Molly Cooke's Passing

Molly Ann Cooke, age 82 of Southfield passed away on May 23, 2020. She was born January 25, 1938 in Philadelphia,PA to the late James and Lillian (Minor) Cooke. Molly is the beloved mother of Marie Cooke, Katherine Cooke Beitner, Elizabeth Blair (Michael Kelter), and Selma Blair; loving grandma of James Cooke, Nicholas Blair, Frances Blair, and Arthur Saint Bleick. Molly is the dear sister of Sally Rubiner.

Molly was a lawyer for over 50 years. She graduated from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law. Molly was a retired Workers’ Compensation Magistrate and was a member of the Workers’ Compensation Hall of Fame. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Polish American Legal Society for her 32 years of outstanding public service. After she retired, she enjoyed her retirement in the heart of Plymouth. She is deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Molly’s wishes were to be cremated. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Shrader-Howell Funeral Home. A private family memorial service will take place at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made in Molly’s memory to JARC, 6735 Telegraph Rd. Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301; NPR (National Public Radio); and University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, 651 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48226.

Gaylord Michigan Dockets June 16-17, 2020

We are tentatively set to reopen for regular business in Gaylord on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. This date is subject to change at the discretion of the governor, the director of the agency, the chairperson of the Board of Magistrates, and the University Center. More Information

Proposed Rules of the Board of Magistrates

The Workers’ Compensation Council endorsed the proposed rules of the Board of Magistrates. Although you can peruse the proposed rules, they are not the final rules. I will forward a copy of the final rules when they become available.

It has been brought to my attention that not all plaintiff and defense counsels are being responsive to continued efforts to resolve cases. Just because we can no longer see each other face to face should not excuse us from utilizing our best efforts to resolve cases. I encourage you to reach out to each other. I also encourage you to utilize the mediation process by telephone if you reach an impasse. I have utilized the mediation process by telephone and have found it to be just as effective in resolving my cases as previous face to face mediations. This time is very trying and I encourage you to make it less so by being available to each other.