenure Commission; for the Board of Commissioners in District C, District H, and District I; for the Representative Assembly in 3rd Circuit, 5th Circuit, 6th Circuit, 17th Circuit, 18th Circuit, and 53rd Circuit; and for the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in District 1.

Candidate bios can be viewed below and can also be viewed on the top of the page of each of the ballots.

All active members are eligible to vote in the Judicial Tenure Commission election. Eligibility to vote in the other contested elections is dependent upon your address of record. Your ballot(s) will reflect the elections for which you are eligible to vote.

State Bar members wanting to vote should log in to the member area on the State Bar website. If you know your member area login information, you can vote now.

If you need assistance accessing the member area, follow these simple instructions.

Candidate Bios

Judicial Tenure Commission

JAMES S. BRADY
James S. Brady is a member of Miller Johnson and has practiced since 1969. He graduated from Western Michigan University and Notre Dame Law School. President Carter appointed Mr. Brady as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan. Mr. Brady was president of the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys, the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and the Western Michigan chapters of the American Inns of Court and Federal Bar Association. He serves on the State Bar's Judicial Crossroads Task Force. Mr. Brady is an adjunct professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, has taught at Grand Valley State University, is a former member and chair of Western Michigan University's Board of Trustees, and a member and former chair of the Western Michigan University Foundation. He also serves on the board of Catholic Charities of West Michigan. Michigan Lawyers Weekly recognized Mr. Brady in 2009 as a "Leader in the Law" and he received the Worsfold Distinguished Service Award from the Grand Rapids Bar Association. He was honored with the St. Thomas More Award by the Catholic Lawyers Association of Western Michigan in 2008. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America® in several practice areas.

MICHELENE EBERHARD
Michelene Eberhard (formerly Michelene Sager-Eberhard) is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Macomb County Bar Association, and the Waldorf Early Childhood Education Association of North America. She is a past member of the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Board of Trustees of Renaissance Unity Church in Warren. Ms. Eberhard received her undergraduate degree in philosophy from University of Michigan- Dearborn, graduating with high distinction. She earned her law degree, cum laude, at Wayne State University Law School. Ms. Eberhard held a legal aid position until 1994, when she began her private practice. She practices mainly in municipal, district, and circuit courts in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, but has practiced in districts and circuits throughout the state. She has also judged moot court and mock trial competitions, and is a regular guest speaker at a local high school.

GERALD V. PADILLA
Gerald V. Padilla presently has an office in Oakland County. For 35 years, the vast majority of Mr. Padilla's practice has involved litigation at all levels of the Michigan and federal court system. He has appeared in front of a number of judges throughout the state, having handled cases in a majority of the counties. Mr. Padilla has received the highest AV peer-group rating and has been named a top lawyer by dBusiness. He has been a lecturer for the National Business Institute and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Padilla has been active in the State Bar, having served on the boards of the Negligence Law and Aviation Law sections, including a stint as the Aviation Law Section chair. He is presently involved in 10 different attorney-related Bar organizations. Reflecting his Hispanic roots, he is involved in several community organizations in southwest Detroit, where he has served as a board member and as legal counsel. Mr. Padilla has three grown children who are the love of his life.

THOMAS J. RYAN
Thomas J. Ryan is a past president of the State Bar of Michigan, having served as its 66th president in 2000-2001. He was president of the Oakland County Bar Association in 1993-1994 and a member of the Oakland/Livingston Legal Aid Board of Directors from 1987 to 1995, serving as vice president in 1994-1995. Mr. Ryan was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1973. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Oakland County Bar Association, Incorporated Society of Irish/American Lawyers, and Ancient Order of Hibernians. A sole practitioner, he is the attorney for the Village of Beverly Hills, City of Keego Harbor, City of the Village of Clarkston, and City of Orchard Lake Village, and special counsel for the Village of Oxford and City of Birmingham. Mr. Ryan is completing his second term as a member of the Judicial Tenure Commission, having been elected in 2004; he has served as secretary and currently serves as vice president. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the University of Detroit.

JOHN F. SCHAEFER
John F. Schaefer was educated at Cranbrook School, the University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University, and the Detroit College of Law. He holds BA and JD degrees and an honorary doctor of law degree. Mr. Schaefer has practiced law continuously since 1969, concentrating in non-routine matrimonial matters, and has appeared in 24 of the 57 Michigan circuits. He is an adjunct professor at the Detroit College of Law where he has taught domestic relations for 38 years. He has instructed hundreds of Michigan circuit court judges through the Michigan Judicial Institute, has instructed thousands of practicing lawyers through ICLE, and has made numerous television and radio appearances relative to legal matters. Mr. Schaefer is recognized and listed in Inter Alia, The Best Lawyers in America, and Who's Who in America. He has been involved with numerous organizations, including past president of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Detroit College of Law trustee emeritus, the Michigan State Bar Foundation Fellows, past president of the Oakland County Bar Association, past chairman of the SBM Family Law Section and member of the Committee on Character and Fitness, and Attorney Grievance Commission arbitrator.

