Calendar

1. June 5 Mark the Date

   Annual golf outing planned by ADTC
   June 5

   The board of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel is pleased to announce its annual golf outing for Monday, June 5, at Western Golf & Country Club, 14600 Kinlock Rd. in Redford Township. The outing will begin at 8 a.m. with registration and breakfast then a 9 a.m. shotgun start with lunch to follow.

   Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court and judges of the Sixth Circuit of Appeals, the Michigan Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County circuit courts have been invited as guests of the ADTC.

   Cost is $180 per golfer and the complete package consists of 18 holes of golf on a Donald Ross-designed course in a private club setting, breakfast, refreshments on the course, and a late lunch of bruschetta chicken or grilled salmon. Prizes and awards will be presented after the scramble. Cost for lunch in $70. Collared shirt and rubber spikes or spikeless shoes are required.

   To receive a registration form, e-mail Jessica Hilewsky at jdziesz kowski@harveykruse.com. Payment is due upon registration.

    

   Law school presents ‘Pride Month with Preston Mitchum’ online
   June 5

   As part of its Community Conversations virtual event series, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School will present “Pride Month with Preston Mitchum” online Monday, June 5, from noon to 1 p.m. 

   Mitchum is a Black queer attorney, advocate, activist. He is the founder and principal of PDM Consulting, a multi-purpose consulting firm focused on the power of Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and young people.

   In his 10+ years of legal and policy experience, Mitchum has served in multiple roles at nonprofit organizations to center the voices of historically oppressed communities. Most recently, Mitchum served as the director of Federal Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project. He has also dedicated years of service to URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, Center for American Progress, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. 

   In addition, Mitchum has been an adjunct professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center teaching LGBTQ Health Law & Policy and at American University Washington College of Law teaching Sexuality, Gender Identity, & the Law.

   The WMU-Cooley Community Conversations virtual event series takes a deep-dive into the most important topics impacting society and the world today. To register for “Pride Month with Preston Mitchum,” visit https://info.cooley.edu/community-conversations.

    

   ‘2023 Employment Law Year in Review’ offered online
   June 6

   The Oakland County Bar Association’s Employment Law Committee will present a “2023 Employment Law Year in Review” webinar on Tuesday, June 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

   A panel of experts will highlight significant developments in labor and employment law from the past year and provide insight into upcoming trends. Topics of discussion will include:

   • Legislative updates and the repeal of Michigan’s right-to-work statute.

   • Best practices for employment facilitations.

   Among the speakers will be Kathleen Bogas of Bogas & Koncius PC and Monica N. Hunt of The Allen Law Group.

   Cost for the program is $45 for OCBA members; $35 for OCBA Municipal Law Committee members; $35 for OCBA new lawyers, paralegals, and law students; and $55 for non-members.

   To register for the webinar, visit www.ocba.org and click on “Events.” Anyone with questions may email Shanay Cuthrell at scuthrell@ocba.org.

    

   Federal Bar hosting Annual Dinner
   June 7

   The Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, will host its Annual Dinner on Wednesday, June 7, beginning at 5:15 p.m. in the International Banquet and Conference Center at the Atheneum Hotel, 400 Monroe St. in Detroit.

   The Annual Dinner will feature the presentation of the 2023 Julian Abele Cook Jr. - Bernard A. Friedman Civility Award, recognition and thank yous to the members of the federal bench, election of chapter officers, live music, and social time with friends and colleagues.

   Cost for the Annual Dinner is $89 for FBA members, $60 for federal law clerks and law students, and $121 for all non-members. To register, visit www.fbamich.org and click on “events.”

    

   Attorney provides look into ‘EU Unified Patent Court’
   June 7

   The Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) will host a virtual event on Wednesday, June 7, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Speaker John White, of Harness IP, will discuss “EU Unitary Patent and EU Unified Patent Court.

