At a recent holiday gathering, Jessica Hallmark (right) is pictured with attorney Kelly Allen, who served as president of the Oakland County Bar Association in the late 1990s.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
In her household, legal talk was seldom in short supply when then aspiring attorney Jessica Hallmark was growing up.
Hallmark’s mother, Linda, served as a Friend of the Court referee before being appointed to the Oakland County Probate Court bench in 1997, serving with distinction there until her state-mandated retirement in 2024. Her late father, Robert, was a general practitioner who headed his own law firm in Huntington Woods for decades before retiring. Her parents met in law school at Wayne State, where their daughter also would earn her juris doctor.
“A lot of the talk around the dinner table was about the law, about interesting cases and legal issues they were involved with,” recalled Hallmark. “I found it fascinating and it really sparked my interest in pursuing a career in the law. So much so, that I ended up working in both of their offices, which helped give me early exposure to the wide range of cases and legal matters they handled.”
Now, nearly 18 years after beginning her legal career that has been spent mostly in private practice, Hallmark is embarking on a new challenge, seeking a six-year seat on the same Probate Court where her mother served at various times as chief judge.
The younger Hallmark announced her candidacy last summer, kicking off her first run for elective office when the Abood Law Firm in Birmingham hosted a “Meet and Greet” event that drew scores of supporters, including a number of current and former members of the county and state benches.
To date, Hallmark and Clarkston attorney Elisabeth Dery are the only declared candidates for the seat being vacated by Judge Daniel A. O’Brien, who is unable to run again because of Michigan’s age limit for judicial office.
Much of Hallmark’s time in recent months has been spent on collecting the required number of signatures to be placed on the 2026 election ballot.
“We are still working on getting petition signatures, but we now have more than the required minimum number – which is 4,000,” said Hallmark, noting that “8,000 is the maximum number a candidate can submit, and that’s our goal.”
While tiring and demanding, the petition-gathering process has been an uplifting experience, according to Hallmark.
“I’m generally more of an introvert, but I’ve really enjoyed being out in the community, meeting new people and talking to them about why I’m running for office,” Hallmark indicated. “It’s also been very gratifying to have my friends and family helping out in collecting signatures. I obviously couldn’t have done it without them.”
Hallmark earned her bachelor’s degree in English and communications from the University of Michigan in 2001. A few years later, she enrolled in law school at Wayne State, excelling as a Silver Key honoree for academic distinction while obtaining her juris doctor degree in 2008.
She began her legal career as a law clerk for Oakland County Circuit Judge Wendy Potts, one of the most distinguished members of the bench who in 2010 was the recipient of the Champion of Justice Award from the State Bar of Michigan. Hallmark then spent seven years working with attorney C. Leslie Banas at Banas and Associates, PLLC, a Birmingham-based boutique law firm specializing in real estate and business law.
A recipient of the Detroit City Council Spirit of Detroit Award, Hallmark joined the Bloomfield Hills firm of Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop in 2017 as part of its liquor licensing practice group. Over the past nine years, Hallmark has focused her practice on commercial real estate matters, liquor licensing, and business transactions.
“Kelly Allen, who has practically written the book on liquor law licensing in Michigan, was instrumental in my move to the firm,” Hallmark said of the named partner and past president of the Oakland County Bar Association. “I ran into her at a conference nearly a decade ago and she thought I would be a good fit at the firm.
She was right, as I’ve learned so much from her and others at the firm.”
Not surprisingly, Allen and the rest of the firm’s leadership are supportive of Hallmark’s Probate Court candidacy.
“Over my 41 years in the law, I’ve worked with a lot of attorneys and I can say without hesitation that Jessica is the most diligent at looking under every rock or pebble for an answer,” declared Allen. “While she is always a zealous advocate, Jessica also knows the importance of civility and compassion in resolving cases fairly.
“When she told me that she planned to become a candidate, my initial reaction was ‘please don’t go,’ but all of us here know that she has the background and all of the qualities needed to be an outstanding judge,” Allen said. “She deserves it, and that has been demonstrated by the way she has gone about her campaign with such fervor. She’s out pounding the pavement on nights and weekends, collecting petition signatures. She could have hired some company to do it, but she wanted to do it herself, just as she did when her mother was running for office.”
Hallmark has a history of involvement with the State Bar, serving as chair of the CLE Committee Real Property Law Section. She also has been a Council Member for the Real Property Law Section since 2019.
“I’ve gotten so much out of my work with the State Bar, and have met so many talented attorneys who have become good friends,” said Hallmark. “The benefits of contributing my time have far outweighed any sacrifices I’ve made in my professional and personal life.”
While both of her parents earned their college degrees from Michigan State, Hallmark and her sister, Jamie, went different routes, each obtaining their degree from Big Ten rival U-M.
“My dad always joked that his heart belonged to MSU, but his money belonged to U-M,” Hallmark said with a smile. “I’m sure that he would have much preferred that we attended MSU.”
A French teacher, Jamie is chair of the French Department at the International Academy in Troy, and, like her sister, is married with two children.
Hallmark and her husband, Tony Albensi, have been married for 15 years and are the parents of Jack, 14, and Kate, 12, children who have such interests as robotics, musical theater, and lacrosse.
“They certainly keep us busy with their school activities, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Hallmark, whose husband serves as an IT project manager for Dewpoint, LLC, a company that handles contract work for the State of Michigan. “Both of our kids are intrigued by my run for office.”
Much like Hallmark was when she was a middle school student and her mom sought a seat on the Michigan Court of Appeals.
“I was really fascinated by my mom seeking elective office back then,” Hallmark admitted. “The courage it took really made an impression on me. Now it’s me in that position, and I’m fortunate to have a mom and a family who are my biggest boosters.”