MATTHEW P. SMITH
Matthew Paul Smith was a police officer for eight years, attending Thomas M. Cooley Law School at night. He spent five years working as an assistant prosecutor in Calhoun County. In 1990, he began his private practice, focusing on criminal defense and family law. Mr. Smith has been active in the criminal law sections of both the State Bar of Michigan and the American Trial Lawyers Association for nearly 20 years, serving as chair of both sections. He has been active in planning and implementing educational programs for the SBM Criminal Law Section. Mr. Smith has taught law and firstresponder emergency medicine at various colleges and universities in west Michigan and has taught criminal and traffic law, search and seizure, and interview and interrogation techniques at the police academy at Grand Valley State University. For the last five years, he has served as a judge for Cooley Law School's moot court competitions. Mr. Smith has been active in the local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and at Cascade Christian Church in Cascade Township, serving as trustee, deacon, and elder. He is married to AnnMarie Soules Smith, who is partner in the Law Office of Smith and Smith PC.

Board of Commissioners in District C, District H, and District I

District C—Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Kent, Mecosta, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa Counties

ROBERT J. BUCHANAN
Robert J. Buchanan has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan for 22 years. He graduated in 1988 from Wayne State University Law School and then joined Warner, Norcross & Judd. In 1995, he co-founded the firm of Buchanan & Buchanan and currently serves as managing partner. Mr. Buchanan has served on the SBM Representative Assembly since 2002 and has chaired its Special Issues, Assembly Review, Hearings, and Drafting committees. He has also served on the executive council of the Young Lawyers Section and as a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Mr. Buchanan also devotes time to local and affinity bar associations as trustee and chair of Membership and Young Lawyers with the Grand Rapids Bar Association and as committee member (Law Day, Pro Bono, and Social Interaction). He serves on the Executive Board of the Michigan Association for Justice and is a member of its Judicial Qualifications, Medical Malpractice, and Media committees. He is also a Master of the American Inns of Court. Mr. Buchanan enjoys teaching trial advocacy, and is a faculty member with the Hillman Advocacy Program and MAJ Trial Institute.

BRUCE A. COURTADE
Bruce Courtade is a shareholder with Rhoades McKee in Grand Rapids where he practices primarily commercial litigation and construction law. Mr. Courtade has been very active with the State Bar and currently serves as its secretary, placing him in line to become Bar president in 2012. He first served on the Board of Commissioners from 1998 through 2001 as a Representative Assembly officer, and was Representative Assembly chair in 2000- 2001. He was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2004 and again in 2007. He has served on the executive committees of six State Bar presidents and chaired numerous State Bar committees and task forces. Mr. Courtade is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation and a life member of the Justice Foundation of West Michigan. He received the 1991 John W. Cummiskey Award recognizing his pro bono service to local veterans and their families. He has also served on the boards of numerous West Michigan nonprofit agencies. He is a member of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society and an Attorney Discipline Board panelist. Mr. Courtade received his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He and his family reside in East Grand Rapids. Incumbent: Eligible for 20 meetings between 9/26/07 and 3/26/2010, attended 19, excused 1.

MILES J. POSTEMA
Miles J. Postema serves as Ferris State University's vice president and general counsel. He practiced at Warner Norcross & Judd and was a partner at Tolley VandenBosch PC. Mr. Postema obtained his juris doctorate from Wayne State University and has a master of science in taxation from Grand Valley State University. Mr. Postema is a past chair of the State Bar Public Outreach Committee, Communications Committee, and Law Practice Management Section; a former member of the Publications and Website Advisory Committee; and a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Mr. Postema is a past president of the Mecosta-Osceola County Bar Association, secretary of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and former co-chair of the Community Relations Committee of the Grand Rapids Bar Association. He is a board member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. He also serves on the board for the Michigan Chapter of the American Corporate Counsel Foundation, is a member of the board of the Rockford Public Schools, and has served as chair of the Board of Leadership Grand Rapids.

District H—Lenawee, Monroe, and Wayne Counties

DENNIS M. BARNES
Dennis M. Barnes is a member in Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker, PLLC, with a business litigation practice. He is past president of the Federal Bar Association's Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, chair of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Commercial Litigation Section, and the 2010 DMBA Diversity Celebration liaison. He is on the federal court's Standing Committee on Civility, serving on its 2009 Magistrate Reappointment Selection Panel and presenting at its Shared Advanced Technology Courtroom Certification seminars. Mr. Barnes is past grand commander of the Alhambra's Manresa Caravan, which assists developmentally disabled children. He has served as pro bono legal counsel for Alhambra and St. Francis Camp, a summer camp for disabled children. He has also volunteered in the MELL substance abuse education program in the Detroit Public Schools. Mr. Barnes graduated Notre Dame Law School in 1986 and Hillsdale College in 1983. He has been recognized as a Michigan "super lawyer" since 2006 and by dBusiness magazine as one of metro Detroit's top lawyers. Mr. Barnes and his wife, Beth, have four children. They are active members of St. William Parish, where Dennis is on the parish council, chaired its Stewardship Commission, and coached many athletic teams.