   White is presently “Special Counsel” at Harness IP, tasked with outreach to entities in need of IP legal services. He has helped prepare more than seventy percent of all currently active U.S. patent attorneys and agents for their careers as patent practitioners. Since 1995, White has been the creator, author, and principal lecturer for PLI’s Patent Exam Course and has taught 1200+ would-be patent attorneys and agents annually since then. He has also taught 400+ U.S. patent examiners Law & Evidence. White regularly serves as a USPTO procedure expert in patent litigation.

   The meeting agenda includes:

   • 11:45 a.m. to noon—Networking

   • Noon to 1:15 p.m.—Presentation

   For additional information or to register, visit http://mipla.org and click on “events.”

    

   ‘Issues Facing Medical and Legal Providers’ focus of seminar
   June 14

   The Oakland County Bar Association’s Medical/Legal Committee will present “Today’s Issues Facing Medical and Legal Providers” on Wednesday, June 14, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the OCBA offices, 1760 S. Telegraph Rd. in Bloomfield Hills.

   This interactive seminar will provide updates to medical providers and the legal community on Stark law, Grewe issues, inurement parameters, liability, and telemedicine/telehealth.

   Cost for the program is $25 for OCBA members; $15 for OCBA Medical/Legal Committee members; $15 for OCBA new lawyers and paralegals; and $35 for non-members.

   To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “Events.” Anyone with questions may call Shanay Cuthrell at 248-334-3400.

    

   Firm offers 2023 Summer Institute for law students
   June 14-July 28

   Current law students looking to gain insight and perspective about working in a law firm will have the chance to find answers this summer.

   The Success Through Empowerment & Engagement (SEE) Committee at Maddin, Hauser, Roth, & Heller PC seeks to meet the need for law student summer learning experiences by offering a free six-week summer program covering transactions, litigation and best practices for navigating a legal career.

   Maddin Hauser’s 2023 Summer Institute will be offered June 14 thought July 28. Participants are eligible to attend in-person or online whether or not they have secured summer internship positions. The sessions are scheduled to accommodate attendance prior to beginning the workday from 8 to 9 a.m. except for week six. 

   Sessions will include:

   • Week one, Wednesday, June 14—Associate Best Practices

   • Week two, Wednesday, June 21—Finance

   • Week three, Wednesday, June 28—Corporate/Litigation

   • Week four, Wednesday, July 12—Employment Law

   • Week five, Wednesday, July 19—Real Estate

   • Week six, Wednesday, July 28—Career Marketing, from noon to 1:30 p.m. with lunch provided at Maddin Hauser Office 

   At the conclusion of the program, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion along with real-world, practical law firm learning experience.

   The mission of the Maddin Hauser SEE Committee is to maintain and enhance a law firm environment and culture where attorneys from diverse backgrounds can succeed, achieve and lead internally at the firm and externally in the community, to improve recruitment, retention and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds, and to promote business and personal development, business connections and networking activities.

   Currently enrolled law students interested in participating in the 2023 Summer Institute should visit https://maddinhauser.com and click on “events.”

    

   Speakers examine ‘Utilizing Mediation to Promote Mental Health Recovery’
   June 15

   The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Michigan will present a webinar on “ Utilizing Mediation to Promote Mental Health Recovery” Thursday, June 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

   Mediation in mental health matters can improve both the system of providing mental health interventions and the treatment and recovery of persons with serious mental illness.

   The presentation will include:

   • The evolution of mediation in mental health matters.

   • How mediation can lead to more treatment engagement and recovery for persons with serious mental illness.

   • How mediation works in mental health matters How ADR providers can learn about mediation of mental health matters.

   The webinar’s presenters are pioneers in the field who have helped to establish mediation in mental health matters in Michigan, as well as the implementation of mediation in mental health proceedings. Speakers include Milton L. Mack, Novia Nichols, Mary Wallace, and moderator Zena D. Zumeta.

