OCBA UPDATE: Let me introduce myself

I am fortunate to have so many friends in this organization, some of whom know me better than others. However, we’re a big group — proudly, the largest voluntary bar association in the state of Michigan.
So, for those who don’t know me at all (or even those who know me just a little), please let me introduce myself.

I’ll start with the obvious. I am member of Dickinson Wright PLLC, and am based in our Troy office. My area of practice is, broadly, trusts and estates, but most of my time is spent handling probate litigation matters involving trusts, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. I was first licensed in Illinois in 1997 and then in Michigan in 1999.

I grew up in Birmingham, attended Cranbrook Kingswood, and then went to Michigan State University, where I studied journalism. After a brief stint living and working in Seattle, I moved to Chicago to attend law school at DePaul University. Eventually, I made my way home and began practicing in Oakland County and joined the OCBA in 2000.

I am married and have three daughters (Colby, 27; Claudia, 25; and Maggie, 17), two stepdaughters (Katie, 28, and Emily, 26), and two granddaughters (Avery, 15 ½ months, and Olivia, 15 months). Katie and her husband, Richie, are both registered nurses at Royal Oak Beaumont. Colby, who is a licensed attorney in both Minnesota and, recently, Michigan, is an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Emily, who holds a master’s degree in law enforcement and intelligence analysis from Michigan State University, is a crime gun intelligence specialist contracted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, working for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Claudia, who holds dual undergraduate degrees in Spanish and political science, is the director of operations of the Oakland County Democratic Party. And last, but certainly not least, Maggie just graduated from Mercy High School and is attending James Madison College at Michigan State University in the fall (GO GREEN). Unsurprisingly, debating is a form of communication in our household.

I love music and know the words to most any song. There are some people who have a knack for telephone numbers, and then there are others, like me, who have a knack for song lyrics. If you are riding in a car with me, you’ll have to hear me sing. I used to be a regular concertgoer, but for obvious reasons, I went on a hiatus for a bit. Now that live music is back, I hope to start going to concerts again. I also enjoy reading, particularly World War II fiction. My favorite book to date in that genre is “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah. Admittedly, I’ve done a lot less reading and a lot more TV watching over the past several years with the influx of programming on the various streaming services. Some of my favorites include “Ted Lasso,” “Yellowstone,” “Peaky Blinders,” and “Ozark,” and I watched all 17 years of “Grey’s Anatomy” before the latest season started, to name a few.

I love to cook, which is not something I’ve always done or done well. During my early years of being a working mom, my kids enjoyed a lot of macaroni and cheese, frozen fish sticks, grilled cheese, frozen pizza, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. I was also pretty capable of throwing together a variety of casseroles, mainly using cans of cream of chicken soup as the base. Fortunately for my husband and my youngest daughter, Maggie, my cooking skills have improved, and we now mostly eat meals that don’t come in a package. Snacks are a different story. I am addicted to Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and am not ashamed.

I am a chronic joiner — meaning, I’ll volunteer for just about anything and generally struggle to find the word “no.” In fact, one of our esteemed members of the OCBA, Judge Kathleen Ryan, coined the phrase “Joiners Anonymous” to describe a support group of sorts for people like me, of which there are many, fortunately for the OCBA. Being a chronic joiner might make for busy weekdays and, often, weeknights, but it is incredibly rewarding. It’s the very reason that I have been given the privilege of serving as the president of the OCBA. After joining the OCBA, I joined committees; I volunteered to present at seminars; I volunteered to be a mentor; and ultimately, I ran for the board. Being a chronic joiner has allowed me to meet and get to know so many members of the OCBA and of our profession. As a result, my professional life has certainly been enhanced. Equally if not more importantly, so has my personal life. In many cases, I’ve developed friendships that extend well beyond the office or the courtroom, for which I am grateful.

If I haven’t yet met you, I look forward to doing so and forging new friendships.
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Elizabeth L. Luckenbach is the 90th president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Luckenbach is a member in Dickinson Wright LLP’s Troy office.