The State Bar of Michigan’s Government Law Section will present its 2025 GLS Winter Educational Seminar, “The Balancing Act: Substantive and Practical Tips for Governmental Lawyers,” 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday, February 21, at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois Road in Troy.
The schedule includes:
8:30 a.m. Registration and check-In with continental breakfast by Crank’s
8:55 a.m. Welcome and introduction, Christopher Forsyth, GLS section chair
9 a.m. Leading from the Trenches, Justice Conrad Mallett Jr., corporation counsel, City of Detroit
10:15 a.m. Networking break
10:30 a.m. Let the Sun Shine (FOIA, OMA), Kathryn Levasseur-Cousin, assistant corporation counsel, Wayne County
11 a.m. Zoning, Land Use, and the Courts in 2024, Gerald Fisher, local government consultant and emeritus professor of law; and Christopher Forsyth, Grand Traverse County deputy
county administrator
11:30 a.m. Labor & Employment Speed Dating, Chad Karsten, Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC
Noon: Luncheon by Crank’s
1 p.m. Professionalism and Wellbeing: You Need Both, Caroline Giordano, Miller Canfield; Joan Vestrand, Cooley Law School; Tim Lessing, Lessing Legal; and Molly Ranns, Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program director
2:15 p.m. Networking break
2:30 p.m. Is Michigan Still High on Marijuana?, panel discussion moderated by Clyde J. Robinson; Brian Hanna, executive director, State of Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency; Landon Bartley, AICP principal planner, City of East Lansing Planning & Zoning; and John W. Fraser, member, Dykema
3:45 p.m. Solving All the Section’s Problems – A Rousing Round Table, with DeYana Hill, assistant corporation counsel, City of Detroit; Matthew Zalewski, shareholder, Rosati, Schultz, Joppich, Amtsbuechler; and Lori Grigg Bluhm, city attorney, City of Troy
4:30 p.m. Adjournment to Happy Hour
5 p.m. GLS Council Meeting, all welcome
To register, visit https://connect.michbar.org/govlaw/home.
The schedule includes:
8:30 a.m. Registration and check-In with continental breakfast by Crank’s
8:55 a.m. Welcome and introduction, Christopher Forsyth, GLS section chair
9 a.m. Leading from the Trenches, Justice Conrad Mallett Jr., corporation counsel, City of Detroit
10:15 a.m. Networking break
10:30 a.m. Let the Sun Shine (FOIA, OMA), Kathryn Levasseur-Cousin, assistant corporation counsel, Wayne County
11 a.m. Zoning, Land Use, and the Courts in 2024, Gerald Fisher, local government consultant and emeritus professor of law; and Christopher Forsyth, Grand Traverse County deputy
county administrator
11:30 a.m. Labor & Employment Speed Dating, Chad Karsten, Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC
Noon: Luncheon by Crank’s
1 p.m. Professionalism and Wellbeing: You Need Both, Caroline Giordano, Miller Canfield; Joan Vestrand, Cooley Law School; Tim Lessing, Lessing Legal; and Molly Ranns, Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program director
2:15 p.m. Networking break
2:30 p.m. Is Michigan Still High on Marijuana?, panel discussion moderated by Clyde J. Robinson; Brian Hanna, executive director, State of Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency; Landon Bartley, AICP principal planner, City of East Lansing Planning & Zoning; and John W. Fraser, member, Dykema
3:45 p.m. Solving All the Section’s Problems – A Rousing Round Table, with DeYana Hill, assistant corporation counsel, City of Detroit; Matthew Zalewski, shareholder, Rosati, Schultz, Joppich, Amtsbuechler; and Lori Grigg Bluhm, city attorney, City of Troy
4:30 p.m. Adjournment to Happy Hour
5 p.m. GLS Council Meeting, all welcome
To register, visit https://connect.michbar.org/govlaw/home.
