ABOTA recognizes founding member, retired judge, and others at Annual Meeting

The American Board of Trial Advocates Michigan Chapter held its 35th Annual Meeting and Holiday Gathering at the Royal Park Hotel on Dec. 1.

Outgoing President Judith A. Susskind of Sommers Schwartz passed the gavel to incoming President Michael R. Janes of Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone. Other incoming  executive officers are President-Elect Debra Freid of Freid Gallagher Taylor & Associates; Treasurer Cameron Getto of Zausmer; Membership Chair Robert Buchanan of Buchanan Firm; and Secretary Amy Schlotterer of Schlotterer Law.

The Scully Outstanding Service Award was presented to ABOTA founding member David R. Getto and to James N. Martin.

Getto is a graduate of the University if Michigan School of Law. He began his career as a defense attorney, specializing in medical and hospital malpractice litigation. During 16 years of defense work he addressed numerous health care groups, taught a course on health care law at the University of Detroit, and spoke at seminars for trial lawyers on health provider liability and trial tactics. Getto is also a past president of what was then known as the Michigan Society of Hospital Attorneys.

In 1982, Getto joined the law firm of Sommers, Schwartz, Silver, and Schwartz, representing plaintiffs in a variety of personal injury and birth trauma cases. He is a past president of the of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, now the Michigan Association for Justice.

He is a founding member and past president of Michigan’s ABOTA chapter, a past Chair of the Michigan State’s Negligence Section, and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Martin graduated from  Detroit College of Law. He began his career at Alexander, Buchanan & Conklin and in 1969, became one of the five original members of Harvey Kruse & Westen. In 1980, he was one of the founders of Martin Bacon & Martin, where he remained until retiring.  

Former District Judge Victoria Roberts was presented the Lifetime Judicial Achievement Award.

Roberts was commissioned by President Clinton on June 29, l998 to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan Prior to that, she was in private practice and served as the managing partner of the Detroit law firm of Goodman, Eden, Millender & Bedrosian. She also served as an Assistant U.S Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan.

She was the 62nd president of the State Bar of Michigan, the only Black female to hold that position.

ABOTA presented its Civility Award to Randall A. Juip of Foley Baron Metzger & Juip. A trial lawyer with over 70 trials under his belt, Juip specializes in the defense of complex civil cases, including medical/professional malpractice, civil rights, 42 USC 1983 claims, and business lawsuits.

Debra A. Freid was presented the Presidential Recognition Award. Freid has practiced law in Michigan for more than 40 years and is president and managing partner of Freid, Gallagher, Taylor & Associates, a firm she co-founded. In 2022, she joined Sinas Dramis Law Firm in an Of Counsel capacity.

A Wayne State University graduate,  she began her prominent career in employment and personal injury law. She is a past-president of the Michigan Association for Justice, and is a member of its Executive Committee. She has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers  (ACTL).

She is a member of the Negligence Council for the State Bar and a co-chair of the State Bar Judicial Qualifications Committee.

The Richard B. Baxter Exemplary Advocate Award recipient was Stephen B. Goethel, a partner at the Ann Arbor law firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC and the Center for Medical Truth and Justice.