The State Bar of Michigan mourns the loss of its 54th president, Donald L. Reisig, who died Oct. 21 at the age of 81.

A 1958 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Reisig was elected president of the State Bar of Michigan from 1988-89. He had a long and distinguished legal career in the Lansing area. He started as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Ingham County, then became Ingham County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Lansing City Attorney, Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney and a 30th Circuit Court judge. He was commonly referred to as the "boy wonder" of Ingham County politics. He also served as a visiting professor and lecturer at the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. 

In 1976, Reisig entered private practice with the firm Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton, McIntyre and Reisig. In 1989, Governor James Blanchard asked him to serve as Michigan Director of Drug Agencies. In 1995, at the request of the American Bar Association, he served as legal liaison to the former Soviet countries Ukraine and Georgia to assist them in converting their legal systems as independent states. In 1996, he was named Director of Legal Affairs for the Central Michigan Legal Services Agency, helping indigent people obtain legal services. And finally, he served as administrator of the 30th Circuit Court's Juvenile Division, until he retired in 2007. 

Reisig is survived by his wife, Carol Ann Keyes Reisig; three children, Chris Ward Reisig (Rory) of Williamston, Deborah Engstrom (Mark) of Okemos, and Charles Reisig of Tuscon, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Daniel Viaches (Laura) of Indianapolis, Ind., Matthew Viaches (Lisa) of Carmel, Ind., Kristi Viaches of New York City and Dalton Reisig of Tucson, Ariz.; stepchildren Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, Elizabeth Geraghty of New York, Richard Whitmer Jr. of Lansing, Kristin M. Pierce of Mason, and Kimberly M. Patterson (Joseph Titlebaum) of Port Aransas, Texas; and step-granddaughter, Lauren Pierce. Also surviving are three great-grandchildren, James, Adam and Ava. 

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Estes Leadley Funeral Home's Greater Lansing Chapel, located at 325 W. Washtenaw St. in Lansing. His family will receive friends starting at 1 p.m. at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Eaton Community Palliative Care or the National Parkinson Foundation. 

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The State Bar of Michigan Appellate Practice Section will present “The Economics of Court-Appointed Appeals” from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

The seminar will start with opening remarks by Bradley Hall, administrator of the Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System. Mike Naughton, regional consultant for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, will present “Practicing Smarter to Save Time and Money.” Next, a panel, consisting of Bonnie Faraone, office manager at Michael A. Faraone PC; Mitch Foster, roster attorney at MAACS; and Brandon McNamee, child welfare appellate attorney, will discuss “Reasonable Attorney Fees from Unreasonable Fee Schedules.” Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will round out the morning’s presentations with a talk about “Virtues of Pro Bono and Court-Appointed Appellate Advocacy.”

Lunch will be served, and a panel moderated by Liisa Speaker, of Speaker Law Firm, and consisting of Bradley Hall; Justice Bridget Mary McCormack; Vivek Sanakaran, clinical professor at University of Michigan Law School Child Welfare Appellate Clinic; and Noah Bradow, of the State Court Administrative Office Trial Court Services, will discuss policy, with a focus on the impetus for the MAACS, the lessons learned through its recent consolidation with SADO and potential reforms to child welfare appointed representation.

Registration costs $20 for section members and $30 for non-section members. Scholarships are available for court-appointed attorneys, but to receive a scholarship you must submit your application by mail. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://connect.michbar.org/appellatepractice/home. The registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 4.

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The State Bar of Michigan will present “Tips and Tools for a Successful Practice” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the State Bar’s Michael Franck Building in downtown Lansing.

The semi-annual seminar features presentations on how to maintain mutually beneficial client relationships, draft effective fee agreements, manage lawyer trust accounts, analyze ethical issues, and use innovative techniques and technology for law office management. The seminar presents an excellent opportunity for solo practitioners and new lawyers to obtain ethical guidance and practical information from colleagues who have successfully implemented law office management techniques and utilized economically-priced technology to improve the efficiency of their law practices.

