ABOTA recognizes founding member, retired judge and others at 35th Annual Meeting

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

Outgoing President Judith A. Susskind of Sommers Schwartz passed the gavel to incoming President Michael R. Janes of Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone. In addition to Janes, incoming 2024 ABOTA executive officers include 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.

ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. ABOTA and its members are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ABOTA membership consists of more than 7,300 lawyers—equally balanced between plaintiff and defense—and judges spread among 96 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. An invitation-only organization, members must have at least five years of active experience as trial lawyers, have tried at least 10 civil jury trials to conclusion and possess additional litigation experience.

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 Law School. 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. He 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.

Getto 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 Albion College and the Detroit College of Law. He began his legal career at Alexander, Buchanan & Conklin and in 1969, became one of the five original members of Harvey Kruse & Westen. In 1980, Martin was one of the founders of Martin Bacon & Martin, where he remained until retiring.He has been active in the handling and trial of complex civil litigation, primarily product liability and medical malpractice cases.

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 United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. Prior to that, Roberts served as managing partner of the Detroit law firm of Goodman, Eden, Millender & Bedrosian. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan. She was the 62nd president of the State Bar of Michigan and remains the only black female to hold that position. An author, teacher and lecturer, Roberts has served as a faculty member for numerous legal education seminars, both in the United States and abroad.

ABOTA presented its Civility Award to Randall A. Juip of Foley Baron Metzger & Juip. A trial lawyer with over 70 trials, 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 currently the 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.

After graduating from law school at Wayne State University in 1981, she began her prominent career in employment and personal injury law, where she specializes in all types of employment discharge and discrimination cases, civil rights claims, and serious personal injury litigation. She is a past-president of the Michigan Association for Justice, where she remains a member of its Executive Committee. She has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers  (ACTL). In addition, 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 of Goethel Engelhardt. He is a partner at the Ann Arbor law firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC and the Center for Medical Truth and Justice. He has been litigating medical malpractice and personal injury cases for more than 40 years. He has numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for victims of malpractice.