It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as the 91st president of the Oakland County Bar Association. This past year has been filled with so many incredible experiences, and it has been a joy getting to lead an organization that means so much to me. From watching my son Brennan play his guitar at my swearing-in at the Annual Meeting last June to the new lawyers swearing-in ceremonies, new judge investitures, Youth Law Conference, Holiday Gala, New Lawyers vs. The Board Challenge, District Court Bench/Bar Conference, New Lawyer Boot Camp, OCBF Signature Event, and many more events and meetings I’ve attended, it’s been an exciting and fun year! I have countless memories from this past year that I will always cherish.
I wanted my presidency to have a strong emphasis on membership benefits, which I’ve highlighted through the year in my LACHES articles. I was committed to initiating programs that would add even more benefit to your membership with the OCBA. To that end, it has been my absolute pleasure to introduce the OCBA Mediation Program. I’m hopeful that this program will be beneficial for the bench and the bar for years to come and will provide an opportunity to meaningfully resolve matters outside of the courtroom using experienced OCBA mediators.
I have been very concerned that, due to the pandemic, our new lawyers have not had the opportunity to learn the ropes of the legal profession by getting to sit in a courtroom, watch experienced attorneys, and learn the ins and outs of courtroom decorum. Therefore, it was very important to me that the OCBA develop a training to properly welcome new lawyers to the practice of law and assist them with getting acclimated to the profession. The amount of enthusiasm displayed by the judges and attorneys who volunteered their time to help bring the OCBA New Lawyer Boot Camp to life was overwhelming! We have developed a very impressive and comprehensive program that I know will benefit new lawyers for years to come. I cannot thank enough each and every judge and lawyer who assisted us in creating this wonderful new program for our new lawyers.
It was really fun to participate in the training for the attorney volunteers for our Elementary Mock Trial program. It was so heartwarming to see the many smiling faces of the attorneys who are eager to give their time and share their enthusiasm for the law with elementary school students throughout Oakland County. The Mock Trial program is one of the best, and most fun, opportunities to give back and enhance the life of a child that the OCBA offers.
The OCBA was also pleased to play a meaningful role in assisting Judge Jeffery Matis and the Oakland County Circuit Court in their efforts to clear out the significant backlog of civil and criminal cases caused by the pandemic through a mass mediation event.
I am beyond grateful for the endless love and support of my wonderful family, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they do for me. My husband, Ryan, has been by my side through all of life’s adventures and quite literally by my side during all of the OCBA events I attended during the past year. In addition to being an amazing husband, he is a loving and devoted father to our sons, a dedicated staff attorney to Judge Linda Hallmark, and a tireless public servant in his role as president of the Rochester Hills City Council. With everything on his plate, I’m not sure how he excels in each of his roles, but he does! We have so much fun together, and I am so grateful that I met him in a class we had together in the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1996! Our life together has been a wonderful adventure, and I’m very grateful for him.
My sons, Jack and Brennan, are the loves of my life and my dream come true. They bring me more joy and happiness than I ever dreamed possible. My boys were in kindergarten when I was first elected to the OCBA board of directors in 2014, and they just finished their freshman year in high school. They have grown up hearing me talk about the OCBA, and it was so fun getting to have them at the Annual Meeting where I was sworn in as president. Ryan and I have always appreciated the importance of giving back to our community, and we try to lead by example for our boys. Jack and Brennan have spent this last year giving back to our community by serving on the Rochester Hills Government Youth Council and the Rochester Hills Public Library Teen Advisory Board and volunteering with their high school Rotary Club. Watching them devote their time to such worthwhile causes has been heartwarming. My boys are a constant source of love, pride, inspiration, fun, and laughter. Getting to watch them experience all that life has to offer and seeing them turn into such fine young men has been a blessing. They have such big hearts, and I could not be prouder to be their mom!
I would like to extend a special thank you to the OCBA’s board of directors. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my legal career to serve on a board with such dedicated, impressive, thoughtful, and fun people. Serving on the board is a labor of love, as it can be a significant time commitment in addition to the rigor of practicing law, and they have all demonstrated their commitment to the OCBA through their countless hours of service to our organization. I would especially like to thank my wonderful executive board, Dean Googasian, Sarah Kuchon, Aaron Burrell, and Kari Melkonian. They all lead with heart, and we had many great conversations that were thoughtful and always focused on what is in the best interest of the OCBA. I know the OCBA will be in wonderful hands with Dean Googasian at the helm, and I wish him a successful presidential year.
Thank you to the incredible staff of the OCBA. Their hard work and dedication are evident in all of the OCBA’s successful programs, trainings, and events. I have had the pleasure of getting to know them a little better this past year, and they are truly a wonderful group of people. I can sincerely say the OCBA is the successful organization it is due to our amazing staff!
I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish as the president of the OCBA. My boys were taught when they were in Cub Scouts to “try to leave this world a little better than you found it”; I’m hopeful that the OCBA is a little better because of my contributions.