Legal News
In her household, legal talk was seldom in short supply when then aspiring attorney Jessica Hallmark was growing up.
Hallmark’s mother, Linda, served as a Friend of the Court referee before being appointed to the Oakland County Probate Court bench in 1997, serving with distinction there until her state-mandated retirement in 2024. Her late father, Robert, was a general practitioner who headed his own law firm in Huntington Woods for decades before retiring. Her parents met in law school at Wayne State, where their daughter also would earn her juris doctor.
“A lot of the talk around the dinner table was about the law, about interesting cases and legal issues they were involved with,” recalled Hallmark. “I found it fascinating and it really sparked my interest in pursuing a career in the law. So much so, that I ended up working in both of their offices, which helped give me early exposure to the wide range of cases and legal matters they handled.”
Now, nearly 18 years after beginning her legal career that has been spent mostly in private practice, Hallmark is embarking on a new challenge, seeking a six-year seat on the same Probate Court where her mother served at various times as chief judge.
The younger Hallmark announced her candidacy last summer, kicking off her first run for elective office when the Abood Law Firm in Birmingham hosted a “Meet and Greet” event that drew scores of supporters, including a number of current and former members of the county and state benches.
To date, Hallmark and Clarkston attorney Elisabeth Dery are the only declared candidates for the seat being vacated by Judge Daniel A. O’Brien, who is unable to run again because of Michigan’s age limit for judicial office.
Much of Hallmark’s time in recent months has been spent on collecting the required number of signatures to be placed on the 2026 election ballot.
“We are still working on getting petition signatures, but we now have more than the required minimum number – which is 4,000,” said Hallmark, noting that “8,000 is the maximum number a candidate can submit, and that’s our goal.”
While tiring and demanding, the petition-gathering process has been an uplifting experience, according to Hallmark.
“I’m generally more of an introvert, but I’ve really enjoyed being out in the community, meeting new people and talking to them about why I’m running for office,” Hallmark indicated. “It’s also been very gratifying to have my friends and family helping out in collecting signatures. I obviously couldn’t have done it without them.”
Hallmark earned her bachelor’s degree in English and communications from the University of Michigan in 2001. A few years later, she enrolled in law school at Wayne State, excelling as a Silver Key honoree for academic distinction while obtaining her juris doctor degree in 2008.
She began her legal career as a law clerk for Oakland County Circuit Judge Wendy Potts, one of the most distinguished members of the bench who in 2010 was the recipient of the Champion of Justice Award from the State Bar of Michigan. Hallmark then spent seven years working with attorney C. Leslie Banas at Banas and Associates, PLLC, a Birmingham-based boutique law firm specializing in real estate and business law.
A recipient of the Detroit City Council Spirit of Detroit Award, Hallmark joined the Bloomfield Hills firm of Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop in 2017 as part of its liquor licensing practice group. Over the past nine years, Hallmark has focused her practice on commercial real estate matters, liquor licensing, and business transactions.
“Kelly Allen, who has practically written the book on liquor law licensing in Michigan, was instrumental in my move to the firm,” Hallmark said of the named partner and past president of the Oakland County Bar Association. “I ran into her at a conference nearly a decade ago and she thought I would be a good fit at the firm.
She was right, as I’ve learned so much from her and others at the firm.”
Not surprisingly, Allen and the rest of the firm’s leadership are supportive of Hallmark’s Probate Court candidacy.
“Over my 41 years in the law, I’ve worked with a lot of attorneys and I can say without hesitation that Jessica is the most diligent at looking under every rock or pebble for an answer,” declared Allen. “While she is always a zealous advocate, Jessica also knows the importance of civility and compassion in resolving cases fairly.
“When she told me that she planned to become a candidate, my initial reaction was ‘please don’t go,’ but all of us here know that she has the background and all of the qualities needed to be an outstanding judge,” Allen said. “She deserves it, and that has been demonstrated by the way she has gone about her campaign with such fervor. She’s out pounding the pavement on nights and weekends, collecting petition signatures. She could have hired some company to do it, but she wanted to do it herself, just as she did when her mother was running for office.”
Hallmark has a history of involvement with the State Bar, serving as chair of the CLE Committee Real Property Law Section. She also has been a Council Member for the Real Property Law Section since 2019.
“I’ve gotten so much out of my work with the State Bar, and have met so many talented attorneys who have become good friends,” said Hallmark. “The benefits of contributing my time have far outweighed any sacrifices I’ve made in my professional and personal life.”
While both of her parents earned their college degrees from Michigan State, Hallmark and her sister, Jamie, went different routes, each obtaining their degree from Big Ten rival U-M.
“My dad always joked that his heart belonged to MSU, but his money belonged to U-M,” Hallmark said with a smile. “I’m sure that he would have much preferred that we attended MSU.”
A French teacher, Jamie is chair of the French Department at the International Academy in Troy, and, like her sister, is married with two children.
Hallmark and her husband, Tony Albensi, have been married for 15 years and are the parents of Jack, 14, and Kate, 12, children who have such interests as robotics, musical theater, and lacrosse.
“They certainly keep us busy with their school activities, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Hallmark, whose husband serves as an IT project manager for Dewpoint, LLC, a company that handles contract work for the State of Michigan. “Both of our kids are intrigued by my run for office.”
Much like Hallmark was when she was a middle school student and her mom sought a seat on the Michigan Court of Appeals.
“I was really fascinated by my mom seeking elective office back then,” Hallmark admitted. “The courage it took really made an impression on me. Now it’s me in that position, and I’m fortunate to have a mom and a family who are my biggest boosters.”
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