   Mack, State Court Administrator Emeritus, is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Law, 1975, and Eastern Michigan University, 1972. Mack served as a probate judge in Wayne County, Michigan, for twenty-five years prior to his appointment as state court administrator in 2015. He serves as chair of the governor’s Mental Health Diversion Council and previously served on the governor’s Michigan Mental Health Commission. He authored the 2017 Conference of State Court Administrators policy paper “Decriminalization of Mental Illness: Fixing a Broken System.” He co-chaired the National Initiative Advisory Committee established pursuant to that policy paper and later served on the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness. In 2022, Mack received the Judge Stephen S. Goss Lifetime Achievement Award from the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative, a program of the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

   Nichols, a partner in Gonzalez-Nichols & Nichols PLLC with her husband Kevin Nichols, has been involved in many aspects of the law, including criminal defense, family law, and probate law. She is also certified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to practice as a patent attorney. A graduate from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, Gonzalez-Nichols is a member of the Criminal Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

   Mary Wallace, Behavioral Health Mediation Services manager with Oakland Mediation Center, started at OMC in 2021 as a mediation specialist assisting with the General Civil, Small Claims, and Landlord Tenant mediations in six various district courts within Oakland County. In 2022 Wallace transitioned into manger of the Behavioral Health Mediation Services program. She was a volunteer with the organization since 2016 after completing mediation training for General Civil, Domestic Relations, Special Education. Wallace earned a BA in Communications and a Master of Social Work. 

   Zumeta is internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training and Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. 

   Zumeta is a former board member and president of the Academy of Family Mediators (now merged into the Association for Conflict Resolution), past president of the Michigan Council for Family and Divorce Mediation, and past regional vice president of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Magazine.

   Zumeta has experience as a trainer, mediator, facilitator and consultant. She has been providing mediation services since 1981.

   Zumeta is an approved civil and family mediator in Michigan, and an approved mediation trainer for Michigan and many other states. She has taught at Hamline University School of Law, and is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and Cooley Law School.

   Zumeta is the recipient of the Family Mediation Council-Michigan Liftetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award from the Association for Conflict Resolution; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

   For additional information about the webinar or to register, visit https://connect.michbar.org/adr/home.

    

   Attorney provides ‘Update on the State of Criminal Law 2023’
   June 15

   The Oakland County Bar Association will present an “Update on the State of Criminal Law 2023” as a webinar online Thursday, June 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

   This webinar will provide an overview of the most recent published Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases with a focus on sentencing decisions. It will also review the most important decisions from the United States Supreme Court. Speaking at the webinar will be Alona Sharon, of Alona Sharon PC.

   Cost for the webinar is $12 for OCBA members pre-registration and $25 for non-members pre-registration. Oakland County MIDC court appointed attorneys can attend for free. 

   To register for this webinar, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”

    

   ‘Meet the Judges’ event planned in Royal Oak
   June 15

   The New Lawyers Committee of the Oakland County Bar Association will host its “Meet the Judges” event on Thursday, June 15, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Bamboo, 220 S. Main St. in Royal Oak.

   Judges from the Oakland County district, probate, and circuit courts, along with judges from the Michigan Court of Appeals, Michigan Supreme Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, have been invited to this annual event.

   In addition to networking, attendees can check out the items that will be up for bid at this year’s silent auction. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to a new scholarship fund established by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and held by the Oakland County Bar Foundation to advance diversity in the legal profession.

   Cost to attend the event is $55 for OCBA new lawyers (82500+), paralegals, admin assistants, and students; $65 for OCBA members; $80 for non-members. Registration includes two drink tickets.

   To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.” Anyone with questions may contact Katie Tillinger at 248-334-3400 or ktillinger@ocba.org.

    

   Michigan Defense Trial Counsel plans 2023 Annual Meeting and Conference
   June 15

   The Michigan Defense Trial Counsel will host its 2022 Annual Meeting and Conference, “There & Back Again:?The Road To The Courtroom,” on Thursday and Friday, June 15-16, at Treetops Resort, 3962 Wilkinson Rd. in Gaylord.

   Among the topics to be covered during the conference are:

   • How to Defend Against Extraordinary Relief, with Kevin Blair, Honigman Miller Schwartz; and Brandon Schumacher, Foster Swift, Collins, & Smith PC.

