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February 2018
 

2018 Election Information
Are you interested in serving in a leadership role at the State Bar of Michigan or Judicial Tenure Commission? If so, check the March 2018 edition of the Michigan Bar Journal for the official State Bar election notice for the 2018 elections.

The following elections will be held in June 2018:

  • A statewide election for a judicial member of the Judicial Tenure Commission
  • Elections for the members of the Representative Assembly in 40 judicial circuits
  • Elections for members of the Board of Commissioners in five commissioner districts
  • Elections for members of the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council in three districts

If you're interested in running, submit a nominating petition between April 1 and April 30, 2018. Electronic ballots for the 2018 State Bar elections will be distributed by email beginning on Friday, May 25. SBM members who do not have an email address on file will receive a paper ballot. Online voting will end at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, June 15, and paper ballots must be received postmarked no later than June 15.

SBM & Legal Talk Network Launch On Balance Podcast
The State Bar of Michigan is excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, On Balance. Being a lawyer is stressful. Many struggle to balance physical health and well being with the demands of their profession. On Balance, which premiered earlier this month on Legal Talk Network, delivers useful and entertaining ideas on managing life as a lawyer. Notable guests featured in early episodes include ABC’s Dan Abrams, Casey Flaherty (former Kia Motors corporate counsel), Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kurtis Wilder, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, Martin Tieber, Kristoffer Tieber, Mary Chartier, and Takura Nyamfukudza (exonerating attorneys for Dennis Tomasik), State Bar of Michigan’s Janet Welch (executive director), Lori Buiteweg (past president), and Rob Mathis (Pro Bono Service & Justice Initiatives counsel).

To subscribe to On Balance in iTunes, follow two easy steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click this link. 2. Click the purple "Subscribe" button that shows up right under the name of the podcast. To access On Balance in Google Play, follow these three steps: 1. Using your mobile device, click this link. 2. Click the subscribe button (located just beneath the On Balance logo). 3. Click the subscribe button that appears in the pop up.

SBM Website Features Video About New Limited Scope Representation Rules
SBM 2018 AwardsHave questions about how the limited scope representation rules adopted by the Michigan Supreme Court on September 20 work? Check out a new video available on the State Bar website that explains them. Limited scope representation allows attorneys to provide discrete legal services to clients as a more affordable option to traditional full-service representation. Based on the recommendation of the State Bar of Michigan 21st Century Practice Task Force, this rule proposal was created by the State Bar’s Work Group on Unbundling and approved by the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly. The rules became effective on January 1, and are available online.

The State Bar is developing tools and training materials on limited scope representation. If you are interested in adding limited scope representation to your practice and would like to be notified when materials are available, sign up for more information.

Order 2018 April Alphabetical & Resource Directories Now
Looking for a member of the State Bar of Michigan? The SBM online member directory contains the most up-to-date contact information. In addition, a portable April Resource Directory containing comprehensive court, state, and local government and lawyer association contact information is available online and will be sent to you if you have opted in to receive a print edition of the Michigan Bar Journal April issue. You can order extra copies of the resource directory for $10.

If you prefer to receive a member list in print, we offer the April Resource Directory Plus Alphabetical Member Roster, which includes all the information found in the April Resource Directory plus a complete listing of all members of the State Bar of Michigan. Place your order by March 15 to purchase a printed copy of the April Resource Directory Plus Alphabetical Member Roster for $35.

Submit Nominations for 2018 SBM Representative Assembly Awards
SBM 2018 AwardsNominations are now open for Representative Assembly awards that will be presented at the September 2018 NEXT Conference in Grand Rapids. Nominations for the Michael Franck Award and Unsung Hero Award are due by March 10.

Submit a nomination

Events

Upper Michigan Legal Institute—Register Now
June 8–9, 2018 • Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
Learn More

You won't want to miss this opportunity to get the latest developments in case law, invaluable technology, and practice management tips, all while enjoying the ambiance of the historic Grand Hotel on beautiful Mackinac Island.

Sessions this year will provide updates on criminal law, elder law, and family law, plus burning issues in marijuana law, improving productivity with Alexa and Google Assistant, technology competence, guardianships and protective orders, and legal concepts implicated in the expansion of Airbnb and the sharing economy.

NEXT Conference 2018—Save the Date
September 26–28, 2018
DeVos Place, Grand Rapids

Have fun, make connections, and recharge your law practice at the 2018 NEXT Conference, formerly known as the Annual Meeting/Solo & Small Firm Institute. In just a day and a half, you’ll engage with experts whose sole goal is to help you save time, save money, and increase your bottom line.

This year, the popular Judicial Perspectives educational track will return, featuring Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Clement, Kent County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Yates, Ottawa County Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing, Muskegon County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Hicks, Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Farah, and Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Pamela Lightvoet.

Free e-Publications
The State Bar offers five electronic publications delivered to your email inbox at no cost.

e-Journal provides daily summaries of opinions released from the Michigan Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Subscribe Online

NewsLinks provides a daily summary of law-related news articles, editorials, and columns carried in major local, state, and national media. Subscribe Online

Public Policy Update is a weekly journal highlighting public policy issues of interest to the profession. Subscribe Online

Receive Practice Management updates sent directly to your inbox with tips and tools from the Practice Management Resource Center. Subscribe Online

February Bar Journal—Immigration Law
January Bar JournalDigital Version (ideal for tablets, smartphones, and e-readers)

Online Version (PDFs)