ELIZABETH M. JOHNSON
Elizabeth M. Johnson is an attorney in private practice in Plymouth. She received her undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College and her law degree from Loyola University School of Law. Ms. Johnson has served on the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly since 2002 representing the 3rd Circuit (Wayne County). She is the current chairperson and has also served as vice chairperson (2008-2009) and clerk (2007-2008). She was chair of the RA Nomination and Awards Committee (2006-2007) and the Assembly Review Committee (2005-2006). Ms. Johnson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners and serves on the board's Executive Committee and Programs and Services Committee. She has also served for many years on the Local Bar Liaison Committee, which presents the Bar Leadership Forum, and participates in Law Day activities at the 35th District Court in Plymouth. She is a member and past president of the Suburban Bar Association of Western Wayne County.

NICHOLAS C. KRIEGER
Nicholas C. Krieger works for the Michigan Court of Appeals where he has served as law clerk to Judge Kathleen Jansen since 2006. Before working for Judge Jansen, Mr. Krieger was employed as a prehearing attorney in the Michigan Court of Appeals Research Division. Mr. Krieger serves as an elected member of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly, representing Michigan's 3rd Judicial Circuit (Wayne County). He is a graduate of Michigan State University and Wayne State University Law School, where he was a member of the law school's Student Board of Governors and vice president of the Environmental Law Society. He is also an active alumnus of the law school, returning each year to judge the first-year moot court competition, serving on various law school panels, and having co-authored the professional responsibility article for the 2007-2008 Wayne Law Review survey edition. Mr. Krieger is a member of the Appellate Practice and Administrative Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan and the German-American Lawyers Association. In his free time, he enjoys the arts, watching MSU sports and Detroit Tigers baseball, and reading about science and history.

DANIEL M. LEVY
Daniel M. Levy is seeking to return to the Board of Commissioners, where he served from 2001 to 2004. As a commissioner, he served on the board's Executive Committee as well as the Public Policy, Image and Identity and Member Programs and Services committees. Mr. Levy is a past chair of the SBM Representative Assembly and also held the offices of vice chair and clerk. He served on several RA committees, including the Rules and Calendar Committee, which he chaired, and the Assembly Review Committee. Mr. Levy currently chairs the SBM Standing Committee on Bar Leadership and recently completed a term on the Client Protection Fund Committee. He is a past chair of the Criminal Law and Prisons and Corrections Section councils. A Michigan State Bar Foundation Fellow, he has twice been published in the Michigan Bar Journal. Currently director for Law and Policy at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Mr. Levy has served the people of Michigan throughout his professional life. He is a former Michigan assistant attorney general, assistant prosecuting attorney, and special assistant U.S. attorney. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Law and the University of Michigan

District I—Oakland County

BRIAN D. EINHORN
Brian Einhorn has been a member of the Board of Commissioners since 2004 and is presently treasurer, having been elected to that position by his fellow commissioners. He practices with Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff and has tried more than 100 cases to verdict. Many of those cases involved the defense of claims of attorney malpractice. Mr. Einhorn has also represented lawyers and judges before the Attorney Grievance Commission and the Judicial Tenure Commission. Mr. Einhorn has served as chairperson of a committee charged with the responsibility of reviewing proposed rule changes to the disciplinary rules proposed by the AGC. Mr. Einhorn and his firm assisted in writing two amicus briefs to the Michigan Supreme Court on behalf of the SBM: Grace v Leitman (the attorney judgment rule) and Smith v Khouri (standard for an award of attorney fees). Mr. Einhorn has served as president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel and as a board member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers and has served as vice president of the Mediation Tribunal Association. Incumbent: Eligible for 20 meetings between 9/26/07 and 3/26/10, attended 20.

EDWARD L. HAROUTUNIAN
Edward L. Haroutunian, a 1965 graduate of the University of Michigan and 1968 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, practices in the areas of family law, estate planning, real estate, and commercial litigation; has served as a special assistant attorney general representing the state of Michigan; and has served as a facilitator and arbitrator in family and real estate cases. He has also lectured on family and real estate matters and authored several articles. Mr. Haroutunian served on the Oakland County Public Advisory Committee on Judicial Candidates, was a special investigator for the State Bar Attorney Grievance Commission, and is presently a hearing panel chair for the Attorney Discipline Board. He previously served on the Representative Assembly in 1991-1997 and 2001-2007, and was clerk, vice chair, and chair of the RA. He was on the SBM Board of Commissioners from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Haroutunian is a member of the American, Oakland, Detroit, and Armenian Bar Associations, a life Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation. He practices with his daughter, Krista, in Haroutunian Licata Haroutunian, PC, in Bingham Farms and with his wife, Susan Licata Haroutunian, of counsel to the firm.

JEFFREY B. LINDEN
Jeffrey B. Linden graduated from the University of Michigan in 1989 and earned his JD in 1993 from the University of California's Hastings College of Law. He practiced law in San Francisco until 1998 when he returned to Michigan with his wife, and has practiced law in the tri-county area ever since. Mr. Linden is an experienced litigator handling a wide array of matters including commercial litigation, white-collar defense, juvenile and probate litigation, and business and health care law. In 2009, he opened The Linden Law Firm, PLC in Oakland County, where he has practiced since 2002. Mr. Linden has been an active member of the Representative Assembly since 2007 and regularly sits as a panelist for the Attorney Discipline Board. He is admitted to practice in the state courts of Michigan, California, and Colorado as well as the federal district courts in California and Michigan, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 6th and 9th Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. Jeff is active in the community and has served as a member of the Farmington Hills Parks and Recreation Commission since his appointment by the mayor in 2007.

