Nominations are now open for major State Bar of Michigan awards that will be presented at the September 2017 Annual Meeting in Detroit. 

The Roberts P. Hudson Award goes to a person whose career has exemplified the highest ideals of the profession. This award is presented periodically to commend one or more lawyers for their unselfish rendering of outstanding and unique service to and on behalf of the State Bar, given generously, ungrudgingly, and in a spirit of self-sacrifice. It is awarded to that member of the State Bar of Michigan who best exemplifies that which brings honor, esteem and respect to the legal profession. The Hudson Award is the highest award conferred by the Bar.

The Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award recognizes extraordinary governmental service by a Michigan attorney holding elected or appointed office. Created by the Board of Commissioners in 1998, it was first awarded to Frank J. Kelley for his record-setting tenure as Michigan’s chief lawyer. 

The Champion of Justice Award is given for extraordinary individual accomplishments or for devotion to a cause. No more than five awards are given each year to practicing lawyers and judges who have made a significant contribution to their community, state, and/or the nation. 

The Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award was established in memory of the 2006-07 SBM president, who died in January of 2008. This award will be presented to a recognized local or affinity bar association, program or leader for excellence in promoting the ideal of professionalism or equal justice for all, or in responding to a compelling legal need within the community during the past year or on an ongoing basis. 

The John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award, named after a Grand Rapids attorney who was dedicated to making legal services available to all, recognizes a member of the State Bar who excels in commitment to pro bono issues. This award carries with it a cash stipend to be donated to the charity of the recipient’s choice. 

The John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award was introduced in 2011 and is named for a longtime and beloved University of Michigan Law School professor and Wayne State University dean. This award will be presented periodically to a professor from a Michigan law school whose influence on Michigan lawyers has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state. 

All SBM award nominations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. 

The Liberty Bell Award recipient is selected from nominations made by local and special-purpose bar associations. The award is presented to a non-lawyer who has made a significant contribution to the justice system. The deadline for this award is Monday, May 12, 2017. 

An awards committee co-chaired by Lori A. Buiteweg and SBM Vice President Jennifer M. Grieco reviews nominations for the Roberts P. Hudson, John W. Reed, Champion of Justice, Frank J. Kelley, Kimberly M. Cahill, and Liberty Bell awards. The SBM Pro Bono Initiative Committee reviews nominations for the John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award. These recommendations are then voted on by the full Board of Commissioners at its April meeting. 

Last year's non-winning nominations will automatically carry over for consideration this year. Nominations should include sufficient details about the accomplishments of the nominee to allow the committees to make a judgment. 

Any SBM member can nominate candidates for awards. Apply online or download application forms.  Cummiskey Award nominations can be directed to Robert Mathis at rmathis@mail.michbar.org; all other nominations can be submitted to Joyce Nordeen atjnordeen@mail.michbar.org

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The American Bar Association Veterans Legal Services Initiative Commission and the Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel will co-host a free webinar, "Establishing and Enhancing Legal Clinics to Serve Veterans," at 1 p.m. on Dec. 14. 

The seminar is designed to inspire and assist civil legal aid organizations, law schools and bar associations in creating legal clinics to serve veterans in their communities. It will consist of a panel discussion, moderated by Antonia Fasanelli and including panelists Joel Teitelbaum, Patricia Roberts and Sara Sommerstrom, who will provide instruction on how to establish legal clinics in or near VA medical centers, how to establish a legal clinic as a medical legal partnership and how to create law school clinics that serve veterans. The discussion will identify VA medical centers in need of legal clinics and examples of successful urban and rural models around the country. 

Register for the seminar. 

If you can't attend the seminar live, you can watch a recording of it at http://ambar.org/veterans. 

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The State Bar of Michigan will present a seminar, “Lawyer Trust Accounts: Management Principles and Recordkeeping Resources,” from 1:15-4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the State Bar of Michigan Michael Franck Building, located at 306 Townsend Street in Lansing.  

This half-day ethics seminar will feature presentations on how to ethically manage lawyer trust accounts and effectively use forms, checklists and other recordkeeping resources. The seminar, open to lawyers and their staff members, is an excellent way to learn more about Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 and 1.15A.

Participants will receive practical information as well as materials prepared by the presenters: SBM Professional Standards Division Director Danon Goodrum-Garland, SBM Assistant General Counsel Nkrumah Johnson-Wynn, Professional Standards Assistant Counsel Alecia Ruswinckel and Attorney Grievance Commission Senior Associate Counsel Rhonda Pozehl.

