The State Bar of Michigan will never contact you to ask for gift cards. If you receive such an email, you should not reply. We are working with law enforcement to stop this scam.
Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission for recognizing scam emails and more information about scams involving gift cards.
All survey responses are confidential. The information collected will be used to help improve the practice of law in Michigan and enhance the resources available to lawyers working to stay safe and maintain their practice throughout the pandemic.
Take the survey here.
Flood victims facing legal issues who are unable to afford a lawyer may call 1 (866) 418-8315 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Friday, to request assistance. When connected to the hotline, callers should identify that they are seeking disaster-related legal assistance, brief details of the assistance needed, and in which county they are located. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with Michigan lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal assistance. Legal consultations will be scheduled for a mutually agreeable time following the initial call-in and matching process.
The type of legal assistance available includes:
Victims should be aware that there are limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (e.g., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by a court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service.
Currently, disaster relief services are available to flood victims in Midland, Arenac, Iosco, Saginaw, and Gladwin Counties. For all other flood victims, contact the State Bar of Michigan lawyer referral service at 1 (800) 968-0738.
Related: Resources for Midland Lawyers Affected by Flooding
If you need more help, please call our Practice Management Resource Center Helpline at (800) 341-9715 or email pmrchelpline@michbar.org.
Here is a checklist of things you might find helpful to think about following a flood:
1. Within the first 24 hours following a disaster, or when safe, an initial damage assessment should be made. This is a cursory review of damage caused by an emergency or disaster to get a quick financial estimate of damage to report to your insurance company, and if a community-wide disaster, to your local government emergency coordinator. Your damage assessment checklist should include such items as:
2. Recovering water-damaged documents successfully requires drying the documents as quickly as possible. Restoration experts caution that in any weather, mold will appear within 48 hours in unventilated areas.
3. Contact the proper authorities and emergency resources and support such as:
4. Videotape or photograph all damage. Include a yardstick or ruler in the image as a frame of reference.
5. After the initial 24 hours following a disaster, you'll need to look at recovery and salvage processes that will need to be taken. This is when you will prepare a comprehensive damage assessment. Coordinate with your insurance claims adjuster. Do not overlook tracking expenses incurred during the recovery and response process such as:
6. During the response phase, be prepared to implement any necessary contingency arrangements.
7. To ensure the financial health of your firm, give priority to collecting outstanding accounts receivable.
8. Get immediate professional assistance to help in the recovery and repair of your computer system. Your top priority is the data, not the equipment itself. A reputable repair shop can clean and test the system. More likely than not, the data stored on the drive can be recovered.
9. Contact your insurance agent, who can refer you to a professional service for help with repairing, sterilizing, and drying the areas where records are to be stored—such as shelving, cabinets, and desks. Carpet, carpet padding, or liners must be dried and treated for mold and mildew or replaced. Investigate tile or other flooring for similar damage. Continue inspecting damaged areas for mold, mildew, and other damage for at least one year.
10. Keep an inventory of anything that must be destroyed or removed from the premises for drying by a commercial service. For client documents, track:
11. Rebuild your law library. Identify the items to be replaced as soon as possible. Inquire whether prior vendors will provide a hardship discount for replacing books.
12. Contact the State Bar of Michigan Practice Management Resource Center (800) 341-9715 for assistance.
Other resources:
Full text of Executive Order 2020-94, Declaration of State of Emergency
City of Midland emergency services and contact information
Steps to stay safe from the dangers of floodwaters
Steps to stay safe when reentering a flooded home
National Weather Service report for Midland
Originally scheduled for July 28-29, the modified test will be held on Wednesday, July 29. The 15-question essay exam will cover both state and federal law topics similar to those that would be addressed in the 200-question Multistate Bar Exam, which cannot be administered online this year.
“The board conducted extensive research and consultations to make this decision, including outreach to Michigan public health officials and law school deans, while monitoring developments in the pandemic and approaches of other states,” Justice Brian K. Zahra, the Court’s liaison to the Board of Law Examiners, said in a press release. “Law school graduates can sit for the exam without risking public health.”