JAMES W. LOW
James W. Low is an attorney with Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, PC in their specialty litigation group practicing medical malpractice defense and complex litigation. Mr. Low serves in leadership roles in bar associations on a local, state, national, and international basis. Locally, he serves as the vice chair of the Oakland County Bar Association New Lawyers Committee. He also serves as a barrister in the Oakland County Inns of Court. On a statewide basis, Mr. Low is on the Executive Council of the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, where he has implemented numerous projects of service to the community and the bar. Nationally, Mr. Low is serving a two-year term as one of only 34 district representatives nationwide to the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He also serves as Michigan's coordinator for disaster legal services for FEMA. Internationally, Mr. Low attended the annual meetings of the Paris Bar Association, the Barcelona Bar Association, and the Brussels Bar Association as the American representative. Recently, Mr. Low was named as one of 20 up-and-coming lawyers in Michigan by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

JOHN F. MILLS
John F. Mills is an attorney and shareholder with Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, PC, in Birmingham. He has been in practice for more than 30 years. Mr. Mills is well known throughout the area for his experience in domestic relations, private adoption cases, and adoption-related litigation. Mr. Mills is also a family law mediator and arbitrator. He lectures at seminars for ICLE and other CLE providers and has been a guest lecturer on paternity law and adoption-related issues at Michigan State University College of Law, University of Detroit Law School, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He has written several articles for the Michigan Family Law Journal and authored the chapter on paternity, adoption, and surrogacy for the current edition of the ICLE publication Michigan Family Law. Mr. Mills is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national organization recognizing expertise in family law. He is also former chair of the State Bar of Michigan Family Law Section and Adoption Law Committee, and presently serves as an Oakland County delegate to the State Bar Representative Assembly.

ERIC J. PELTON
Eric J. Pelton joined the State Bar of Michigan in 1987. He is a founding principal of Kienbaum Opperwall Hardy & Pelton, PLC. Mr. Pelton served as an at-large member of the Board of Commissioners appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court from 2006 to 2009. An active commissioner who served on the Professional Standards and Public Policy committees and as liaison to the Labor and Employment Law Section, he also authored a Michigan Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of the State Bar on an attorneys' fee issue while on the board. Mr. Pelton currently serves on the Oakland County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees and has been an active member of the Labor and Employment Law Section his entire career. He also served on the Board of State Canvassers from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Pelton has taught employment law at Wayne State University Law School, lectured at the prestigious National Employment Law Institute on wage and hour issues, and is a contributing author to the ICLE publication Employment Law in Michigan. Mr. Pelton received his BA from Michigan State University and his JD and MPA degrees from Syracuse University.

SCOTT A. WOLFSON
Scott A. Wolfson is a founding member of Wolfson Bolton PLLC, a bankruptcy, creditors' rights, and commercial litigation boutique in Troy. He has been in private practice for 15 years. He began his career in his hometown in the Upper Peninsula, then spent more than 11 years at a large Detroit-based law firm, where he left as an equity partner in 2008. He has served as a member of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly since 2004. Mr. Wolfson frequently speaks on bankruptcy-related topics and is a certified mediator appointed to the Mediation Panel for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He has published several bankruptcy-related articles. Mr. Wolfson holds Martindale-Hubbell's highest proficiency rating and has been recognized by several publications for his work as an attorney, including Crain's Detroit Business, Michigan Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and DBusiness. Mr. Wolfson graduated from Michigan State University's James Madison College with high honors and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and from the University of Minnesota Law School cum laude, where he was managing editor of the school's Journal of Law and Inequality. He resides in Birmingham with his wife, Marcy, and their two children.

Representative Assembly in 3rd Circuit, 5th Circuit, 6th Circuit, 17th Circuit, 18th Circuit, and 53rd Circuit

3rd Circuit—Wayne County

SUSAN LICATA HAROUTUNIAN
Susan Licata Haroutunian is a solo practitioner in Detroit, concentrating in the areas of estate planning and family law, and of counsel to the firm in which her husband and daughter practice, Haroutunian Licata Haroutunian, PC. Ms. Haroutunian received her undergraduate degree from Wayne State University in 1965 and earned her juris doctorate degree in 1967 from Wayne State University Law School, where she was also a member of the Moot Court Board. After being an associate attorney with the United States Department of Labor, she moved to private practice with a major Detroit law firm and later to solo practice. After raising her family, she re-entered private practice. Ms. Haroutunian served as the chair of the Friend of the Court Bureau Advisory Committee under the auspices of the Supreme Court Administrator's Office, and has been part of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly on two occasions, once in the 1990s and her most recent term which began in 2007. She is involved in a leadership capacity with various civic and community groups in the Detroit and Wayne County areas. Ms. Haroutunian is a member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association and Armenian-American Bar Association. Incumbent: Eligible for 7 meetings between 4/21/07 and 3/27/10, attended 7.

