Retired Judge James Fisher (left) swears in the 61st District Court’s newest judge Jennifer Faber as her proud parents look on.
PHOTO BY SUE BAIKKILA COURTESY OF JENNIFER FABER
By Cynthia Price
Legal News
Jennifer Faber has taken her place on the bench of the 61st District Court, bringing with her a history of diversified legal work and broad exposure to many areas of the law.
Her practice at Sherlund, Faber and Van Meter PLLC covered everything from criminal defense to family law to civil litigation, and included real estate, landlord/tenant and collections in between.
“We at one point in time met with a marketing person and were told, ‘Your firm is like the family doctor.’ I was in court a dozen times a week most weeks. There was a lot of court activity, whether that was district court, circuit court, family court. And I’ve certainly enjoyed the variety of it,” Faber says.
In addition, Faber was a Special Assistant Attorney General, working on a contractual basis with the state’s Attorney General. “The Attorney General’s office does not have enough regular staff to cover all the places they need to be, so I would fill in if they needed someone to appear in court in Grand Rapids or Allegan. Initially it involved the project by Mike Cox on child payment enforcement -— looking at criminal prosecutions under the statute,” Faber explains. “Like the guy who’s won the lottery but puts the money in his mother’s name so he won’t have to pay child support.
“The contractual agreement is a cost savings for the state, but the great experience for me was seeing all sorts of judges, courtroom staff, procedures. That’s been beneficial for me for me,” shd adds.
All of this experience is a plus both for the courts and for Faber as she enters the judiciary — although she stresses she loved her practice and has mixed feelings about leaving. “It’s an interesting predicament to be in,” she says, referring to how much she will miss her practice and the law firm. “But this is such a great opportunity.”
She says she applied back in August for the position left open by Judge Michael Christensen’s decision to retire, Christensen, a former City of Grand Rapids attorney and Kent County assistant prosecuting attorney, served on the bench for 13 years.
After a brief phone interview, Faber was asked to appear before the State Bar Judicial Qualifications Committee. “That is truly an intimidating experience,” she comments wryly, but one she apparently passed with flying colors. On Oct. 27, Governor Rick Snyder himself called to tell her that she was appointed to the judgeship.
Faber was sworn in last Friday by retired Judge James H. Fisher, formerly of the 5th Circuit Court in Barry County. Chief Judge of the 61st District Court Jeanine LaVille presided, and Faber’s parents, Bill and Patty Faber, presented her with the judicial robe.
The ceremony included remarks by Judge Jay Quist and Judge Dennis Leiber of the 17th Circuit Court; Faber’s former law partner Scott Sherlund, whom she credits for “being so wonderful in absorbing my workload,” along with her other partners; and the Hon. Sara Smolenski, Chief Judge of the 63rd District Court.
“Sara Smolenski is named as my mentor – you can’t have someone from your own court. So that will be great. She and I have been personal friends including playing in various golf outings as part of a team. I’m looking forward to her help.”
At the ceremony, Judge Smolenski expressed what appears to be a common theme among the judges Faber has run into: that they are delighted Faber will now be playing on the Judges’ team during the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) Charity Softball Game.
Faber, who received her undergraduate degree from Lenoir-Rhyne College and graduated cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, is very active in professional organizations, including WLAM and the Grand Rapids Bar Association. She has been on the GRBA board of trustees, as well as serving in a number of capacities with the Young Lawyers Section, including chair, and on the GRBA Liberty Bell Award Committee. She is also involved with the American Inns of Court.
Out in the community, she has participated in a support role for the YWCA, and the Farmer’s Charity Classic Golf Tournament, and as a member in the InForum Economic Club and the Grand Rapids Jaycee Foundation.
Which activities Faber will continue to pursue is still undetermined. “I am trying to figure some of that out. I?know there’s a prohibition against solicitation or fund-raising, and of course it can’t be anything political or partisan,” she says. “And I plan to stay involved with the Women Lawyers, which is a professional organization. But I think you need to be really careful with that as a judge.”
She will find out more about those parameters when she goes to “Baby Judges School,” as the new-judge training through the Michigan Judicial Institute is popularly called. She will attend in January with Jeff O’Hara, who won the other seat on the bench in the 63rd District Court.
Meanwhile, she says, “It’s been a total whirlwind. Judge [Benjamin] Logan has been gone for more than a year, so with the two vacancies, all of my colleagues have been pulling double duty. I’ve been shadowing them, and they’ve been so welcoming. But I’m already having cases scheduled now.”
Reaction to her appointment has been very positive. In speaking at Faber’s investiture, Judge Quist commented on a particularly contentious and lengthy divorce over which he presided. “I never saw Faber lose her cool,” he said, which Faber considers a great compliment.
Foster Swift attorney John Inhulsen comments, “Jennifer Faber's professional background, pragmatic approach to complex issues, and balanced temperament make her an excellent appointment by the Governor to the 61st District Court... I anticipate that her experience and character will serve her, those appearing in her courtroom, and the ... community very well. Grand Rapids wins with this appointment.”
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