Registration costs $100 for lawyers who have been in practice for less than five years and $125 for those who have practiced law for five years or more. The registration fee includes seminar materials, a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. To view the agenda or make a reservation, visit http://www.michbar.org/tipstools. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 28.

For more information contact Karen Spohn with the State Bar of Michigan Professional Standards Division at kspohn@mail.michbar.org or (517) 346-6309.

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The State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section will host a seminar, “Breakfast Basics: Alternative Fee Arrangements,” 8:30-10:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education building, located at 1020 Greene Street in Ann Arbor. ICLE will co-host the seminar. 

The seminar will feature a panel discussion about how to set fees in order to become profitable, while remaining credible and affordable to clients. The panel, which will consist of Alari Adams of A Squared Legal Group in Detroit, Erin Bonahoom of Canvas Legal in Detroit, Denise Couling of Couling Law and Mediation in Brighton and Brian Schwartz of Miller Canfield in Detroit, will also talk about creative options that go beyond the billable hour to boost efficiency and help clients avoid sticker shock. 

For more information about the seminar, or to register, visit http://bit.ly/2dINLoU.

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Fred K. Herrmann, of Detroit, has been sworn in as the chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for 2016-2017. Thirty-seventh District Court Judge John M. Chmura officiated at the Sept. 22 ceremony, held during the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

The 150-member Representative Assembly is the final policy-making body of the State Bar. The Michigan Supreme Court created it in 1971 at the request of the SBM Board of Commissioners in order to increase geographical representation and member participation in State Bar policy. Herrmann represents the Third Judicial Circuit in the Assembly.

Herrmann maintains a diverse litigation practice focused on class action defense, multidistrict litigation, antitrust, patent and other intellectual property litigation, attorney and other professional liability defense, and contract disputes, as well as supply chain and other disputes implicating the Uniform Commercial Code.

Herrmann is a member of the SBM Board of Commissioners and served on the SBM 21^st Century Practice Task Force. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter and serves as co-chair of its Pro Bono Committee.

He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as editor of the Michigan Journal of International Law.

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Lawrence P. Nolan, of Eaton Rapids, has been sworn in as the 82nd president of the State Bar of Michigan. Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. presided at the Sept. 22 ceremony, which took place in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

Nolan is the founder and president of Nolan, Thomsen & Villas in Eaton Rapids, where he focuses his practice on personal injury, wrongful death, criminal, probate, domestic relations, estate planning and real estate law.

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. also swore in other officers for the 2016-2017 bar year, including President-Elect Donald G. Rockwell, of Flint; Vice President Jennifer M. Grieco, of Birmingham; Secretary Dennis M. Barnes, of Detroit; and Treasurer Robert J. Buchanan, of Grand Rapids.

Nolan will lead an organization of over 45,000 members that works to improve the administration of justice, promotes the legal profession, and builds public understanding of the legal system. He has been involved in State Bar work for more than a decade and has served on many of its committees and groups. He has served on the SBM Board of Commissioners since 2006, and has served as treasurer, secretary, vice president, and president-elect. He has also served on the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly.

Nolan served as president of the Ingham County Bar Association from 2003-2004, the Ingham County Bar Foundation from 2005-2009, the Thomas M. Cooley Chapter of the American Inns of Court from 2004-2006, and the Eaton Rapids Rotary Club from 1985-1986.  He served as president of the Diocese of Lansing Catholic Lawyers Guild from 2013-2015. He has also served on the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Board since 1983, and currently serves as its vice chairperson. He is a fellow of the Ingham County Bar Foundation and the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He also serves as the secretary of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Nolan serves as a founding member of the Legal Eagles hockey team, and still serves as the team’s captain. He has received the Louis A. Smith Distinguished Jurist Award, the Ingham County Bar Association’s prestigious Leo Farhat Outstanding Attorney Award, and the Thomas M. Cooley Distinguished Alumni Award. Michigan Lawyers Weekly has also named him a Leader in the Law.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, and he earned his juris doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

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Members of the legal community will gather Sept. 21-23 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids for the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting and Solo and Small Firm Institute.

