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May 2024

May 17 Mark the Date
Protecting firms from deepfakes and online misinformation explored in webinar
May 22
In an era where deepfakes and disinformation are rampant, safeguarding a law firm’s reputation is paramount. To hearn how to combat these digital threats, the State Bar of Michigan’s Practice Management Resource Center will offer a free upcoming webinar.
“Combatting Deepfakes and Disinformation on Social Media: Safeguarding Your Law Firm’s Reputation” will take place on Wednesday, May 22, from 2-3 p.m. via Zoom.
Key takeaways include how to:
• Proactively protect and manage a firm’s online reputation
• Implement AI-based strategies to detect and neutralize misinformation
• Formulate a strong crisis management plan
The webinar will be led by Tanner Jones, who has more than a decade of experience in law firm business development and marketing. As a leader in the digital marketing landscape for law firms, he has helped firms win web-dispute cases. He is vice president of business development for Consultwebs.
To register for the webinar, visit https://bit.ly/3Jeu5YT.

State Bar of Michigan to celebrate attorneys with 50 years of service
May 23
The State Bar of Michigan will host its annual 50-Year Golden Celebration luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth to honor our colleagues who have been State Bar members since 1974.
To attend, register at www. michbar.org/50year. Tickets cost $45. (Honorees may register to receive two complementary tickets.)
Formal invitations have been sent to honorees via email. Friends, family, and colleagues are invited to join to celebrate the honorees’ milestone achievement. The event will include time to visit with classmates and colleagues. The full list of honorees can viewed at www.michbar.org/50 year.
Messages of congratulations can be included in the Golden Celebration’s keepsake program, which will be distributed at the luncheon and mailed to honorees who do not attend. Learn more by contacting Stacy Ozanich at 517-346-6315 or advertising@mich bar.org by April 2.

Judges to be honored at JBAM awards ceremony
May 23
The Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) will host its Annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Somerset Inn, 2601 W. Big Beaver Rd. in Troy.
During the event, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Champion of Justice Award will be presented to Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Lorie Savin and the Avern Cohn Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith, Eastern District of Michigan.
The evening will also honor JBAM Vice President Jordan Zuppke, of Zupac Law, with the JBAM Volunteer of the Year Award and the Amanda Igra with the Charles J. Cohen, Esquire Law Student Scholarship will be awarded to Hannah Passer.
The event includes one drink and strolling dinner. Kosher food also available.
Early bird registration (before May 10) is $50 for JBAM members and $65 for non-members. After May 10 is $60 for JBAM members and $75 for non-members. Judges can attend for free. To purchase tickets, visit www.jewishbar.org and click on “events.”

‘Bar Night Out at Granite City’ planned by OCBA
May 23
The Oakland County Bar Association will host a spring membership mixer with “Bar Night Out at Granite City” on Thursday, May 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Attendees can mix and mingle with members of the OCBA while enjoying a festive atmosphere, appetizers, and a cash bar. Granite City is located at 699 W. Big Beaver Road in Troy.
The event is free for OCBA members and $25 for non-members. Space is limited. To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”
Anyone with questions may contact Katie Tillinger at 248-334-3400 or ktillinger@ocba.org.

Reinventing manufacturing with generative AI focus of webinar
May 23
As part of its continuing AI Institute series, Butzel will next explore how generative AI is redefining manufacturing during a free webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. From creative design to efficient supply chain management, Butzel attorneys will explore available AI tools while addressing pivotal concerns that need to be on your radar when evaluating this new technology for possible adoption.
This program is crafted to equip industry frontrunners and corporate leaders with in-depth insights and actionable knowledge on generative AI’s burgeoning landscape.
Featured speakers include the following Butzel attorneys:
• Angela Shapiro, a litigation attorney with extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, with a strong focus on AI and Electronic Discovery (“E-Discovery”). She is a Certified E-Discovery Specialist through ACEDS and serves on multiple industry boards and committees. Shapiro has been repeatedly recognized by her peers and DBusiness Magazine as a “Top Lawyer” in the areas of Information Management and E-Discovery. In 2018, Crain’s Detroit Business included Shapiro in its inaugural class of “Notable Women in Technology.”
• Mitchell Zajac, who concentrates his practice on automotive, intellectual property, regulatory and emissions compliance, and international trade law. He also is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Zajac has significant commercial litigation, negotiation, counseling, and transactional experience.
To register for the webinar, visit www.butzel.com/event-reinventing-manufacturing-with-generative-ai.