View the event agenda or register for the event. The registration fee is $50 for lawyers and $25 for non-lawyers. Payment and the completed registration form must be received by Friday, Feb. 24. No walk-in registrations will be accepted. For more information contact Karen Spohn with the State Bar of Michigan Professional Standards Division at (517) 346-6309 or via e-mail at kspohn@mail.michbar.org.

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Celebrate the incredible career and contributions of Linda K. Rexer by donating to the Linda K. Rexer Fund of the Access to Justice Endowment Fund. Contributions will benefit the endowment and generate income into the future to support Michigan's nonprofit civil legal aid organizations.

Donate to the Linda K. Rexer Fund.

Linda Rexer has worked tirelessly to increase access to justice for the poor. Under her leadership as executive director of the Michigan State Bar Foundation for nearly 30 years, the organization administered more than $190 million in grants, primarily in support of legal services to the poor. Rexer collaborated with Michigan legal leaders to establish Interest on lawyer trust accounts, which the Michigan Supreme Court approved in 1990. Ever since, Rexer has earnestly and persistently persuaded Michigan financial institutions to participate in IOLTA and work to increase IOLTA income to support legal aid grants. At the end of 2015, state IOLTA funds totaled more than $27.5 million.

In 1994, Rexer established the MSBF as the organization to oversee distribution of the portion of Michigan court filing fees designated for civil legal aid. By the end of 2015, these fees totaled nearly $136 million. In 1997, Rexer was instrumental in creating the Access to Justice Fund, through which Michigan lawyers can make voluntary financial contributions to support civil legal aid. At the end of 2015, ATJF contributions totaled more than $14 million. Rexer has assumed many volunteer leadership roles within Michigan. She was a founding member of the SBM Access to Justice Task Force and co-chairs the Committee on Justice Initiatives; she was a founding member of the Michigan State Planning Body, an independent group focused on civil and criminal legal aid for the poor; she was appointed by Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly to co-chair the Michigan Solutions on Self-Help Task Force; she co-chaired the Access to Justice Committee of the SBM Judicial Crossroads Task Force; and she co-chaired the Access and Affordability Committee for the SBM 21st Century Practice Task Force. She has also taken up many volunteer leadership positions on a national level.

Rexer will retire at the end of 2016. She has received other State Bar awards, including the Michael Franck Award for contributions to the profession. This fall she received the State Bar’s highest award, the Roberts P. Hudson Award, honoring a legacy overflowing with long-lasting improvements to access to justice for all in Michigan.

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The State Bar of Michigan mourns the loss of its 54th president, Donald L. Reisig, who died Oct. 21 at the age of 81.

A 1958 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Reisig was elected president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1988-89. He had a long and distinguished legal career in the Lansing area. He started as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Ingham County, then became Ingham County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Lansing City Attorney, Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney and a 30th Circuit Court judge. He was commonly referred to as the "boy wonder" of Ingham County politics. He also served as a visiting professor and lecturer at the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 

In 1976, Reisig entered private practice with the firm Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton, McIntyre and Reisig. In 1989, Governor James Blanchard asked him to serve as Michigan Director of Drug Agencies. In 1995, at the request of the American Bar Association, he served as legal liaison to the former Soviet countries Ukraine and Georgia to assist them in converting their legal systems as independent states. In 1996, he was named Director of Legal Affairs for the Central Michigan Legal Services Agency, helping indigent people obtain legal services. And finally, he served as administrator of the 30th Circuit Court's Juvenile Division, until he retired in 2007. 

Reisig is survived by his wife, Carol Ann Keyes Reisig; three children, Chris Ward Reisig (Rory) of Williamston, Deborah Engstrom (Mark) of Okemos, and Charles Reisig of Tuscon, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Daniel Viaches (Laura) of Indianapolis, Ind., Matthew Viaches (Lisa) of Carmel, Ind., Kristi Viaches of New York City and Dalton Reisig of Tucson, Ariz.; stepchildren Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, Elizabeth Geraghty of New York, Richard Whitmer Jr. of Lansing, Kristin M. Pierce of Mason, and Kimberly M. Patterson (Joseph Titlebaum) of Port Aransas, Texas; and step-granddaughter, Lauren Pierce. Also surviving are three great-grandchildren, James, Adam and Ava. 

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Estes Leadley Funeral Home's Greater Lansing Chapel, located at 325 W. Washtenaw St. in Lansing. His family will receive friends starting at 1 p.m. at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Eaton Community Palliative Care or the National Parkinson Foundation. 

