SBM’s SOLACE program supports members of the legal community in crisis
Life can be full of surprises, but members of the State Bar of Michigan don’t have to navigate crisis or catastrophe alone, thanks to SBM’s SOLACE program.
Launched in 2021, SOLACE, which stands for Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel All Concern Encouraged, is open to all members of Michigan’s legal community, including judges, lawyers, court personnel, paralegals, legal assistants, legal administrators, law students, and their immediate families, who are experiencing a recent, sudden, or catastrophic injury, illness, or event.
Members in need of support simply request assistance by filling out the SOLACE Request for Assistance form. A member of the SOLACE Implementation Team will reach out to a network of SOLACE volunteers who will be put in direct with the requestor to provide assistance.
In the past, members of the SOLACE network have provided a wide variety of support for Michigan’s legal community including:
- Navigating discussions with insurance companies
- Providing frequent flyer miles
- Donating hotel points
- Working with mortgage companies
- Pet-sitting
SOLACE requests are handled as discreetly as possible, with the identity of the person requesting assistance only being shared with the SOLACE team, unless they expressly authorize it to be shared elsewhere.
The support provided by SOLACE would not be possible without its network of volunteers and community partners from across the state including Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Detroit Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Genesee County Bar Association, Grand Rapids Bar Association, Ingham County Bar Association, Macomb Bar Association, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, Oakland County Bar Association, SBM Cannabis Law Section, SBM Criminal Law Section, SBM LGBTQ+ Section, SBM Senior Lawyers Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association, and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.
To become a member of the SOLACE support network, fill out the form on the State Bar of Michigan website here, and learn more about SOLACE at michbar.org/solace.
Posted: January 13, 2026