Great Lakes Legal Conference 2026
LEARN. CONNECT. SUCCEED.
The State Bar of Michigan is set to host this summer's 2026 Great Lakes Legal Conference combining the best of the Bar Leadership Forum and the Upper Michigan Legal Institute. The event will take place June 12-13, 2026, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
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. There are multiple learning tracks, and attendees can mix and match which sessions they take from any of the tracks. Plus, this is the perfect opportunity to mingle with Michigan's legal leadership, build new connections, and learn from experts.
“The Great Lakes Legal Conference keeps attorneys updated on the ever-changing legal landscape in Michigan.”
–Heather Zang, Sanilac County Bar Association, Sandusky
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Meet the 2026 Keynote Speaker: Michael J. Steinberg
Michael J. Steinberg is a civil rights lawyer, law professor, and oral storyteller who will bring his unique perspective on democracy, civil rights, and the American experience in his presentation of the “Rule of Law through Storytelling,” the keynote address for the 2026 Great Lakes Legal Conference.
A professor at University of Michigan Law School, Steinberg often appears as a guest on NPR’s “The Moth Radio Hour,” where he shares personal experience from his former career as legal director for the ACLU of Michigan. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Wayne State University Law School, Steinberg is founding director of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at University of Michigan Law School and was also founding director of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Clinic at Wayne State University Law School. He has earned numerous awards including the Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowship from Harvard Law School.
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Scholarship Info
The Great Lakes Legal Conference (GLLC) scholarship applications are now available. The GLLC scholarship is open to any leader of a Bar Association or Section that may not be able to provide the necessary financial support to attend the Conference. Submit your application by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026, to be considered. Scholarship covers conference registration fee and one night at the Grand Hotel for one person, including meals.
Why choose GLLC
"GLLC is an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded attorneys from across our state and learn from one another on best practices in given practice areas!"
Sherriee L. Detzler, AccessLex Institute—Helix Bar Review, Utica
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"Well chosen, timely and interesting topics by experts artful in presentation. They keep us in the room instead of being torn away by the delightful distractions of Mackinac Island."
Elizabeth Weisenbach, Huron County Bar Association, Bad Axe
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"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!"
Mary Chartier, Chartier & Nyamfukudza PLC, Okemos
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"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."
Veronica Stachurski, Okemos
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"Attending the State Bar of Michigan Leadership Conference at the Grand Hotel was such a meaningful experience. The updates were timely and helpful, but what stood out most was the chance to connect with passionate, thoughtful leaders from across Michigan. I left feeling recharged, supported, and genuinely inspired."
Maya Younis, Younis Law PLLC, Dearborn