   • Defend Against Damages, with Michael Cook, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC; and Anthony Pignotti, Foley, Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC.

   • You Got the Complaint, Now What, with Dora Brantley, Rutledge, Manion, Rabaut, Terry, & Thomas PC; and Catherine Edwards, Kerr, Russell, & Weber PLC.

   • Round Table on Civility & Ethics, with David W. Christensen, Charfoos & Christensen PC; Wilson Copeland, II, Grier, Copeland, & Williams PC; Judith Susskind, Sommers Schwartz PC; and Robert F. Riley, Riley & Hurley PC.

   • E Discovery: A Sword and A Shield, with Nathan Scherbarth and Devin Sullivan, Zausmer PC.

   • Deposition Deep Dive, with Regina Berlin and Samantha Orvis, Garan Lucow Miller.

   • Post Pandemic Trials, with Amy Schlotterer, Rutledge, Manion, Rabaut, Terry, & Thomas PC.

   • What Lawyers Can Learn From Rats: An Evaluation of Stress, with Randall Juip, Foley Baron, Metzger, & Juip PLLC.

   Activities during the conference include the Annual Fun/Run/Talk/Walk aka “Rockwell’s Ramble,” Awards Reception honoring Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Edward Ewell, Treetops Par 3 Golfing, and Judicial/Vendor Reception.

   Cost for the conference is $360 for MDTC members, $100 for associate members, and $400 for non-members. Attendees will need to secure their own lodging by calling Treetops Resort at 855-261-8764 and asking for MDTC group rates.

   To register or for additional information on the conference, visit www.mdtc.org.

    

   Spring Fling 2023 hosted by MIPLA
   June 15

   The Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association will host the MIPLA Spring Fling 2023 with a visit to the Great Lakes Culinary Center on Thursday, June 15 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will feature an open bar and food from the Great Lakes Culinary Center located at 24101 W. 9 Mile Rd. in Southfield.

   The menu will include the following:

   • Imported and Domestic Cheese Board

   • Salad Station

   • Interactive Pasta Station

   • Southwest Taco Station

   • Fire Roasted Pizza Station

   • Dessert of Cookies, Bite-Size Cupcakes, and Brownies

   Cost for the Spring Fling is $50 for MIPLA members, $75 for non-members, and $35 for students. To register, visit http://mipla.org.

    

   Law school celebrates Juneteenth with author online
   June 19

   As part of its Community Conversations virtual event series, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School will present “Juneteenth with Valada Flewellyn” online Monday, June 19, from noon to 1 p.m. 

   Flewellyn is a lifelong social justice advocate, historian, author, poet, and storyteller. Her books include “Poetically, Just Us,” “Yours Truly,” “Jack & Jill of America into the New Millennium,” and “African Americans of Sanford,” an Arcadia Publication. Her most recent publication is “For the Children: The History of Jack and Jill of America Incorporated,” the history of the oldest African American family organization.

   The WMU-Cooley Community Conversations virtual event series takes a deep-dive into the most important topics impacting society and the world today. To register for “Juneteenth with Valada Flewellyn,” visit https://info.cooley.edu/community-conversations.

    

   Attorneys discuss ‘Making and Preserving the Record for Appeal’
   June 20

   As part of the 2023 Virtual Lunchtime Trainings, the State Appellate Defender Office and the Criminal Defense Resource Center will present a webinar on “Making and Preserving the Record for Appeal” Tuesday, June 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. This training will feature SADO’s Matt Monahan and Kathy Swedlow. 

   Monahan is an assistant defender at SADO. Prior to joining SADO, he worked for U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Michelson, Eastern District of Michigan. He previously taught high school in Chicago.

   Swedlow is the manager of the Criminal Defense Resource Center (CDRC). Prior to joining the CDRC, she was the deputy administrator of the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System. Swedlow formerly worked as a professor and assistant dean at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. She also worked as an assistant federal defender with the Capital Habeas Unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia and in the Staff Attorneys’ Offices in the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, and Sixth Circuits. Swedlow is the author of the SADO Defender Appellate Manual and three law school textbooks.