Since this year’s summer applicants will be on the same professional track as previous July examinees, the Board of Law Examiners did not recommend any limited licensure because of the change.
“I am confident the Michigan essay examination will adequately test the applicants’ legal knowledge and skill,” Justice Zahra said. “The public can be confident that those who pass this exam will have requisite knowledge of state law to become a member of the Michigan bar.”
The BLE is working with Michigan’s five law schools and the University of Toledo to make sure that individuals with disabilities who cannot take the exam online are able to take the test in person with appropriate safety measures.
The full extent of Michigan Supreme Court Order 2020-15 addressing the July 2020 bar exam modifications can be found here.
The information collected is used to update a comprehensive database that many Michigan courts reference to determine attorney fees. We take your privacy very seriously. Your secure response will be anonymous, and all results will be reported in aggregate only—no individual responses will be identifiable.
The 2020 Economics of Law Practice Survey is closing soon. If you have not yet completed the survey, please take a few minutes to do so now.
And—to make it a little more fun—you will be able to register for a drawing for the chance to win prizes, including $500 Amazon gift cards.
Thank you for participating in this especially important initiative!
These orders facilitate the completion of legal documents that are more crucial now than ever, but were otherwise difficult or impossible to handle during the pandemic.
“The problem of how to validate critical legal documents in a quarantine environment was a difficult and crucial issue,“ State Bar of Michigan President Dennis M. Barnes said when E.O. 2020-41 was issued. “The State Bar thanks the governor for the thorough and thoughtful guidance provided in the executive order. We also applaud the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law and Disability Rights sections of the State Bar for proactively raising this critical issue and for using their subject matter expertise and valuable insight in offering a solution to this unprecedented problem.”
Here are the highlights for lawyers:
Related: Guidance on Remote Notarization & Witnessing Under EO 2020-41
Make sure you stay in the loop by signing up for our newsletters, and connecting with us on social media. We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
We look forward to returning with a Michigan Bar Journal in June. We plan to feature articles related to the scheduled theme of bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, we’re looking for online article submissions related to COVID-19 and the practice of law. If you’re interested in sharing your story or expertise as a lawyer practicing during the pandemic in an article for michbar.org, we’d love to hear from you. Information about submitting an article can be found here. Please contact editor Linda Novak with any questions.
If you have questions about advertising, please contact Stacy Ozanich.
“The problem of how to validate critical legal documents in a quarantine environment was a difficult and crucial issue,“ State Bar of Michigan President Dennis M. Barnes said. “The State Bar thanks the governor for the thorough and thoughtful guidance provided in the executive order. We also applaud the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law and Disability Rights sections of the State Bar for proactively raising this critical issue and for using their subject matter expertise and valuable insight in offering a solution to this unprecedented problem.”
Here are the highlights for lawyers:
The executive order, which took effect immediately, continues through May 6, 2020.
Among its many upsides, the order makes it easier to complete important legal work for those on the frontline of the pandemic response. The State Bar of Michigan is launching two initiatives in response to the COVID-19 crisis that give you opportunities to help. More information can be found here.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, please follow the following procedures for completing and submitting petitions:
I support the nomination of [CANDIDATE ATTORNEY’S NAME] to serve on the [POSITION] for the [XX] District/Circuit.
My office is located in the [XX] District/Circuit.
[NOMINATING ATTORNEY’S NAME]
[NOMINATING ATTORNEY’S P NUMBER]
[NOMINATING ATTORNEY’S OFFICE ADDRESS]
Michigan lawyers are advised that the following elections will be held in June 2020:
All ballots will be electronic and sent to all active State Bar attorneys by June 1, 2020, to the email address on file with the State Bar. To ensure you receive a ballot and notifications about the election, please make certain that the State Bar has your current email address on file. Ballots must be completed online no later than June 15, 2020.
If you have questions, please contact Marge Bossenbery at mbossenbery@michbar.org, or Carrie Sharlow at csharlow@michbar.org.