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The State Bar of Michigan Appellate Practice Section will present “The Economics of Court-Appointed Appeals” from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

The seminar will start with opening remarks by Bradley Hall, administrator of the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System. Mike Naughton, regional consultant for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, will present “Practicing Smarter to Save Time and Money.” Next, a panel, consisting of Bonnie Faraone, office manager at Michael A. Faraone PC; Mitch Foster, roster attorney at MAACS; and Brandon McNamee, child welfare appellate attorney, will discuss “Reasonable Attorney Fees from Unreasonable Fee Schedules.” Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will round out the morning’s presentations with a talk about “Virtues of Pro Bono and Court-Appointed Appellate Advocacy.”

Lunch will be served, and a panel moderated by Liisa Speaker, of Speaker Law Firm, and consisting of Bradley Hall; Justice Bridget Mary McCormack; Vivek Sanakaran, clinical professor at University of Michigan Law School Child Welfare Appellate Clinic; and Noah Bradow, of the State Court Administrative Office Trial Court Services, will discuss policy, with a focus on the impetus for the MAACS, the lessons learned through its recent consolidation with SADO and potential reforms to child welfare appointed representation.

Registration costs $20 for section members and $30 for non-section members. Scholarships are available for court-appointed attorneys, but to receive a scholarship you must submit your application by mail. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://connect.michbar.org/appellatepractice/home. The registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 4.

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The State Bar of Michigan will present “Tips and Tools for a Successful Practice” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the State Bar’s Michael Franck Building in downtown Lansing.

The semi-annual seminar features presentations on how to maintain mutually beneficial client relationships, draft effective fee agreements, manage lawyer trust accounts, analyze ethical issues, and use innovative techniques and technology for law office management. The seminar presents an excellent opportunity for solo practitioners and new lawyers to obtain ethical guidance and practical information from colleagues who have successfully implemented law office management techniques and utilized economically-priced technology to improve the efficiency of their law practices.

Registration costs $100 for lawyers who have been in practice for less than five years and $125 for those who have practiced law for five years or more. The registration fee includes seminar materials, a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://www.michbar.org/tipstools. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 28.

For more information contact Karen Spohn with the State Bar of Michigan Professional Standards Division at kspohn@mail.michbar.org or (517) 346-6309.

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The State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section will host a seminar, “Breakfast Basics: Alternative Fee Arrangements,” 8:30-10:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education building, located at 1020 Greene Street in Ann Arbor. ICLE will co-host the seminar. 

The seminar will feature a panel discussion about how to set fees in order to become profitable, while remaining credible and affordable to clients. The panel, which will consist of Alari Adams of A Squared Legal Group in Detroit, Erin Bonahoom of Canvas Legal in Detroit, Denise Couling of Couling Law and Mediation in Brighton and Brian Schwartz of Miller Canfield in Detroit, will also talk about creative options that go beyond the billable hour to boost efficiency and help clients avoid sticker shock. 

For more information about the seminar, or to register, visit http://bit.ly/2dINLoU.

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The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will host its Fall Conference Oct. 19-23 at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. The State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section is a sponsor of the conference. 

The conference will offer those in attendance the opportunity to earn Continuing Legal Education credit and meet practice-area experts and legal profession influencers. Educational sessions will examine such topics as professional ethics in regard to networking, marketing and gaining experience as a solo practitioner, crafting your elevator pitch, lessons learned in Flint, ethics and interplay of the judicial system and media, gender identity and Title IX, cybersecurity, balancing work and life and student loans, women in politics and leadership, prosecutorial discretion in the wake of public outcry, and LGBTQ family law practice tips. 

A special educational lunch program on Oct. 21, “Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings too: Hot Topics in Professional Sports,” will feature a panel that will examine sports law, including on and off-field player conduct, collective bargaining agreements and the legalization of sports gambling. 

The Fall Conference also offers many dynamic networking opportunities. Two tours of the Shinola Factory will take place Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. A speed networking event will take place Oct. 20 at the Westin Book Cadillac, followed by a welcome reception at Punch Bowl Social in Detroit. A tour of downtown Detroit will be followed by a dinner dance at Detroit Golf Club on Oct. 21. A tour of the Henry Ford Museum and Ford Rouge Factory will take place Oct. 22. Conference attendees can also attend a Detroit Red Wings game on Oct. 22 and a Detroit Lions game Oct. 23. 

On-site registration is available. For more information about the conference, visit www.ambar.org/yldfall16 or contact Shenique Moss at sheniquemoss@gmail.com.  

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