Judge discusses ‘2020 Jail Reforms in Practice’
May 24
The Criminal Defense Association of Michigan will present “Get Your Client Out of Jail Free...Maybe. A Look at the 2020 Jail Reforms in Practice” on Friday, May 24, from 1 to 2 p.m. in person at the Macomb County Circuit Court - Jury Room, 40 N. Main St. in Mt. Clemens
Attendees will get reacquainted with the jail reform legislation passed in 2020 and how to use the statutes and case law to keep client out of jail or lessen their exposure. Presenting the program will be Macomb County Circuit Court Judge James M. Maceroni.
Cost for the program is $40 for CDAM members and $50 non-members. To register, visit https://cdam.wildapricot.org.

‘OWI Defense Challenges and Practical Tips’ provided online
May 30
The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan will present the Traffic Safety Training Program Webinar “OWI Defense Challenges and Practical Tips for the Road Officer Handling OWI Investigations” on Thursday, May 30, from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom.
Defense attorneys challenge Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) cases through every phase of the investigation. It’s important for road officers handling OWI investigations to be familiar with these challenges and to use this information to sharpen their investigations and police report writing.
This webinar, presented by Michigan Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Kinga Canike, will explore some of the most common OWI defense challenges and provide road officers with practical tips that they can start incorporating in their next OWI investigation to help their case overcome any challenges the defense may raise in the case. The webinar will also cover police report writing and courtroom testimony basics for road officers.
This course is approved for 1 hour of credit under PAAM’s recommended CLE Best Practice.
To register for this free webinar, visit https://michiganprosecutor.org and click on “training calendar.” After registering, pending approval, attendees will receive a confirmation email from Zoom with instructions on how to join the webinar.
Anyone with questions or in need of any assistance registering for the webinar should contact Amy Gronowski at gronowskia@michigan.gov or at 517-643-2114.

Panel to discuss ‘Generative AI and Access to Justice’
May 30
American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education will present the webcast “Generative AI and Access to Justice: Progress or Problem?” on Thursday, May 30, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (“Gen AI”) has quickly been embraced for its ability to improve efficiency and creativity. The implications for Gen AI on the legal system—from how to deliver legal services to how to deliver justice—may be just as far-reaching. Since its arrival, however, Gen AI has also become the center of contentious litigation as well as legislative and regulatory scrutiny.
In the legal context, does Gen AI offer features that might improve access to justice, or might it be more of a hindrance? Will it help move civil litigation along more quickly by reducing the time spent on tasks like document review, research, and drafting? Is it truly accessible to those who could most benefit from it? Is it reliable? Does it require a certain level of technological competency to use it properly?
This webcast examines these issues and more as they pertain to the future role of Gen AI in making litigation – and the pursuit of justice – potentially more accessible.
This one-hour webcast will feature a panel of experts, including two sitting and one former judge, as they explore:
• What “access to justice” means
• Whether the pandemic offers lessons about access and litigation
• Why Gen AI can improve access to justice and improve efficiency in litigation
• How Gen AI might hinder access to justice and efficiency
• What trends and future developments in Gen AI we should be watching
All registrants will receive a set of downloadable course materials to accompany the program.
Cost for the webcast is $199. All registrants will receive downloadable course materials to accompany the program. To register, visit www.ali-cle.org.

‘Forensic Biology/DNA Analysis’ explored in webinar
May 31
The Criminal Defense Association of Michigan will present a webinar on “Forensic Biology/DNA Analysis” Friday, May 31, from noon to 2 p.m.
The online program will be presented by Erich Speckin, forensic document analyst, ink dating specialist; and Julie Howenstine, forensic DNA expert, biological evidence examiner. Both are staff members of Speckin Forensic Laboratories, an international forensic firm specializing in consulting with plaintiff and defense lawyers involving issues concerning forgery, sequencing of entries, examinations of medical and business records for alterations, additions, rewritings, ink dating and paper, typewriting, facsimiles, photocopies, fingerprints, analytical and forensic chemistry, biological fluid ID & DNA, firearms and toolmark examination, shoe and tire prints, trace, toxicology, handwriting, crime scene reconstruction, cell phone forensic, mortgage fraud, “robo signing” examination and fraud, criminal forensic matters, and computer forensics.
Cost for the webinar is $80 for CDAM members and $100 for non-CDAM members. To register, visit https://cdam.wildapricot.org.

