Janene McIntyre will again lead the Davis-Dunnings Bar Association through another year, which she calls a stabilization year.
"Last year," she said, "was active. We changed the name from the Lansing Black Lawyers to Davis-Dunnings Bar Association, which was part of a larger plan to re-brand the organization formed 31 years ago to support African American attorneys through networking and professional development opportunities."
Last year the group's membership grew from 19 to 92; they created more committees and develop a strategic plan for the future. The Scholarship banquet, held in April, was well attended, events were held during Black History Month and the monthly "Law in Brief" seminars, an evening program where volunteer lawyers talk on a variety of legal subjects affecting the community, continued to be a success. Those events will continue while new ideas are explored.
"We are developing committees for such areas as Black History Month celebrations, bar passage assistance, mentor program and attorney outreach," she said.
"We are planning a Judicial Debate on July 21st with the individuals running for the 30th Circuit Court seat. That will be held at Cooley Law School. Our membership drive, Olympics Opening Ceremony and Wine Tasting event is July 26th at Prospectives 2 in Old Town Lansing at 5:30 pm. Olympic medals will be awarded--gold for members bringing 5 or more new members, silver for 3-4 new members and bronze for 1-2."
McIntyre would also like to add a summer association/internship program for the members. "We hope to launch an inaugural program in 2013."
The organization will be led by:
President: Janene McIntyre, lawyer with Foster Swift, is the principal Public Finance lawyer in the Foster Swift Lansing office. She is a graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School and belongs to Antitrust, Franchising, & Trade Regulation Section, Public Corporation Law Section, Taxation Section, and the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
Vice President: Sherrie Guess, Guess Law Offices, PLLC. She is a graduate of the University of New Haven, Connecticut and the University of Michigan Law School where she received her Juris Doctor Degree. She is a member of the Criminal Law Section, General Practice--Solo & Small Firm Section, and the Prisons & Corrections Sections of the State Bar of Michigan.
Secretary: Yolanda Bennett, City of Lansing City Attorney
Treasurer: Lawrence Wilhite, VP Legal & Risk Management Services, Sparrow Health System
The Association's mission includes addressing the special interests of all practicing and prospective minority legal professionals, as well as underserved minority communities in the greater Lansing area. For more information, please contact jmcintyre@fosterswift.com.
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