The Oakland County Bar Association will present its 2026 District Court Bench/Bar Conference, “Learning What You Don’t Know as a District Court Practitioner,” on Friday, March 20, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Kingsley Bloomfield Hills, 39475 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills.
This year’s program is designed to expand attendees’ knowledge, sharpen their skills, and keep them ahead of the curve as a district court practitioner.
The conference kicks off with breakfast and a welcome and introduction by Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz, Oakland County 50th District Court Judge Jeremy Bowie, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Noah P. Hood, and Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Christopher M. Trebilcock, Second District.
The first plenary session will then be presented on “Building a Smarter Practice: A How-To Guide to AI in the Legal Profession” with Ahmad M. El-Bkaily, Cambridge & Company PLLC, and John C. Mohyi, Mohyi Law. Following that will be two breakout sessions:
• Civil
“The District Court Playbook: Best Practices for Civil Practitioners” with Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Michelle Friedman Appel; Geoffrey Patrishkoff, Khurana Law Firm PC; and Omar Sheriff, Seva Law Firm.
• Criminal
“Competency Hearings: A Practical Guide to Handling Mental Health Referrals, Forensic Evaluations and More in District Court” with Judith S. Gracey, The Gracey Law Firm PLLC; Todd Moore, Diplomate ABPN General and Forensic Psychiatry — chief of clinical affairs, Center for Forensic Psychiatry, MDHHS; and Donna Z. Rinnas, Licensed Psychologist — division director of Evaluation & Forensic Services, Center for Forensics Psychiatry, MDHHS.
The second plenary session will then offer “A Guide to Legal Services in Oakland County” with Natalie A. Cherry, Lakeshore Legal Aid; and Michelle L. Johnson, Legal Aid and Defender Association Inc. That will be followed by two more breakout sessions:
• Civil
“Opening Doors: A Practical Approach to Landlord–Tenant Cases and Rental Assistance” with Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz; David G. Marowske, Lakeshore Legal Aid; and Cheryl B. Luckoff, The Law Office of Cheryl B. Luckoff.
• Criminal
“Getting to Know Pretrial Services and MDOC Probation” with Eric Schmidt, manager, Oakland County Pretrial & Justice Services; and Britain T. Washington, region manager, Michigan Department of Corrections.
Cost for the conference is $85 for OCBA members; $55 for OCBA?new lawyers, paralegals, students, and judicial law clerks; and $145 for non-members. To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”
This year’s program is designed to expand attendees’ knowledge, sharpen their skills, and keep them ahead of the curve as a district court practitioner.
The conference kicks off with breakfast and a welcome and introduction by Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz, Oakland County 50th District Court Judge Jeremy Bowie, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Noah P. Hood, and Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Christopher M. Trebilcock, Second District.
The first plenary session will then be presented on “Building a Smarter Practice: A How-To Guide to AI in the Legal Profession” with Ahmad M. El-Bkaily, Cambridge & Company PLLC, and John C. Mohyi, Mohyi Law. Following that will be two breakout sessions:
• Civil
“The District Court Playbook: Best Practices for Civil Practitioners” with Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Michelle Friedman Appel; Geoffrey Patrishkoff, Khurana Law Firm PC; and Omar Sheriff, Seva Law Firm.
• Criminal
“Competency Hearings: A Practical Guide to Handling Mental Health Referrals, Forensic Evaluations and More in District Court” with Judith S. Gracey, The Gracey Law Firm PLLC; Todd Moore, Diplomate ABPN General and Forensic Psychiatry — chief of clinical affairs, Center for Forensic Psychiatry, MDHHS; and Donna Z. Rinnas, Licensed Psychologist — division director of Evaluation & Forensic Services, Center for Forensics Psychiatry, MDHHS.
The second plenary session will then offer “A Guide to Legal Services in Oakland County” with Natalie A. Cherry, Lakeshore Legal Aid; and Michelle L. Johnson, Legal Aid and Defender Association Inc. That will be followed by two more breakout sessions:
• Civil
“Opening Doors: A Practical Approach to Landlord–Tenant Cases and Rental Assistance” with Oakland County 45th District Court Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz; David G. Marowske, Lakeshore Legal Aid; and Cheryl B. Luckoff, The Law Office of Cheryl B. Luckoff.
• Criminal
“Getting to Know Pretrial Services and MDOC Probation” with Eric Schmidt, manager, Oakland County Pretrial & Justice Services; and Britain T. Washington, region manager, Michigan Department of Corrections.
Cost for the conference is $85 for OCBA members; $55 for OCBA?new lawyers, paralegals, students, and judicial law clerks; and $145 for non-members. To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