   To register for the webinar, visit www.sado.org. Anyone with questions may contact CDRC Manager Kathy Swedlow at kswedlow@ sado.org.

    

   ‘Introduction to the Judges’ offered online
   June 20

   The Oakland County Bar Association will present an “Introduction to the Judges” as a webinar online Tuesday, June 20, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.

   This webinar provides the opportunity to meet some of the newest judges on the Oakland County bench. Each guest judge will be given a chance to discuss procedures in their court room. Attendees will also get an opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with the judges.

   Among those to be featured at the webinar are Oakland County Circuit Court Judges Yasmine I. Poles, Jacob J. Cunningham, David M. Cohen, and Amanda J. Shelton, Family Division. Moderating the webinar will be Layne Sakwa of Fried Saperstein Sakwa PC.

   Cost for the webinar is $12 for OCBA members pre-registration and $25 for non-members pre-registration. Oakland County MIDC court appointed attorneys can attend for free. 

   To register for this webinar, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.” Anyone with questions may contact Shanay Cuthrell at 248-334-3400.

    

   Society hosting Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner
   June 21

   The Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers (ISIAL) will host its Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner on Wednesday, June 21, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Gem Theatre, 333 Madison St. in Detroit.

   During the dinner, the ISIAL will present its Thomas “Tiger” Thornton Award, Charles R. Rutherford Jr. Award, and scholarships to Michigan law students.

   Cost for this event is $90 for ISIAL members, $175 for member couples; $75 for ISIAL members less than 5 years, $140 for member couples less than 5 years, $65 for law students, and $100 for non-members. Register online at http://irish-lawyers.org.

    

   ‘International Case Processing’ explored in webinar
   June 22

   The Friend of the Court Bureau (FOCB) and the Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) will present a webinar on “International Case Processing” Thursday, June 22, from 9 to 10 a.m. via Zoom. 

   Attendees will take a trip around the world and learn about international case processing. The webinar will discuss how to process incoming and outgoing requests from other countries – The Hague, federal and state reciprocating countries, and countries where the U.S. has comity. Speaking at the webinar will be Elizabeth West, FOCB management analyst.

   To register, visit https://mjieducation.mi.gov and click on “events.” Once registration is approved by MJI, attendees will receive a confirmation e-mail from Zoom with a personal link to join the webinar.

    

   Webinar examines ‘Oversight of Prison Operations’
   June 22

   The Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy will present the webinar “Oversight of Prison Operations: An Interactive Masterclass” Thursday, June 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. via Zoom. 

   A health care scandal in your state’s prison system has been brought to your attention. What do you do? As a legislator, what resources are at your disposal to gather information and address this problem? The Levin Center’s State Oversight Academy is hosting a virtual, interactive masterclass to provide the tools needed to successfully navigate a corrections oversight investigation.

   This masterclass will first introduce the avenues of oversight necessary to address during your investigation. Then, attendees will be given a scenario that will require you to investigate a health care scandal in the prison system. After receiving reports from auditors, ombudspersons, and other experts, participants will separate into committees comprised of state legislative oversight leaders from across the country to determine a course of action. The experts will rotate to answer questions and provide further assistance as investigation planning continues. Finally, each committee will present a plan to the whole group. Following the class, State Oversight Academy experts will send each committee individual comments on the plans to ensure that everyone will be ready to tackle corrections oversight when issues arise.

   Speaking at the webinar will be:

   • Ben Eikey – State Training & Development manager, Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

   • Kade Minchey, Utah legislative auditor general

   • Keith Barber, Michigan legislative corrections ombudsman

   • Amarik K. Singh, California inspector general

   Jim Townsend – director, Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

   • Kyle Goedert – research & communications specialist, Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

   To register for the free webinar, visit https://levin-center.org. Anyone with questions may email the Levin Center at Wayne Law at levincenter@wayne.edu.