Borgsdorf to be honored at state bar meeting on Sept. 29 in Grand Rapids

The legal community will gather Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Amway Grand Plaza and DeVos Place in Grand Rapids for the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Solo and Small Firm Institute. This year's annual meeting will mark a milestone -- the finale of the celebration of SBM's 75th year of existence. Among this year's highlights SBM members who have achieved the highest honors in the areas of leadership, professional integrity, and community service will be recognized at the Awards Banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29. A local attorney will be receiving one of the seven major SBM annual awards that night. Charles Borgsdorf, who has been with Hooper, Hathaway, Price, Beuche and Wallace for 34 years, serving as the firm's ethical overseer while also managing significant aspects of its business, is the recipient of the Champion of Justice Award. An early promoter and provider of alternative dispute resolution, Borgsdorf has served as a case evaluator in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court for more than two decades. But it is the depth and breadth of his four decades long pro bono and community involvement and commitment to legal services for the poor that single him as an outstanding champion of justice, according to the SBM awards committee. Among his many community contributions, Borgsdorf is on the board of the Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM), and has chaired it 11 times. The organization has thrived under his leadership, growing from a four-county program with a $200,000 budget to a 13-county regional program that also administers two statewide programs with an annual budget of just under $6 million. The Michigan State Bar Foundation, the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association will also present their awards during this ceremony. The Solo and Small Firm Institute will offer national speakers: --Jim Calloway, Oklahoma State Bar Association Management Assistance Program director; --Randall F. Dean, Randall Dean Consulting and Training LLC owner; --Barron K. Henley, Henley March & Unger Consulting, Inc. founding member; --Larry Rice, Rice Amundsen and Capterton PLLC partner; --Lisa Solomon, Lisa Solomon Esq. Legal Research and Writing, legal research and writing professional; --Janet K. Welch, State Bar of Michigan executive director. These speakers will share their expertise about law office management, emerging uses for new technology, trial tactics, and legal research and writing. On Thursday, Sept. 30, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly will swear in the 76th president of SBM, W. Anthony Jenkins, and other officers during the Inaugural Luncheon. Also on Thursday, Chief Justice Kelly will swear in Victoria A. Radke as the new State Bar Representative Assembly Chairperson during the RA meeting. The RA's Michael Franck and Unsung Hero awards will also be presented at this meeting. The Access to Justice Reception Celebrating Diversity will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. The focus of the reception is the new Michigan Pledge to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession. The SBM Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the pledge at its July meeting in Lansing. Learn more about the Pledge and become a signatory by visiting www.michbar.org/diversity/. The State Bar of Michigan Golden Celebration Luncheon will take place at noon on Friday, Oct. 1. Fifty-year SBM members will be honored at this event. Also on Friday, the Master Lawyers Section will debut, and will replace the Senior Lawyers Section. The new section will celebrate the wisdom and experience of its members and provide them with new avenues to contribute to their communities. For more information on this year's Annual Meeting, visit http://www.michbar.org/annualmeeting.cfm Published: Thu, Sep 9, 2010

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