The American Board of Trial Advocates Michigan Chapter recently conducted its 35th Annual Meeting and Holiday Gathering at the Royal Park Hotel. On hand to welcome guests to the event were (left to right) ABOTA-MI National Board Representative Jim Tamm, ABOTA-MI past president Bob Darling, ABOTA-MI President-Elect Debra Freid, ABOTA-MI National Board Representative Tom Behm, ABOTA-MI Secretary Amy Schlotterer, ABOTA-MI Membership Chair Robert Buchanan, ABOTA-MI Executive Director Madelyne Lawry and ABOTA-MI Outgoing President Judy Susskind.
Photo by John Meiu
The American Board of Trial Advocates Michigan Chapter held its annual Meeting and Holiday Gathering earlier this month at which time 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 School of Law, Class of 1967. He began his career as a defense attorney, specializing in medical and hospital malpractice litigation. During his 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 various 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 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 known as 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 in 1964 and the Detroit College of Law in 1968.
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. Personally, his interests include golf, skiing, hunting, and boating (he was the Commodore of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in 2014).
Retired Judge Victoria Roberts was presented the Lifetime Judicial Achievement Award.
Roberts was commissioned by President Bill Clinton in June of l998 to serve as a U.S District Court judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Prior to that, Roberts 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 and remains 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 more than 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 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.
The Richard B. Baxter Exemplary Advocate Award recipient was Stephen B. Goethel of Goethel Engelhardt.
Goethel 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.
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