Legal News
Nearly halfway through his term as president of the State Bar of Michigan, attorney Joseph McGill added yet another feather to his leadership cap when he recently was appointed Ireland’s Honorary Consul in Michigan.
McGill’s appointment coincided with the visit of Ireland Attorney General Rossa Fanning to Michigan for a series of political, economic, and community engagements, including the formal opening of the Honorary Consul office in Detroit.
“It has a five-year term and I have joined the global diplomatic corps for Ireland,” McGill said of his appointment, which signals Ireland’s commitment to the state of Michigan. “I expect that I will be networking with Irish Consuls around the globe and locally with Consuls of different nations. This is the first diplomatic mission that Ireland has had in Michigan and I am the first one to hold this post.”
Approximately 10 percent of Michigan’s 10 million residents claim Irish heritage, and Ireland and Michigan share strong economic ties, with Ireland ranking 11th for job creation among investing countries in the state.
According to McGill, Ireland has an extensive network of approximately 100 honorary consuls or honorary consuls general throughout the world. While the roles and functions performed by honorary consuls can vary, they are generally appointed to provide consular services and assistance to Irish citizens in a specific geographic area, particularly in countries where there is no resident mission, and they also assist with trade promotion, in
consultation with their supervising embassy.
McGill, who accompanied Attorney General Fanning during his visit to Michigan last week, possesses strong Irish roots and is well-suited for his Consulate role as one of the founders of the Michigan Irish American Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Irish Network Detroit. Fittingly, McGill also is a past president of the Catholic Lawyers Society of Metro Detroit and the Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers.
As Honorary Consul in Detroit, McGill will work with the Consulate General in Chicago to support Irish citizens, grow Ireland’s ties in the state, and build Ireland’s profile throughout Michigan as a place to visit, work, invest, and study.
Speaking during a visit to Detroit to mark the appointment, Brian Cahalane, Ireland’s Consul General in Chicago, said: “We are delighted to announce that Joseph P. McGill will serve as Ireland’s first Honorary Counsul in Detroit. The relationship between Ireland and Michigan is based on deep cultural and people-to-people ties, but also flourishing economic links. This appointment reflects Ireland’s ambition to grow the relationship even further. We look forward to working with Joe to support Michigan’s vibrant Irish community and strengthen our connections throughout the state.”
McGill, who was sworn in as State Bar president last September, is a product of Royal Oak Shrine High School and Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance while also serving as president of a fraternity. McGill then took his academic talents to the University of Detroit, where he simultaneously earned his law degree and MBA in 1990.
Four years after beginning his legal career with a prominent Detroit law firm, McGill obtained a Master of Laws 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.
McGill and his wife, Lauren, have an 11-year-old son, William Henry. Like her husband, Lauren is an attorney and a Michigan State alum, and has worked as a sole practitioner for the past 15 years.
“I am humbled and honored to be appointed the first Honorary Consul of Ireland in my home state of Michigan,” said McGill. “Having long been engaged in Detroit’s vibrant Irish-American community, this is an exciting opportunity to build on our rich shared history. I look forward to the journey ahead and the opportunities it holds to develop economic, political, and cultural relations. Together, we will celebrate and strengthen our deep ties.”
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