High court posts online report of task force on role of SBM

The Michigan Supreme Court has posted the report submitted by the Task Force on the Role of the State Bar of Michigan on its website. A public comment period about the contents of the report is open until August 4. The Supreme Court issued an order on February 13 to create the task force in response to a request made by the State Bar. The task force was chaired by former SBM president and retired Berrien County Chief Judge Alfred Butzbaugh. Justice Bridget McCormack served as the court's liaison to the task force and Supreme Court Commissioner Nelson Leavitt served as its reporter. Other task force members included SBM Commissioner Danielle Brown, SBM Past President Thomas Cranmer, Michigan State Bar Foundation Board Trustee Peter Ellsworth, SBM Past Commissioner John McSorley, SBM Commissioner Colleen Pero, SBM Commissioner and Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Michael Riordan, SBM President-Elect Thomas Rombach, University of Michigan Law School Professor and former Dean John Reed, Michigan State Representative and Speaker Pro Tempore John Walsh, SBM Executive Director Janet Welch, and SBM Representative Assembly Vice Chair Vanessa Williams. Published: Thu, Jun 05, 2014