Women Lawyers Association of Michigan conducts annual meeting in Rochester
May 31
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan will conduct its 2024 Annual Meeting on Friday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Dr. in Rochester.
The keynote speaker for the event will be Barbara McQuade who will be discussing her new book, “Attack from Within,” which shows how to identify the ways disinformation is seeping into all facets of society and how to fight against it.
McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as U.S attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, McQuade worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant U.S. attorney.
The agenda for the WLAM annual meeting includes:
9 a.m. – Registration/Breakfast/Networking
9:30 a.m. – Welcome and Introductions
10 a.m. – Nutrition for the Busy Lawyer
10:45 a.m. – WLAM Foundation Scholarship Presentations
11:30 a.m. – Keynote/Lunch
12:30 p.m. – Break/Book signing
1-3:00 p.m. – Headshots with Emma Burcusel Photography (separate registration required)
1 p.m. – How to Run for Office (panel discussion)
2 p.m. – How to Become a Judge (panel discussion)
3 p.m. – Break
3:15 p.m. – Awards Presentations
3:30 p.m. – Awards Panel Discussion
4:15 p.m. – Programming Concludes
4:30 p.m. – Cocktail Hour
5:30 p.m. – Food, Photobooth, Dancing
10 p.m. – Party Ends
Cost for the annual meeting is $100 for WLAM members, $75 for WLAM law students, $125 for non-members/guests, and $150 for headshots with Emma Burcusel (separate registration).
For additional information or to register, visit https://womenlawyers.org/about-wlam/wlam-annual-meeting/#home.

Women’s Bar Book Club to meet
June 4
The Women’s Bar Association (WBA), Oakland County region of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, will present its next Book Club online Tuesday, June 4, beginning at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
For the June meeting, the club will be discussing “Weyward” by Emilia Hart.
To register for this discussion and receive the Zoom link, email Janine.M.Plourde@gmail.com.

Online training looks at ‘How to Collect and Develop Mitigation Evidence’
June 6
The State Appellate Defender Office and the Criminal Defense Resource Center along with the West Michigan Regional Investigator Association will present a webinar on “How to Collect and Develop Mitigation Evidence: Interview Techniques for Investigators” Thursday, June 6, from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Fact investigators often stumble upon mitigating evidence as they investigate the facts of a case.
This training will introduce fact investigators to the fundamentals of sentencing mitigation:
• Differences and similarities between the goals and methods of fact investigation and mitigation investigation.
• How to collect and develop mitigation evidence.
• The importance of mitigating evidence that may not rise to the level of a legal defense.
• Open-ended, exploratory, and rapport-based interview techniques.
Chelsea Richardson will be the featured speaker for the webinar. Richardson is the Mitigation specialist supervisor with SADO’s Juvenile Lifer Unit in Detroit, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team of mitigation specialists who work with clients sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for crimes committed as teens.
To register for the webinar, visit www.sado.org/go/Interviewing. Anyone with questions may email cdrc@sado.org.

Great Lakes Legal Conference returns with legal education, leadership training, networking opportunities
June 14-15
The Great Lakes Legal Conference, the State Bar of Michigan’s premier continuing education and leadership development event, will take place Friday and Saturday, June 14-15, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for members to learn, connect, and advance their practice.
Combining the best of the former Bar Leadership Forum and the Upper Michigan Legal Institute, the 2024 Great Lakes Legal Conference is open to all State Bar of Michigan members and will be packed with information in four learning tracks: Leadership, Legal Updates, Litigation, and Practice Management & Technology. Presented in conjunction with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the conference offers multiple sessions within each track that attendees can mix and match to personalize your conference experience.
AI takes centerstage this year with John W. Allen of Varnum LLP in Kalamazoo and Dennis M. Kennedy of Dennis Kennedy Advisory Services LLC in Ann Arbor providing the keynote presentation, “Balancing Act: Ethics, Efficiency, and AI in Legal Practice.”
Filled with opportunities to strategically network and interact with Michigan’s top legal experts, attendees also will hear from Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement and State Bar of Michigan Executive Director Peter Cunningham.
Other session topics include “The Big Picture and What’s Happening in Lansing,” “Preparing for Productive Mediations,” “Practical Advice from the Bench,” “Strategic Planning in Your Organization,” and more.
Registration is open through June 14. The cost to attend is $275 after the $225 early-bird pricing expires May 14. Register online at michbar.org/GLLC. The website also features additional information on scholarships and special room rates at the Grand Hotel.

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