The State Bar of Michigan mourns the loss of its 60th president, Jon R. Muth, who died January 29, at age 75.
Muth holds the distinction of being the longest-serving president of the State Bar of Michigan, assuming the presidency six months earlier than expected when, in 1994, his predecessor Michael Hayes Dettmer was appointed United States attorney for the Western District of Michigan. While president, Muth also served as acting executive director of the State Bar of Michigan following the death of Michael Franck and headed the executive director search committee while in that position.
Janet Welch, executive director of the State Bar, observed “Jon Muth’s simultaneous service as both president and executive director makes him a unique figure in the history of the State Bar of Michigan, but in truth his powerful legal skills and exemplary integrity would have left a lasting mark on the Michigan bar even if the State Bar had not been fortunate enough to have him at the helm at a crucial time in the bar's history.”
Muth received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude in 1971 from Wayne State University, which elected him to the Order of the Coif.
He began practicing law in 1971. His practice was solely devoted to litigation of civil matters, especially in a variety of commercial, securities, and environmental subject areas. He possessed strong relationships with lawyers and judges throughout Michigan and devoted a significant part of his career to representation of legal matters that impact the legal profession. For the last several years of his career, he spent a sizeable portion of his professional time as a facilitative mediator and an arbitrator.
Muth received the State Bar of Michigan’s highest award for professional achievement and service to the profession, the Roberts P. Hudson Award in 1998, following his term as 60th President of the State Bar (1994-1995). The longest-serving president in State Bar history, along with that position he held office as vice-president, treasurer, executive director, and chair of several committees.
He was a Master with the American Inns of Court and was a member of the Federal Bar Association. He was a member of the American Bar Association including the litigation section and the environmental law section in addition to having been a member of the ABA’s House of Delegates. He was a member of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, served as chair of the Pro Bono Committee, and received the GRBA’s President’s Award in 2004. He was a Trustee of the Michigan State Bar Foundation.
Other accolades include the Grand Rapids Young Lawyers Section Service and Mentoring Award, and the Distinguished Service Award from Kalamazoo College, where he earned his undergraduate degree.
In 2011, Michigan Lawyers Weekly named him Lawyer of the Year.
“If I had to articulate as a young lawyer where I wanted to be at age 65, this would have been what I hoped: recognized by my peers and successful for my clients - and an honorable person,” Muth said in an article by the Grand Rapids Legal News.
That is exactly how current SBM President Rob Buchanan remembers his friend, saying, "”Michigan has lost one of the finest people in its history. Today we mourn, but with pride, remembering Jon Muth as we knew him-a skilled and tireless advocate for justice, an inspiring leader, a cherished friend, and an incredible human. Everyone instantly liked Jon, and he always embraced you as his best friend with that magical twinkle in his eye and warm smile. As a leader, he devised a strategy that was smart, fair-minded, and laser-focused on one goal: succeeding.”
Among many honors and achievements, Muth was named “2012 Grand Rapids Best Lawyers Mediation Lawyer of the Year”; “Top 10” by Michigan SuperLawyers from 2007-2010; and, “Top 10 Lawyers” by Grand Rapids Magazine.
Muth was a retired member and general counsel of the Grand Rapids firm of Miller Johnson, focusing his practice on civil/commercial litigation, professional responsibility and legal malpractice, and mediation and arbitration. He was General Counsel from 2006-2015 and provided leadership in many roles, serving as a member of the Management Committee; Chairperson of the Litigation Section; Chairperson of the Recruitment Committee; and, Chairperson of the Professional Committee.
“We lost part of the fabric of the firm and a member of the Miller Johnson family with Jon’s passing,” said David M. Buday, Managing Member of Miller Johnson.
“To capture the entirety and enormity of Jon’s life on the written page, thousands of pages would be needed. But I don’t think that is what Jon would want. Instead, if we each stop to think about and remember Jon, the memories that we have of him will paint the best and most complete picture. We will be able to see the man who was larger than life and who had a voracious appetite for all that life had to offer. We have lost a friend and partner who is an icon, and not only at Miller Johnson, but for the entire legal community in the State of Michigan. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to Carol, Jeff, Daniel, and his grandchildren.”
Muth was a frequent speaker for ICLE, where he participated in its Trial Advocacy Skills Workshop and Advanced Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Institute. He was a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers.
Working with late State Bar of Michigan President John Cummiskey, Muth helped get Kent County’s Legal Assistance Center off the ground by completing a 23-day cross-country bicycle trip, raising over $20,000 for legal services offices throughout Michigan. Starting in San Diego, California on September 15, 1996, he reached his destination of Charleston, South Carolina, on October 8, 1996. His trip was named “Leg Aid for Legal Aid” and he gathered pledges per mile from attorneys throughout Michigan. He pedaled an average of 125 miles per day for a total of 2,881 miles.
In 1995, Muth wrote what would become one of the Michigan Bar Journal’s most well-known President’s Page columns, “The Good Lawyer: A Letter to My Son.” Twenty-five years later, Jeffrey Muth responded to his father’s words in a column of his own.
Outside of the legal profession, Muth volunteered his time with many organizations in west Michigan, including serving on the Board of Trustees for the Grand Rapids Art Museum; with the Provider Review Team for the Heart of West Michigan United Way; on the Board of Trustees with Natural Areas Conservancy of West Michigan; on the Board of Trustees with Kalamazoo College; as the Director of the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition; and, on Wayne State University Law School’s Committee of Visitors.
Muth is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons and their wives, Jeff and Courtney and Daniel and Meredith, and five grandchildren. Memorial services are pending.
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