May 11, 2020
Volume 18, Issue 19

At the Capitol

5/13 House Judiciary, 9:00 a.m. MORE
Agenda:
HB 5411 (Alex Garza) Crimes; other; penalties for interference in the operation of the United States census; provide for.
HB 5488 (Sarah Lightner) Criminal procedure; sentencing; certain permissible costs; extend sunset.
Criminal Law Section Position on HB 5488: Support.
HB 5679 (James Lower) Criminal procedure; sex offender registration; sex offender registration act; modify.
HB 5700 (Julie Alexander) Medical marihuana; licenses; eligibility for medical marihuana license; modify.
SB 718 (Peter MacGregor) Traffic control; traffic regulation; roadside drug testing for controlled substances; allow.
SB 899 (Michael D. MacDonald) Health occupations; health professionals; immunity from civil or criminal liability during a declared emergency; provide for certain health care workers.
Negligence Law Section Position on SB 0899: Oppose.

5/13 House Regulatory Reform, 12:00 p.m. MORE
Agenda Items of Interest:
HB 4488 (Brandt Iden) Occupations; individual licensing and registration; use of criminal record to determine eligibility for occupational licensing; restrict.
SBM Position on HB 4488: Support amending so that the bill does not apply to attorney licensing.
HB 4489 (Joseph Bellino) Occupations; attorneys; qualifications for admission to state bar; clarify good moral character requirement.
SBM Position on HB 4489: Support.

Legislation Introduced 5/5/20 – 5/7/20
Last week bills were introduced in the following areas of law:

• Administrative Law
• Civil Rights
• Consumer Law
• Disability & Elder Rights
• Elections
• Environment & Natural Resources
• Healthcare Law
• Juvenile Law
• Labor & Employment Law
• Licensing & Regulation
• Real Property
• State & Local Government
• Tax

At the Court

Administrative Orders
ADM File No. 2020-08: Administrative Order No. 2020-14 (Continued Status Quo Court Operations and Phased Return to Full Court Operations) and accompanying supplement (Return to Full Capacity—COVID-19 Guidelines for Michigan's Judiciary)
Issued: 5/6/20
Effective: Immediately

At the Bar

FAQ About COVID-19 from Michigan Lawyers

The State Bar of Michigan is committed to helping Michigan lawyers respond optimally throughout the COVID-19 situation. If you have a question about COVID-19 and its impact on Michigan lawyers, please ask us here. We'll keep updating the information below and working to get you answers. In some cases, the questions we're receiving have not yet been answered by the decision-makers involved. Know that we are in touch with them and will share answers here as we have them.

If you have a question or concern that’s specific to your practice area, we encourage you to join the relevant State Bar of Michigan section. These communities are crowdsourcing and sharing information that is crucial to the practice area of the section.

Here are some other resources we have available to you:

• Primary Documents on COVID-19 of Importance to Michigan’s Legal Community at Your Fingertips
• Local Court Administrative Communications Regarding COVID-19, by Michigan Circuit
• Resources and Tips for Michigan Lawyers Working Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Ethical Guidance for Michigan Lawyers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Volunteer Pro Bono Services to Help Michiganders Deal with Legal Issues Related to COVID-19

Kenneth M. Mogill: Legal Ethics and Emergency Lawyering—Effective Representation in the Time of COVID-19

Michigan Supreme Court Orders ‘Phased Return’ to Full Court Operations

2020 Economics of Law Practice Survey More Important Than Ever

New Executive Order Extends Order Allowing for Remote Notarization

Virtual Mass Swearing-In Ceremony Planned for Bar Passers

Links of Interest

SBM Public Policy Resource Center
Public Acts
Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Legislature
MCL Search Engines