MICHAEL J. MCCLORY
Michael McClory is chief deputy probate register for the Wayne County Probate Court. A graduate of Wayne State University Law School, his professional career has been in the areas of estate planning, administration, and probate. Mr. McClory is a member of the State Bar Representative Assembly and a past chairperson of the State Bar Probate and Estate Planning Section. He also serves on the Michigan Supreme Court's Probate Forms Committee. A frequent lecturer on probate practice and procedure, Mr. McClory most recently was asked to speak at ICLE's 50th Annual Probate and Estate Planning Seminar in May and June. He has written several articles on probate law that have been published in the Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Journal and has authored a chapter on challenges to joint financial assets, which is part of Michigan Probate Litigation: A Guide to Contested Matters, published by ICLE. He also has written chapters on the duties and liabilities of guardians for adults and minors for ICLE's Guardianship and Conservatorship Handbook. Incumbent: Eligible for 7 meetings between 4/21/07 and 3/27/10, attended 7.

VINCENT A. ROMANO
Vincent A. Romano has been involved in the State Bar since 1988. He previously served two terms in the Representative Assembly from 2002 to 2007 and was chair of the Assembly's Hearings Committee in 2004-2005. Mr. Romano is former chair and current treasurer of the Law Practice Management Section and former chair of the State Bar Lawyer Referral Service Committee. He served on the State Bar Professionalism Committee and was co-chair of its Lawyer Advertising Rules Revision Sub-Committee. He also served on its Communications and Law Day committees and was a member of the SBM Access to Justice Task Force. Mr. Romano is currently a member of the Master Lawyers Section Planning Committee, director of the Lakeshore Bar Association, and a State Bar Fellow. He is a 1976 graduate of the Detroit College of Law where he served as editor in chief of its Law Review. He began practicing with a Detroit firm until 1982, when he began a solo general practice serving the metropolitan area from his office in downtown Detroit. Currently, Mr. Romano is president of Attorney Services Marketing, working with lawyers and law firms on client and practice development matters.

MARCY L. ROSEN
Marcy Rosen graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in English language and literature and she received her JD from the University of Michigan Law School. She is an associate attorney in the Detroit office of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, PLC in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. Ms. Rosen is a co-chair of the Law Student Initiative Committee for the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She is also currently involved in a number of pro bono projects, including as a volunteer attorney at the Common Ground Legal Clinic.

ERIC S. ROSENTHAL
Eric S. Rosenthal is a member in Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker, PLLC. His practice principally focuses on commercial and construction litigation. Mr. Rosenthal is a graduate of Wayne State University, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1971 and his law degree in 1974. He is a member of the litigation sections of both the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association. Since 2008, he has been recognized as a "Super Lawyer" in business litigation. Mr. Rosenthal has previously served as a judge for Wayne State University Law School's Moot Court Program and is a National Multiple Sclerosis Society volunteer. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children, the youngest being a second-year student at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

STEPHEN M. TARATUTA
Stephen M. Taratuta has been an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County for six years. Before joining the prosecutor's staff, he was in private practice for 12 years, primarily focusing on criminal and juvenile defense, probate, and appeals. Mr. Taratuta is actively involved with the State Bar of Michigan and his local bar association. In addition to being an elected member of the Representative Assembly for more than 12 years, he is a member of the Criminal Jury Instructions Committee and on the Governing Council for the Criminal Law Section, serving as treasurer in 2009-2010 and secretary in 2010-2011. He also serves as first vice president of the Wayne County Government Bar Association, chairs the local Character and Fitness Board, and sits on numerous subcommittees and task forces. Incumbent: Eligible for 7 meetings between 4/21/07 and 3/27/10, attended 7.

GREGORY L. ULRICH
Greg Ulrich served as clerk and chairperson of the Representative Assembly from 1989 to 1991, expanding the Assembly's policymaking role and involvement with the SBM Board of Commissioners. He is a State Bar commissioner with more than 12 years' experience on the SBM Finance Committee and has served on the Public Policy and Member Services committees. He served on the Judicial Ethics Committee and is a District H panel member on the Character and Fitness Committee. He is a past chairperson of the Member Services and Nominating committees and the Senior Lawyer Planning Group. Currently, he co-chairs the new Master Lawyer Section Planning Group developing the State Bar's newest section for experienced lawyers. Mr. Ulrich is a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates and its Resolutions and Impact Committee, where he chairs the Technology Sub- Committee. He has aided in disaster relief and provided assistance to members of the U.S. Marine Corps, the University of Detroit Veterans Law Clinic, and arts-related groups in the Detroit area. A 1974 graduate of the University of Detroit and a 1977 graduate the University of Detroit School of Law, he is a partner with Cummings, McClorey Davis & Acho, PLC.

5th Circuit—Barry County

THOMAS E. EVANS
Tom Evans practices with the Barry County Office of Prosecuting Attorney, where he has served as the elected prosecuting attorney since 2006. He holds a JD from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and a BA in economics and political science from Wayne State University. He has worked as an attorney in private practice and as deputy public advocate for the 26th Circuit. He has also served as a municipal prosecutor, assistant and chief assistant prosecuting attorney, and prosecuting attorney of Montmorency County. Mr. Evans has served with the Representative Assembly from 2003 to 2009. He is a long-time member of the SBM Criminal Law Section and was formerly an elected member of the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council. He has been elected to all offices of the Barry County Bar Association and is its immediate past president. Mr. Evans is on the Board of Directors for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. He has been a faculty member at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C., and for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. He served as Hastings High School Youth in Government mock judiciary coach from 2003 to 2009, and is the immediate past president of the Middleville Lions.