One of the first things my husband, Ryan, and I did when we were sworn in as new lawyers was to join the OCBA, and it has provided us with countless opportunities for both professional and personal growth as attorneys. It was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions that we’ve made. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to give back to this organization that has given me so much, the invaluable experiences I’ve had along the way, and, most importantly, the wonderful people I’ve met and friendships I’ve made. Thank you, Oakland County Bar Association, for the memories!
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Melinda N. Deel, of Melinda N. Deel PLLC, is the 91st president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
I wanted my presidency to have a strong emphasis on membership benefits, which I’ve highlighted through the year in my LACHES articles. I was committed to initiating programs that would add even more benefit to your membership with the OCBA. To that end, it has been my absolute pleasure to introduce the OCBA Mediation Program. I’m hopeful that this program will be beneficial for the bench and the bar for years to come and will provide an opportunity to meaningfully resolve matters outside of the courtroom using experienced OCBA mediators.
I have been very concerned that, due to the pandemic, our new lawyers have not had the opportunity to learn the ropes of the legal profession by getting to sit in a courtroom, watch experienced attorneys, and learn the ins and outs of courtroom decorum. Therefore, it was very important to me that the OCBA develop a training to properly welcome new lawyers to the practice of law and assist them with getting acclimated to the profession. The amount of enthusiasm displayed by the judges and attorneys who volunteered their time to help bring the OCBA New Lawyer Boot Camp to life was overwhelming! We have developed a very impressive and comprehensive program that I know will benefit new lawyers for years to come. I cannot thank enough each and every judge and lawyer who assisted us in creating this wonderful new program for our new lawyers.
It was really fun to participate in the training for the attorney volunteers for our Elementary Mock Trial program. It was so heartwarming to see the many smiling faces of the attorneys who are eager to give their time and share their enthusiasm for the law with elementary school students throughout Oakland County. The Mock Trial program is one of the best, and most fun, opportunities to give back and enhance the life of a child that the OCBA offers.
The OCBA was also pleased to play a meaningful role in assisting Judge Jeffery Matis and the Oakland County Circuit Court in their efforts to clear out the significant backlog of civil and criminal cases caused by the pandemic through a mass mediation event.
I am beyond grateful for the endless love and support of my wonderful family, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they do for me. My husband, Ryan, has been by my side through all of life’s adventures and quite literally by my side during all of the OCBA events I attended during the past year. In addition to being an amazing husband, he is a loving and devoted father to our sons, a dedicated staff attorney to Judge Linda Hallmark, and a tireless public servant in his role as president of the Rochester Hills City Council. With everything on his plate, I’m not sure how he excels in each of his roles, but he does! We have so much fun together, and I am so grateful that I met him in a class we had together in the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1996! Our life together has been a wonderful adventure, and I’m very grateful for him.
My sons, Jack and Brennan, are the loves of my life and my dream come true. They bring me more joy and happiness than I ever dreamed possible. My boys were in kindergarten when I was first elected to the OCBA board of directors in 2014, and they just finished their freshman year in high school. They have grown up hearing me talk about the OCBA, and it was so fun getting to have them at the Annual Meeting where I was sworn in as president. Ryan and I have always appreciated the importance of giving back to our community, and we try to lead by example for our boys. Jack and Brennan have spent this last year giving back to our community by serving on the Rochester Hills Government Youth Council and the Rochester Hills Public Library Teen Advisory Board and volunteering with their high school Rotary Club. Watching them devote their time to such worthwhile causes has been heartwarming. My boys are a constant source of love, pride, inspiration, fun, and laughter. Getting to watch them experience all that life has to offer and seeing them turn into such fine young men has been a blessing. They have such big hearts, and I could not be prouder to be their mom!
I would like to extend a special thank you to the OCBA’s board of directors. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my legal career to serve on a board with such dedicated, impressive, thoughtful, and fun people. Serving on the board is a labor of love, as it can be a significant time commitment in addition to the rigor of practicing law, and they have all demonstrated their commitment to the OCBA through their countless hours of service to our organization. I would especially like to thank my wonderful executive board, Dean Googasian, Sarah Kuchon, Aaron Burrell, and Kari Melkonian. They all lead with heart, and we had many great conversations that were thoughtful and always focused on what is in the best interest of the OCBA. I know the OCBA will be in wonderful hands with Dean Googasian at the helm, and I wish him a successful presidential year.
Thank you to the incredible staff of the OCBA. Their hard work and dedication are evident in all of the OCBA’s successful programs, trainings, and events. I have had the pleasure of getting to know them a little better this past year, and they are truly a wonderful group of people. I can sincerely say the OCBA is the successful organization it is due to our amazing staff!
I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish as the president of the OCBA. My boys were taught when they were in Cub Scouts to “try to leave this world a little better than you found it”; I’m hopeful that the OCBA is a little better because of my contributions.
One of the first things my husband, Ryan, and I did when we were sworn in as new lawyers was to join the OCBA, and it has provided us with countless opportunities for both professional and personal growth as attorneys. It was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions that we’ve made. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to give back to this organization that has given me so much, the invaluable experiences I’ve had along the way, and, most importantly, the wonderful people I’ve met and friendships I’ve made. Thank you, Oakland County Bar Association, for the memories!
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Melinda N. Deel, of Melinda N. Deel PLLC, is the 91st president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
