Legal News
State Bar of Michigan President Joe McGill admits to having few regrets in life, especially considering that he has enjoyed a successful and fulfilling legal career as one of the Members at Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip, a Livonia law firm that focuses on high-stakes civil litigation across a spectrum of practice areas.
And yet, McGill wishes that he had fast-tracked his involvement with the State Bar once he earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1990 and before joining a prominent Detroit firm.
“I wish I had known then what I know now about how valuable and enriching it is to become involved in State Bar activities,” said McGill, who was sworn in as president last September by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian Zahra during the annual Presidential Inauguration and Awards Ceremony in Troy. “The people I have met since I got involved with the State Bar and the lessons that I’ve learned from them have been instrumental in my growth as a lawyer and as a person. I’m indebted to all of them, and feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such an important organization.”
As president, McGill is in the midst of a one-year term at the top of the State Bar, which serves all 46,000 attorneys in Michigan while also promoting professionalism; advocating for an open, fair, and accessible justice system; and providing services to members so that they may best serve their clients.
“Admittedly, it’s a big job, but it’s one that I’m truly enjoying as I’ve been able to attend meetings and gatherings around the state,” McGill said. “I’m blessed to work with a number of talented and dedicated people on staff at the State Bar and to collaborate with members of the Board of Commissioners in the advancement of the legal profession.”
The current leadership team on the Board of Commissioners includes President-elect Lisa Hamameh, a municipal law attorney in Farmington Hills; Vice President Erika Bryant, a sole practitioner in Detroit; Treasurer Tom Howlett, managing partner of the Googasian Firm in Bloomfield Hills; and Secretary David C. Anderson, a shareholder with Collins Einhorn in Southfield.
“Fortunately, I’m surrounded by a great group on the board, all of whom are dedicated to the work of the State Bar and various other worthy causes in the community,” McGill declared.
The youngest of 11 children, McGill grew up in Oak Park, where his father, William, was a family physician in the mode of “Marcus Welby,” the beloved doctor portrayed by famed actor Robert Young in the popular TV drama that aired during the 1970s. McGill’s father epitomized the “gold standard” in providing medical care for generations of patients in the Detroit suburb.
“He was known throughout the community and was an institution in Oak Park, walking to and from work each day,” said McGill of the family patriarch, who practiced into his 80s before passing away in 2004 just days after attending his youngest son’s wedding ceremony.
McGill’s mother, Betty, was a music teacher before rearing her family, which would grow to include 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A Marygrove College grad, she made a long-awaited return to academic life at the Center for Humanistic Studies in Detroit, earning a master’s degree at age 60.
“She was a remarkable woman, practicing as a humanistic psychologist for 10 years before retiring,” McGill said of his mother, who died in 2020 at the age of 95. “My parents were incredible role models for everyone in the family with their work ethic and strong faith.”
A product of Royal Oak Shrine, McGill began his own studies at Oakland Community College, obtaining an associate’s degree before enrolling at Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s in finance while working full time and serving as president of a fraternity. His thirst for learning then continued at the University of Detroit, where he simultaneously earned his law degree and MBA.
“I knew I wanted to be a lawyer from the time I was 10, mostly because my oldest brother, Liam, graduated from U of D Law School then,” McGill related. “His graduation from law school stuck in my memory and I wanted to be like him when I grew up.”
Four years after beginning his legal career in Detroit, McGill added yet another master’s degree to his impressive academic resume, obtaining an advanced degree in Corporate and Finance Law from Wayne State University Law School. Seven years later in 2001, he was awarded a Master of Laws in Taxation from Wayne State, perhaps putting a bow on his graduate studies.
“I’m not sure my wife would look kindly on any plans to pursue another degree,” McGill said with a grin.
His wife, Lauren, is an accomplished attorney in her own right, practicing law for nearly 35 years after graduating from the former Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State University College of Law) in 1990. A Michigan State alumna, Lauren has been a sole practitioner for the past 15 years after working as a partner specializing in commercial litigation for a Detroit area firm.
The couple met in church, a sacred setting that McGill somehow topped when he asked for her hand in marriage.
“I proposed to her in a castle in Ireland – on her birthday,” he said proudly. “Given the surroundings and the circumstances, I liked my chances that she would say ‘yes.’”
She did, of course, setting the stage for a New Year’s Eve wedding ceremony that was capped by a gala reception at the Detroit Athletic Club that was punctuated by a nearby fireworks show. It was an auspicious beginning for a marriage that has produced an 11-year-old son, William Henry, named in honor of McGill’s great-great grandfather, a Civil War veteran. Young William is a fifth-grader who has early aspirations of making the NBA someday, a dream that might not be so far-fetched given that his mom has two former all-state basketball players in her family lineage.
McGill, who played football at Royal Oak Shrine, is a sports enthusiast himself, enjoying downhill skiing, scuba diving, racquetball, golf, backpacking, and running, where he has a marathon and several half-marathons to his credit.
Such leisure time pursuits, of course, take a backseat to his busy law practice, which involves litigation and transactional work handling commercial disputes, probate, estate planning, and corporate and real estate matters. He has a national practice defending product liability claims and prosecutes and defends insurance coverage disputes. His environmental law experience includes the defense of mold-related injury claims, lead contamination litigation, and municipal sewage defect claims. He also consults with clients across the country in matters related to religious land use issues.
A member of the State Bar Board of Commissioners since 2015, McGill also serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan State Bar Foundation, which helps provide funding for access to justice programs.
With strong Irish roots, McGill helped found the Michigan Irish American Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Irish Network Detroit. Fittingly, he also is a past president of the Catholic Lawyers Society Detroit and the Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers.
All that community and professional involvement would seem daunting and overwhelming to some, but McGill prefers to look at his volunteer roles in a much different light.
“It gives me energy and offers so many opportunities to meet interesting and inspiring people,” he said. “As the saying goes, the more you give, the more you receive. It serves as a powerful motivator for me.”
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