DAVID E. GILBERT
A former assistant and chief assistant prosecuting attorney for Barry County, David E. Gilbert began as a lawyer in 1988 and has practiced in Barry County since 1990. After leaving prosecution in 1995, he opened a general practice law office in Hastings, emphasizing criminal, family, real estate, and business law. He opened a second office in Battle Creek around 1998. A graduate of Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Mr. Gilbert is adjunct faculty for Kellogg Community College, teaching courses for the criminal justice (paralegal) and business departments. He also sits on the Paralegal Advisory Board for Kellogg Community College. Mr. Gilbert belongs to the Calhoun County Bar Association, is secretary of the Barry County Bar Association, is a member of the Family Law Section and CDAM, and is treasurer of the State Bar Criminal Law Section. Outside of law and education, he sits on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Michigan Council of the Boy Scouts of America and is chair of the Nottawa Trails District of the Boy Scouts of America. Married with two children, he currently resides in Battle Creek.

6th Circuit—Oakland County

DANIEL J. CHERRIN
Daniel Cherrin is an attorney, mediator, lobbyist, and PR executive with experience in providing senior public relations and governmental relations counsel to organizations on regulatory and legislative matters in the U.S. and Canada as well as issues affecting corporate and individual reputation, crisis management, and the media. Most recently, he served as Detroit's communications director and press secretary to Mayor Ken Cockrel. He has also been conducting mediations since 1998. Mr. Cherrin earned his law degree from Michigan State University after graduating from the University of Michigan. He is the past president of Childhelp USA and a member of the board of the Engineering Society of Detroit, the Michigan Institute of Political Leadership (MPLP), the Urban League, Detroit News Hub, and MS Society. He is a member of the SBM Law and the Media Committee, past member of the Ad Hoc Committee for Business Courts, and a volunteer with the Wayne Mediation Center. In 2003, he was named in Crain's "40 under 40" and as a Fellow to MPLP. Mr. Cherrin is married and has three children.

JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM
James P. Cunningham is a partner in the firm of Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, PC, where he practices in the area of trials with a specialty in family law. He received his BA with honors from Brown University and his JD cum laude from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. Mr. Cunningham is a Fellow and this year's president of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is an adjunct professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Oakland Bar Foundation and a member of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Mr. Cunningham is a past president of the Oakland County Bar Association. He was also a charter master of the American Inns of Court Oakland County chapter and is presently chair of the State Bar of Michigan Character and Fitness Committee for District I (Oakland County).

KARL E. HANNUM
While attending Oakland University, Karl Hannum clerked at what was then known as Buchanen, Ogne & Jinks, PC. He attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School, beginning on the evening program while clerking for Taylor & Braun, PC. For 24 years, Mr. Hannum worked at what became known as Schwartz, Jalkanen & Hannum. In April 2009, he formed The Hannum Law Firm, concentrating in medical malpractice defense litigation. Additionally, Mr. Hannum is the founder and general counsel of three medical malpractice management programs: The Cardiology Consortium, The Plastic Surgery Consortium, and The Veterinarian Consortium. He also chairs the Sanford Rosenthal Memorial Award Selection Committee of the Oakland County Bar Association. Mr. Hannum resides in West Bloomfield with his wife, Margo, a real estate attorney, and their rescued pit-boxer mix, Chloe.

ELIZABETH A. HOHAUSER
No biographical information received as of 5/6/10.

MARTIN P. KROHNER
Martin Krohner is a 1970 graduate of the University of Detroit School of Law. He was a Wayne County prosecuting attorney from 1973 to 2000, during which time he tried cases in Wayne County's circuit, district, and juvenile courts. Currently, he practices in the areas of family law and criminal defense. Mr. Krohner is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly where he also chairs the Hearings Committee. He was chair of the State Bar Standing Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and co-chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence and Practice Committee. He is currently a member of the Committee on Justice Initiatives and co-chair of the Criminal Issues Initiative. He is also a member of the Committee on Justice Policy Initiatives and a past member of a number of committees for the Oakland County Bar Association, including the "Meet the Lawyer" program. In 1982, Mr. Krohner founded the Oakland County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He acted as the state chapter's legal consultant and testified before the State Transportation and House Judiciary committees. He played an active role in the drafting of drunk driving legislation and the Crime Victim's Rights Act. Incumbent: Eligible for 7 meetings between 4/21/07 and 3/27/10, attended 7.

SARAH E. KUCHON
Sarah Kuchon is a shareholder of the Hohauser Law Firm, focusing her practice in the area of no-fault insurance law. She graduated cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law and has been practicing for 10 years. Ms. Kuchon is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, the Women's Bar Association of Oakland County, and the Oakland County Bar Foundation. She continues to serve on the Oakland County Bar Circuit Court and Diversity committees. She is a member of the SBM Negligence Law Section and authored the "Point" in the Winter 2003 Negligence Law Section Quarterly. Ms. Kuchon served several years on the Board of Directors of Homes for Autism, a statewide organization providing housing for autistic adults, including a term as secretary of the board from 2006 to 2008. She was a volunteer for the Women's Survival Center for several years and received a volunteer award from the organization in 2004. Ms. Kuchon and her husband, Clifford, have two daughters, Hannah, 7, and Olivia, five months. She and her family live in Rochester Hills with three large and lazy Heinz 57 mutts rescued from the Michigan Animal Rescue League.

