Wolverine Bar Association stresses its education and community efforts

By Mike Scott Legal News Community and educational efforts have been a focus of the Wolverine Bar Association for the past year, and such efforts will continue in the WBA's new fiscal year starting this July. Such a focus is expected to allow the WBA to continue growing and forging a strong bond with its members. The Wolverine Bar made a concerted effort the last 12 months to build on its membership base, a number that is now more than 240, according to President Michelle Carter, a partner with Bodman LLP in Troy. The goal of the WBA, which held its annual meeting last week at Ford Field, is to revitalize its brand within the community and to provide more intrinsic value to members. To do that, feedback was needed from members about what they were looking for and expecting from a bar association. "Our focus was on determining how to best serve our membership and how to provide them with plenty of resources," Carter said. "You have to be visible within the community and provide members with a reason to stay actively involved." One key way of providing such value is through substantive dialogue at the WBA's membership meetings, which are typically held on the first Tuesday of every month. At the May 11 Annual Meeting, for example, WBA members heard a panel discussion on the subject of "Marketing To and Servicing Corporate Clients," featuring the expertise and advice of several seasoned in-house counsel, including Angelique Strong Marks of Behr America, Inc., Alison Nelson of Ford Motor Co., and Jason Webber of Compuware Corp. Another way the WBA seeks to become more active in the community is to continue its outreach to high schools and law students, Carter said. One of the WBA's main priorities for next year is to develop a mentorship program that would match WBA members with law students as a way to be responsive to community needs, said President-elect Brandy Robinson, a clerk for the Hon. Julian Cook Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The WBA is already working to provide such exposure to even younger students. On Law Day in early May, WBA members brought approximately 50 freshmen from Detroit's Central High School to take a tour of the federal courthouse. The students visited the chambers of the Judge Damon J. Keith Jr. of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. There, Judge Keith spoke about the experiences of African American lawyers in Michigan's legal history and encouraged the students to use their education to make a difference within the community. Strengthening some of the WBA's traditional programming is also a critical component of the Bar Association's plan, Carter said. The WBA has continued to support the Wolverine Bar Foundation's Judicial Externship Program with the help of many individuals, especially U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Roberts of the Eastern District of Michigan. These judicial externs gain hands-on experience with research and writing, as well as an insider's view of key roles in the legal process The Externship Program is an important way the WBA and the Wolverine Bar Foundation is involved with helping minority students to become more interested in positions as judicial clerks. "Traditionally students of color have not been as well represented amongst the ranks of law clerks," Robinson said. Another significant effort on the part of the WBA this year was an expungement program hosted in conjunction with the Legal Aid & Defender Association. In this capacity, WBA members work with onetime, non-violent offenders within metro Detroit to wipe out their criminal records. One example of the expungement program in action occurs on May 19 when the WBA will partner with Pro-Literacy Detroit (PLD), a community program that provides free literacy services to persons living in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. "While PLD's primary focus is certainly on helping their students to become fully literate, they have also identified a need to eliminate legal barriers to gainful employment, and for some, the expungement process is a viable option" Robinson said. It is through these and other community programs that the WBA has worked to also increase exposure and build its current membership, Carter said. "Members will only feel invested in the WBA when they find reasons to stay active, from educational programs to networking opportunities to community-based events." Another area of emphasis this year was ensuring that the WBA's members were well-informed and up-to-date on upcoming WBA programs and events. Carter and fellow board members instituted the WBA's first electronic newsletter and established a Facebook page. Both tools are being used to regularly update members on various activities, educational information and community efforts. Social media will continue to be a vehicle for the WBA to communicate to lawyers, particularly when it is targeting young lawyers and recent law school graduates. That will be important as the local area continues to recover from a severe, long-term recession that has impacted law firms and public legal departments throughout the region. Some programs are meant to lessen the impact of the economy, such as the Bar Passage Program which helps to prepare law school students for the upcoming bar. The two-month course includes one class per week for students who want additional help and guidance. As part of that program law school students receive assistance on writing and essay questions. In addition to preparing for the bar, the program also covers tips to help students get a job upon graduation. "We've had a very productive year and I think the WBA is in a good position," Carter said. "I think we're continuing to make a difference." The WBA, the Wolverine Bar Foundation, and the Association of Black Judges of Michigan will recognize Carter and the Hon. Judy Hartsfield for their efforts during the 2009-10 bar year at their Annual Presidents' Reception, scheduled for Friday, June 25 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Coach Insignia inside the Detroit Renaissance Center. For ticket pricing, sponsorship information or other details about the Presidents' Reception, contact Brandy Robinson at byrobinson@gmail.com , or (313) 962-0250. Published: Wed, May 19, 2010

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