The semi-annual "Tips and Tools for a Successful Practice" seminar will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 3 at the SBM Michael Franck Building in Lansing.

The seminar will feature 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. It presents an opportunity for solo practitioners and new lawyers to obtain ethical guidance and practical information from colleagues who have effectively implemented law office management techniques and utilized economically-priced technology to improve efficiency of their law practices.

View the agenda. Registration is required before April 29 and 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. 

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

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State Bar of Michigan President-Elect Lawrence P. Nolan invites Michigan lawyers to apply now for appointments to committees for the 2015-2016 bar calendar year. Service on committees is voluntary and occurs through an appointment process that begins with an electronic application that must be filed by April 29.

“I find that investing time in State Bar work is incredibly fulfilling, adding otherwise unparalleled meaning to my career,” Nolan said. “By joining the rich history of service to the State Bar through participation as a member of one of the many SBM committees, you may play a meaningful role in the State Bar’s efforts to improve justice in Michigan.”

Nearly 30 standing committees work to implement the State Bar Strategic Plan, build effective programs that benefit Michigan lawyers and the public and improve the administration of justice in Michigan. Appointments for the 2016-2017 bar year are expected to be finalized before September 1.

More information about the committees and a link to the online application can be found on the Committee Information page. For more information, contact Candace Crowley at ccrowley@mail.michbar.org or (517) 346-6319.

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The State Bar of Michigan invites all law firms of two or more attorneys to apply for the 2016 Pro Bono Circle of Excellence, recognizing every firm that fully complied with the SBM Voluntary Pro Bono Standard during 2015. The application deadline is April 4.

The Voluntary Pro Bono Standard applies to legal services for low-income individuals and organizations, as well as financial support for eligible nonprofit organizations that provide free civil legal aid for the poor. Contributions to the Access to Justice Fund count toward fulfilling the standard, which calls for attorneys to annually take three pro bono cases, devote at least 30 hours to pro bono service or contribute $300 to a legal aid provider organization.

Firms that can afford to do so are asked to make annual financial contributions of $500 per attorney to be recognized at the “Leadership Level” of the Circle of Excellence. Individual lawyers who meet the Pro Bono Standard are celebrated locally through their access to justice programs and the “A Lawyer Helps” area of the State Bar of Michigan website.

“I look forward to continuing the excitement generated by last year’s Circle of Excellence,” SBM President Lori Buiteweg said. “We hope to add new firms and corporations to the Circle of Excellence this year. The more applications we receive, the better. Applications help quantify the level of pro bono work our members provide to those in need.”

The Circle of Excellence is published frequently in the Michigan Bar Journal, posted on the State Bar and the Michigan State Bar Foundation websites and is distributed at the State Bar Annual meeting. Apply for the Pro Bono Circle of Excellence. For more information, contact Robert Mathis at rmathis@mail.michbar.org or (517) 346-6412.

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