SHELDON G. LARKY
Sheldon G. Larky of Bingham Farms is a full-time alternative dispute resolution provider. He served a number of years on the Representative Assembly. Mr. Larky is currently co-chair of the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) Legislative Committee. He is a past president of OCBA and editor of LACHES, the association's monthly publication. Mr. Larky is a frequent law school lecturer in Michigan and Ohio on the subjects of alternative dispute resolution and negotiation. Additionally, he is a magistrate in the 45B Judicial District Court and serves as president of the Soccer Referees Association. Mr. Larky received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

KENNETH B. MORGAN
Kenneth B. Morgan practices in the area of complex commercial litigation, including matters related to real estate development, intellectual property commercialization, and business entity governance. He graduated from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1982, was a staff attorney at the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, and has been in private practice in Oakland County since 1985. His practice involves projects and litigation throughout the United States, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Florida, Nevada, and California.

APRIL L. NEIHSL
April L. Neihsl is currently of counsel to Zausmer, Kaufman, August, Caldwell & Tayler, PC, where she is an associate for Julie I. Fershtman. Her law practice includes commercial litigation, insurance law, and equine law. She has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly since 2008. Ms. Neihsl has contributed to several publications, including annual survey articles on tort and insurance law for the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal. She also assisted in writing chapters for a book on litigation published by the ABA in 2009. Her speaking engagements include the 2010 National Conference on Equine Law in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from Wayne State University Law School cum laude in 2006 and was an editor of the Wayne Law Review. She also graduated from Michigan State University with high honors in 2003. Incumbent: Eligible for 3 meetings between 04/18/2009 and 3/27/10, attended 2, excused 1.

FREDERICK A. NEUMARK
Frederick A. Neumark has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1982. He practices criminal law from his office in Clarkston, concentrating on criminal appeals. He is also a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the South Oakland Bar. Mr. Neumark has been active in both the State Bar and the Oakland Bar. In the Oakland Bar, he has led the Criminal Law Committee and the Law Day Committee, and he is the longest-standing member on the Continuing Legal Education Committee. His State Bar committee memberships include an eight-year term on the Defender Systems and Services Committee, including three years as chair, and the Representative Assembly's Special Issues Committee. In community service, Mr. Neumark has been a member of the Board of Directors of Common Ground, a Bloomfield Hills-based agency that sponsors the Sanctuary runaway shelter, a legal clinic, and a crisis telephone service.

DAVID A. WOLFE
David Wolfe is an associate in the Detroit office of WWR where he focuses his practice on collateral recovery for both consumer and commercial clients through mediation and litigation in state and federal courts throughout Michigan. He has defended against claims brought under the FDCPA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Michigan Collection Practices Act, and other state consumer lending regulations. In the bankruptcy context, he has litigated numerous spin-off adversarial proceedings on behalf of creditors. Mr. Wolfe earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1995 from Wayne State University and graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1999, where he served as Law Review title editor. Mr. Wolfe is admitted to practice law in all Michigan courts. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is currently serving a two-year term on the SBM Representative Assembly. He is also a member of the Oregon State Bar and the Oakland County Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer in matters involving creditor's rights and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Incumbent: Eligible for 3 meetings between 04/18/2009 and 3/27/10, attended 3.

17th Circuit—Kent County

THOMAS R. TERMAAT
Thomas R. TerMaat is a partner at Siebers Mohney, PLC, where he practices in the fields of commercial litigation, general civil litigation, Michigan no-fault law, transportation and trucking law, and premises liability. He graduated from Hope College and the Indiana University School of Law. Mr. TerMaat has been active in the Grand Rapids Bar Association, serving on the board of the GRBA Young Lawyers Section, the Legislative Roundtable, the Finance Committee, and the Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee. He has also been a member of the American Inns of Court and a participant and volunteer in the Hillman Trial Advocacy Program. He currently serves on the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly. Mr. TerMaat and his family are active in Grace Episcopal Church, where he has participated in numerous committees and commissions. He has also served on the boards of the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the John Ball Zoo, and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce PAC, and as founder and vice president of GAP PAC, a political action committee of professionals, executives, and small business owners. He was selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of insurance law.

VICTORIA A. VULETICH
Victoria Vuletich is an assistant professor at the Grand Rapids campus of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she teaches professional responsibility. Before joining Cooley Law School, Ms. Vuletich was deputy division director of the Professional Standards Division of the State Bar of Michigan for nine years, where she served as staff counsel to the Ethics Committee and the Client Protection Fund, supervised the State Bar's Client Protection Fund and Practice Management Resource Center programs, and answered calls to the Ethics Helpline. Before joining the State Bar, Ms. Vuletich practiced law privately, handling primarily family law and personal injury matters. She is a graduate of the University of Denver School of Law and Fort Lewis College. She is frequently asked to speak on ethics, professionalism, and lawyer regulatory issues at national and local programs. Ms. Vuletich is chairperson of the Center for Professional Responsibility Continuing Legal Education Committee and is a former member of the ABA Standing Committee on Client Protection.

