By Linda Laderman
Legal News
Most people would find leading one large organization challenging, let alone two, but for attorney Brian Summerfield, a partner at Kostopoulos Rodriguez, leading two community institutions is just what he does.
This year Summerfield was elected president of the Grosse Pointe School Board, while also taking the helm of the Detroit Bar Association (DBA), a situation that he finds doable.
“One is personal and one is professional,” said Summerfield, who has three young daughters in the Grosse Pointe School System, adding, “I practice law in Detroit, so they are really two separate things. I felt I could tackle both at the same time.”
As president of the DBA, Summerfield said he will continue to guide the reorganization of the bar’s community outreach initiatives.
“We are currently undergoing a complete revamping of our pro bono program, ‘Access to Justice.’ In past years it was held once a month and handled solely by the DBA Foundation,” Summerfield said. “People could come in and get some services from an attorney. This past spring we organized a committee to make the program more expansive.”
The convergence of Detroit’s comeback and the growth of the city’s legal community has attracted more members who want to be a part of the DBA, said Summerfield.
“We’re really taking advantage of the great time in Detroit. I definitely think the momentum of the city is affecting everything and certainly the DBA is benefitting from that,” said Summerfield. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in the Detroit Bar.”
In concert with the city’s growth, the DBA has increased its membership by almost half as it renews its approach to pro bono commitments, community outreach, and events to attract new attorneys to the association.
“When I last checked our membership count was almost at 1,000,” Summerfield said. “It’s impressive considering where we were five years ago. We were below 500. People want to be practicing law down here.”
To increase the membership of the DBA, the organization, one of the three oldest bar associations in Wayne County, has relied on support from the bench to help provide more opportunities for young lawyers, Summerfield said.
“Several judges have been huge supporters of the bar. Having the bench support the bar is critical to our success because of what we do as lawyers. And that support gives our young lawyers an opportunity to network at leadership and social events,” Summerfield said. “Our barristers’ organization has also been helpful in getting our young lawyers involved. And some of our older Detroit attorneys have rejoined as our identity shifted from the Detroit Metropolitan Bar back to our original name, ‘The Detroit Bar Association.’”
During his one-year term as president of the DBA, Summerfield said he also plans to continue emphasizing the resurgence of special interest sections that cover a wide range of topics.
“Any DBA member with a particular interest can start a section. It depends on what your interests are. This is another way to bring people into the bar and get them networking,”
Summerfield said. “Past president Donn Fresard (chief of staff for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office) pushed that ball forward and they are really taking off.”
Summerfield stressed that he wants the DBA to be recognized as an organization that is meaningful to lawyers at every phase of their careers.
“The Detroit Bar is a place for Detroit lawyers that will help allow them to interact with people throughout their entire careers, from the time you are a law student to the time you are a retiring lawyer there is something for you at the DBA, from pro bono work, networking, and professional development,” Summerfield said. “We should be able to meet those three criteria for lawyers at each stage of their careers.”
Calling the current status of the DBA, “a work in progress,” Summerfield said the Detroit Bar is emblematic of an evolving legal environment that requires its leaders to be quick to embrace change.
“The rules kind of change as you’re going through but the bar provides a place where you’re needed and where you can gain something from the organization,” Summerfield said. “By the time my term is over I hope we have a complete structure in place, one that was started by past bar presidents. I’ve been handed an organization that is in reasonably good shape but we’re not quite done yet. When I’m done I hope that we’re there. That’s the goal.”
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