ABOTA, which in Michigan is marking its 37th anniversary, is “dedicated to promoting trial advocacy at its highest levels, including elevating the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession, as well as advancing the education and training of trial lawyers and working to preserve our jury system,” according to President Daniel Scully Jr., an attorney with Clark Hill.
The winner of the Lifetime Judicial Achievement Award was Judge Christopher P. Yates, who was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals last spring after serving on the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County. He had been with the Circuit Court since 2008 where he presided over a specialized business docket after previously handling civil, criminal, and family dockets.
Prior to his time with the courts, Judge Yates was a partner with Yates, LaGrand & Denenfeld, PLLC and Willey, Chamberlain & Yates, LLP. He also served as the chief defender for the Federal Public Defender’s Office, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and as an attorney and adviser for the U.S. Department of Justice. Judge Yates began his career as a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge James Churchill and to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ralph Guy.
Judge Yates earned his juris doctor degree and MBA from the University of Illinois and bachelor of arts degree from Kalamazoo College. He is the current president of the Michigan Judges Association, vice president of the American College of Business Court Judges, a member and former president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and an appointed council member of the judicial section of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a long-time resident of Grand Rapids where he lives with his wife, Janice, and their twin daughters.
Judy Susskind, a resident of Rochester, was the recipient of the Civility Award. A past president of the Michigan Association for Justice, Susskind is a medical malpractice attorney with Sommers Schwartz. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and her juris doctor from Wayne State University Law School. In 2021, she received the Earl Cline & Sheila Schreier Award for Excellence by the State Bar of Michigan’s Negligence Law Section. Susskind is the president-elect of the Michigan ABOTA Chapter.
James Tamm, an attorney with Kerr Russell, was this year’s recipient of the Presidential Recognition Award. A past president of the Michigan ABOTA Chapter, Tamm focuses his practice in defense of health care professionals and facilities in malpractice claims. Tamm also works with municipalities in matters related to governmental liability, zoning and land use issues, regulatory challenges, and building ordinances. He obtained his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Detroit, and his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University.
Thomas Behm, a past president of the Michigan ABOTA Chapter, was honored with the Scully Award for Outstanding Service. An attorney with Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman in Grand Rapids, Behm is a 1983 graduate of the University of Michigan and received his juris doctor in 1986 from the former Detroit College of Law. A past president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, Behm focuses his practice on personal injury claims.
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