Register now for the 2026 Great Lakes Legal Conference

Registration is now open for the 2026 Great Lakes Legal Conference, the State Bar of Michigan’s premier continuing education and leadership development event. Join us June 12-13 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island to learn, connect, and advance your practice.

The 2026 Great Lakes Legal Conference is open to all State Bar of Michigan members and will be packed with information on emerging legal issues, leadership development, and practice management. Plus, the conference is a perfect opportunity to mingle with Michigan's legal leadership, build new connections, and learn from experts.

“The Great Lakes Legal Conference continues to deliver great education in a beautiful location year after year! And the networking with other lawyers and judges can’t be beat!” 2025 attendee attorney Mary Chartier of Okemos said.

Conference registration costs just $225 (a $50 savings) using our special early-bird discount through May 12, 2026. Register at michbar.org/GLLC today.

This year’s keynote speaker, Michael J. Steinberg, will bring his unique perspective on democracy, civil rights, and the American experience to the Great Lakes Legal Conference during his presentation, “Rule of Law through Storytelling.” Steinberg is a civil rights lawyer, professor at University of Michigan Law School, and frequent guest on NPR’s “The Moth Radio Hour.”

This year’s conference offers three learning tracks: Leadership, Legal Updates, and Litigation. Participants can mix and match sessions from different tracks to personalize their conference experience. Among the many sessions are, “Tools to Help Your Board Govern Collaboratively and Courageously,” “Real Property Law: New Developments and Practice Tips,” “Trial Tactics that Move Juries,” and many more.

In addition to the learning tracks, attendees will also hear from Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh, State Bar of Michigan President Lisa J. Hamameh, and SBM Executive Director Peter Cunningham. Conference-goers also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with State Bar of Michigan staff: Darin Day, director of outreach, will be on hand to answer questions for sections and bar associations, and Molly Ranns, director of the Lawyer and Judges Assistance Program, will be available to offer general well-being guidance.

“The atmosphere is great, but what’s unique about this conference is that there are real, authentic conversations between attorneys and judges that you don’t normally see at other events,” said attorney Veronica Stachurski of Okemos.

All Great Lakes Legal Conference guests are eligible for a special rate to stay at the Grand Hotel, but conference-goers are encouraged to make their hotel reservations as soon as possible because rooms sell out quickly. Grand Hotel reservations must be booked by May 12, 2026, to secure the special discounted rate.

Scholarship opportunities also are available. Learn more about this year’s Great Lakes Legal Conference at michbar.org/gllc.

Posted: February 18, 2026