Attorney receives double distinction in a single week

The first week of December was a big one for David Christensen, principal of Christensen Law, who on Dec. 2 was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. Just a day earlier, Christensen was named a 2016 Best of MichBusiness Award winner in the Community Leaders category.

Both the ABOTA induction and the Best of MichBusiness Award are seen to be emblematic of the role Christensen continues to play, both in the legal profession and in the community he feels so strongly about promoting.

In the case of the ABOTA, a foundation that is committed to the preservation of the U.S. 7th Amendment—the right of a civil trial by jury—elevating the standards of legal professionalism, integrity, honor and courtesy aligns with Christensen’s character as an attorney.

From a community enrichment standpoint, the 2016 Best of MichBusiness honor underscores the importance of giving back to the community, which Christensen does through various ongoing initiatives.

Those include his work with the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault in Lansing and the Michigan Association for Justice No-Fault Committee. He is a former chair of the committee and is a past chair of the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Christensen has served on the boards of many organizations treating addiction, including the Washtenaw Council on Alcoholism and Spectrum Treatment and Prevention Services.

The Safe Ride Home program and Distracted Driving Scholarship for students are also important community initiatives created by Christensen in the past year – both focusing on increasing awareness of consequences of drunk driving and texting while driving.

He also served as chairman of the board for the Ann Arbor-based Help Source Agency, whose work has included the operation of social safety agencies such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, substance abuse programs, teen pregnancy programs and group homes for abused and neglected teens.