Changes to Next Conference/Annual Meeting

Some important changes to the SBM NEXT Conference/Annual Meeting will occur this year. Since the adoption of the State Bar’s Strategic Plan in 2017, the Board of Commissioners has been engaged in a systematic, data-driven examination of the functions of the bar based on the priorities in the new plan. After several months of analysis and discussion, the Board has determined that the NEXT Conference/Annual Meeting should be redesigned to better allocate State Bar resources.

The Board has voted to reduce the NEXT Conference/Annual Meeting to its core elements, as framed in the Supreme Court Rules Concerning the State Bar of Michigan. These elements include the swearing in of new officers, the inaugural meetings of the Representative Assembly and Board of Commissioners, and the presentation of the State Bar’s annual awards. Beginning this year, the annual meeting events will no longer include the Solo & Small Firm Institute, the vendor hall, receptions, or section annual meetings. Consolidation of some scheduled end-of-bar-year networking events will occur, and other events will move to different dates.

For information about sponsorship, contact Stacy Ozanich at sozanich@michbar.org or (517) 346-6315.

The following individuals will receive awards at a luncheon on September 26, 2019, at the Inauguration & Awards Luncheon in Novi.

2019 State Bar of Michigan Award Recipients

Roberts P. Hudson Award: Lawrence P. Nolan
Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award: Michael J. Talbot
Champion of Justice Award: Julie A. Gafkay, Robert F. Gillett, and Marla R. McCowan
John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award: Prof. Lawrence C. Mann and Prof. Suellyn Scarnecchia
John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award: Kimberly L. Scott
Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award: Michael J. Sullivan

The following individuals will receive Representative Assembly awards at the Assembly’s September 26, 2019, meeting in Novi.

2019 SBM Representative Assembly Award Recipients

Michael Franck Award: Mary Chartier
Unsung Hero Award: Clarence M. Dass