News & Notices

Section Briefs June 2022

 

Michigan Bar Journal

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION SECTION

On Sept. 30-Oct. 1, the section will host its ADR Conference, which will continue to be virtual. We are pleased to announce that the annual awards ceremony will return in person on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth. Upcoming events, past event materials, and the latest Michigan Dispute Resolution Journal can be found at connect.michbar.org/adr/home.

ANTITRUST, FRANCHISING & TRADE REGULATION SECTION

The section will hold a combined busi­ness meeting and social event on June 10 at Berkley Common, located at 3087 West Twelve Mile Road in Berkley. The council meeting will commence at 4 p.m. and the social event will begin at 4:30 p.m. All sec­tion members are welcome to attend. This is a great opportunity to meet attorneys famil­iar with our area of law, make some new friends, or renew old friendships.

ARTS, COMMUNICATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SPORTS SECTION

The section will be gathering at 6 p.m. June 16 in Ann Arbor for the Hensel/Founders Award, which will be presented this year to Thomas Blaske and Mary Steffek Blaske. Contact Cindy Victor at cvictor@kusryan. com for more information.

BUSINESS LAW SECTION

The Business Law Institute will be held Oct. 7 in Grand Rapids. The section’s annual meeting will be conducted as part of the Business Law Institute. We hope you can join us for these events. More information is coming soon.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SECTION

The section’s summer program returns in person on June 9 at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy in Bath. Join section members for an informative afternoon program from 1-4 p.m. followed by a complimentary happy hour. There is no cost to register for this event.

FAMILY LAW SECTION

Since Feb. 25, the section’s listserv has expe­rienced technical problems blocking many of our section members from the list. As of the week of April 25, we believe the issue has been fixed. If you are on the FLS listserv and have not started getting posts again, contact Steve Heisler at saheisler@heisler.org.

HEALTH CARE LAW SECTION

The section is hosting a webinar at noon on June 7 on the federal coverage mandate for at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. The webinar will be presented by Christo­pher Laney and Natalie Pirkola of Health Alliance Plan, and it will provide guidance on how and to what extent at-home tests are required to be covered and how one health plan implemented the mandate.

INSURANCE AND INDEMNITY LAW SECTION

The section thanks all who came out for our business meeting and five-year strategic plan discussion at the Detroit Athletic Club on April 14. Congratulations to Amanda Delekta, the winner of our 2022 Scholar­ship Program! Plans are underway for our next meeting on July 14, which will be followed by a presentation by Chirco Title President Michael Luberto. For details on that meeting, visit us on Facebook or at con­nect.michbar.org/insurance/home.

LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SECTION

The section hosted a roundtable discussion on April 21 — its first event since 2018 — on the use of Zoom in the Michigan courts following the pandemic. The section also held its regular section council meeting, initiated planning for its annual meeting, approved initiation of a new listserv, and formed a long-range planning committee. The section council is encouraging its mem­bers to volunteer by reaching out to chair Ian Lyngklip at Ian@ConsumerLawyers.com.

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW SECTION

The section will host a cocktail hour July 21 at Detroit Shipping. It’s one of several re­connection initiatives being planned, which also includes an Oktoberfest event. We look forward to seeing you! Watch the section’s website and social media for sign-up in­formation. Upcoming educational sessions include the July 14 “Post-COVID Courtroom Practice Debrief with Judges” and the sec­tion’s midwinter meeting at the Detroit Ath­letic Club on Jan. 20, 2023.

REAL PROPERTY LAW SECTION

The Real Property Law Section 2022 summer conference — titled “Finding the Balance”— is set for July 20-23 at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. In this swift-moving real es­tate environment, striking a balance between safety and cost is increasingly difficult. Mich­igan real estate attorneys are invited to meet colleagues and participate in discussions on current issues impacting real property law in the state. The three days of learning will include expert panel discussions, workshops, and interactive roundtables. For more informa­tion on the conference, visit na.eventscloud. com/ereg/index.php?eventid=678420&. To reserve rooms, go to tinyurl.com/vp4c6d7u.

SOCIAL SECURITY SECTION

Most local Social Security Administration offices reopened on April 7 for in-person services. Hearing offices are opening slow­ly for limited in-person hearings, and that number will continue to increase. However, given the number of claimants waiting for in-person hearings, attending hearings by phone or video will help decrease the back­log. Thus, it is anticipated that phone and video hearings will continue until at least later this year.

YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

The section successfully held an exciting National Trial Advocacy Competition and plans for an in-person event in the fall. Ad­ditionally, the section hosted several edu­cational programs, sent a contingent to the ABA Spring Conference, and partnered with the Grand Rapids Bar Association and the Kalamazoo Bar Association for a pre­sentation and social event in Grand Rapids. Planning for summer events is underway.