18th Circuit—Bay County

KENNETH M. MALKIN
Kenneth M. Malkin has been a public defender for Bay County for almost 25 years. His practice currently consists of felony appointments. He received a bachelor of arts degree in 1973 from Michigan State University and his juris doctorate in 1984 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Mr. Malkin is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM). He is currently chair-elect of the State Bar of Michigan Criminal Law Section, having served as treasurer and secretary, and is CDAM's representative on the section's council. He is also a member of the Michigan Public Defense Task Force. Mr. Malkin is also very active in the community, serving on the Bay City School Board from 1995 until 2007. He was a member of the Monitor Township Planning Commission from 1991 until 2000 and served as its chairperson for six years. He is currently a Monitor Township trustee.

JAN A. MINER
Jan Miner is a 1988 graduate of Michigan Technological University where she earned a degree in scientific technical communication. She attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School and was admitted to practice law in Michigan in 1995. Ms. Miner joined her father to form the firm of Miner & Miner PLLC, emphasizing her practice in family law. She began working for Bay County in 2008 as a public defender concentrating in child protection and juvenile defense and as a staff attorney assisting the Bay County Corporation Counsel. Ms. Miner serves as a member of the Bay County Family Treatment Court team and is a Family Law Certificate Program recipient. She is a former board member of the Bay County Bar Association and has been active in many community organizations, including the Disabilities Services Resource Center and the Sadie Toeppner Garden Study Club.

JAMES A. PERRY
James A. Perry is a 1997 graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He served as a law clerk to the Hon. Paul J. Clulo for the 42nd Circuit Court from 1998 to 1999. He opened his own general practice in Midland, working mainly as a court-appointed criminal defense attorney, before moving to Bay County in 2004, where he currently has a general practice. Mr. Perry has been admitted to the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and also works in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In addition to practicing law, he has taught at the Delta College Police Academy, Davenport University, Ferris State University, and Delta College. He is married to Margaret Leaming.

ALAN R. SULLIVAN
Alan R. Sullivan is a 1985 graduate of Central Michigan University, obtaining a degree in business administration. He attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School, graduating cum laude in 1988. He was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1988 and is a member of the State Bar Negligence Law Section. Mr. Sullivan is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is the current president and former director of the Bay County Bar Association.

53rd Circuit—Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties

MICHAEL J. EKDAHL
Michael J. Ekdahl has been practicing law in his hometown of Cheboygan for 10 years. He is a solo practitioner concentrating in the areas of criminal defense, family law, estate planning, and general civil litigation. Mr. Ekdahl graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in history in 1997 and received his juris doctorate from Wayne State University Law School in 2000. He currently serves as president of the Cheboygan/Presque Isle County Bar Association and on the Board of Directors of Straits Area Federal Credit Union. He is a member of the Cheboygan Memorial Hospital Planned Gifts Committee and is a past president of the Cheboygan Lions Club. Mr. Ekdahl assisted in the recent formation and implementation of the 53rd Circuit Court Drug Court Program and continues to participate in its day-to-day operation. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Ekdahl lives in Cheboygan with his wife, Stacey, and two children, Jack and Mallory, and enjoys traveling, scuba diving, running, and golf.

MELISSA M. GOODRICH
Melissa M. Goodrich is a solo practitioner in Cheboygan, a part-time assistant prosecutor and friend of the court attorney in Montmorency County, and an adjunct professor at North Central Michigan College. Ms. Goodrich graduated cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2002. She has had family law articles published in A Woman's Perspective and Time Out magazines. She is a volunteer with the Divorce Clinic projects in both Otsego and Cheboygan counties.

Young Lawyers Section Executive Council, District 1—Macomb and Wayne Counties

PAUL BUKOWSKI
Paul Bukowski is a Macomb County attorney finishing his first year as a member of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a sole practitioner and created The Bukowski Law Office, PLLC last June. His practice focuses on criminal defense, estate planning, and civil litigation. Mr. Bukowski graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008. He is also a 1996 alumnus of Michigan State University. Before gaining his license, he had a 14-year career in state government working on legislation, lobbying, and campaign strategy. During that time, he was a key staff member for the chair of the House Committee on Criminal Justice and also ran many successful campaigns for elected officials.

CARLOS A. ESCUREL
Carlos A. Escurel was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2002 and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2004. He graduated with a BA in international relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1997 and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School in 2001. While in law school, he served as chairperson for the Free Legal Aid Clinic and as a board member for the Student Trial Advocacy Program and Student Board of Governors. Mr. Escurel is currently clerk of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA YLD), which has more than 150,000 members and is the largest young lawyer organization in the world. During the 2010-2011 bar year, he will serve as speaker of the ABA YLD. In 2004, he was elected to the executive council for the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section. Mr. Escurel's practice focuses primarily on civil defense litigation, including medical malpractice, general negligence, and professional negligence.

ANDREA C. IRONS
Andrea Irons is a Macomb County solo practitioner concentrating in criminal law. She received her undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Currently, Ms. Irons serves as a council member for the State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, treasurer of the Young Lawyers Section of the Macomb County Bar Association, and as a precinct delegate in Clinton Township. As a member of the SBM Young Lawyers Council during the past two years, she has participated in several events and fundraisers that benefited local communities.