Among this year's highlights:

Members of the legal profession who have achieved the highest honors in the areas of leadership, professional integrity and pro bono and community service will be recognized at the Awards Banquet, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Award winners from the Michigan State Bar Foundation, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and Michigan Association for Justice will also be recognized. SBM President Lori Buiteweg and President-Elect Lawrence Nolan will present the awards.

The Solo and Small Firm Institute will take place on Thursday, Sept. 22, and Friday, Sept. 23, and host a faculty of 18, including these national speakers:

• Ann M. Guinn, G & P Associates
• Barron K. Henley, Affinity Consulting Group LLC
• Ari Kaplan, Ari Kaplan Advisors
• Cynthia Sharp, The Sharper Lawyer
• Janet K. Welch, State Bar of Michigan

Speakers will share their expertise about future trends in the legal services industry, serving more clients with greater efficiency, time management skills, getting great technology on a budget, delegation skills, technology tools for collaboration, better communication skills, purchasing liability insurance for a law firm, increasing a firm’s data security, building a culture of accountability at a firm, as well as updates in many areas of substantive law, including medical marijuana, family, real property, and criminal law.

On Thursday, Sept. 22, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. will swear in the 82nd president of the State Bar, Lawrence P. Nolan, and other officers. In addition, 37th District Court Judge John M. Chmura will swear in the 2016-2017 chair of the Representative Assembly, Fred K. Herrmann, and the Michael Franck and Unsung Hero awards will be presented at the assembly business meeting.

Also on Thursday, the Celebrating Diversity Reception will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Mojos Dueling Piano Bar in Grand Rapids. Hosted by the Justice Initiatives Committee, the reception will celebrate the diversity of the State Bar, and acknowledge the work accomplished over the past year in support of achieving greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in Michigan.

On Friday, the 50-Year Golden Celebration Luncheon will take place from noon to 2 p.m. This event honors lawyers for 50 years of membership in the State Bar of Michigan.

For more information on this year's Annual Meeting, visit www.michbar.org/annualmeeting.

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The State Bar of Michigan Solo & Small Firm Section will host its Annual Meeting and Educational Program from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

The business meeting will take place from noon to 12:30 p.m. and the educational program from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The educational program, “Constitutional Crossfire: Is the Constitution a Living Document?” will feature a panel of lawyers and judges who will examine the originalist v. pragmatist debate over Constitutional interpretation.

A deli-style lunch buffet will be provided on a first come-first served basis. There is no cost to attend the business meeting, lunch or educational program. Registration is requested, but not required. To register online, visit http://connect.michbar.org/solo/home. For more information, contact Mary Ericson at marycericsonjd@gmail.com or 248-425-3675. 

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The State Bar of Michigan Arts, Communications, Entertainment & Sports Section will host its Annual Meeting and Educational Program from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 in conjunction with the SBM Annual Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

The business meeting will take place from 2-3 p.m. and the educational program from 3-4 p.m. The educational program, which is open to the public, will consist of a panel discussion titled, “Perspectives on Music Licensing: A Special ArtPrize Presentation.” Joe Voss, practice leader of Clark Hill’s Entertainment Industry Team and director of strategic partnerships of Creative Many Michigan in Grand Rapids, will moderate the discussion, which will consist of panelists Nicole Churchill, director of licensing and supervision at Assemble Sound in Detroit; Joe Bellanca, entertainment attorney at Hertz Schram in Bloomfield Hills; Kimberly Aldridge, manager of music licensing at AMI Entertainment Network in Grand Rapids; and Ralston Bowles, recording artist in Grand Rapids.

The educational program will be followed by a reception, co-hosted by the SBM Intellectual Property Section and the SBM Information Technology Section, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Reserve Wine & Food, located conveniently close to the SBM Annual Meeting at 201 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.

There is no cost to attend the business meeting, the educational program, or the reception. Registration is requested. To register online, visit http://connect.michbar.org/aces. For more information, contact Anna Heinl at aheinl@brookskushman.com or (248) 358-4400.

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