The Western District of Michigan Chapter of the FBA is pleased to partner with the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) to present a trial skills program. The event will feature tips, insights, and demonstrations of four trial components; opening, direct exam, cross exam and closing, by ACTL and FBA attorneys and Western District of Michigan judges. There is no preparation required for registrants who are invited to come for the day to learn from the judges and the trial pros.

Please register using the form below. A box lunch and light refreshments throughout the day are included in the registration fee. If you are in need of a scholarship to cover the registration fee, please email Melissa Rabidoux at melissa_rabidoux@fd.org.

Note that immediately following the event, the Young Lawyers Division of the FBA will be hosting its summer mixer. Details to follow.

The West Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invites you to attend its Supreme Court Review and Preview Program on November 13th at noon. The program will be held in the Jury Assembly room at the Grand Rapids federal courthouse with a Zoom option. The Zoom link will be sent out closer to the event date.

This is our annual event that you don’t want to miss! This year, we are excited to introduce a new format of hearing from civil and criminal panelists to present the notable decisions from last term, including criminal practitioners on both the prosecution and defense side. Jennifer McManus of the United States Attorney’s Office and James Fisher of the Federal Defender Office will present the criminal decisions. Charlie Quigg of Warner Norcross + Judd will present the civil decisions. We are looking forward to a lively discussion of last term’s decisions and a preview of pending cases on the docket this term.

If you plan to attend in-person and would like to order a lunch for $15, please email Melissa Rabidoux at melissa_rabidoux@fd.org by Friday, November 8.

We hope you can join us!

The West Michigan Chapter’s Hillman Advocacy Program is now accepting student applications for its 2025 program, which will take place in Grand Rapids at the federal courthouse on January 22-24, 2025. The Hillman Advocacy Program is a unique program designed to assist both new and practiced trial lawyers in developing their courtroom skills under the guidance of our Federal Judges and experienced trial lawyers who practice regularly in federal court. The program is accepting applications for both criminal and civil sections, at both basic and advanced skill levels. The advanced program culminates in mock jury trials in the federal courthouse on the last day, and the opportunity to observe the jury’s deliberations via closed circuit television.

The Hillman Advocacy Program is not a passive seminar: it is a learn-by-doing workshop. You should read the case materials, know the facts, and arrive prepared to participate fully in the program. You will need to be prepared to give a brief opening and closing statement (less than 5 minutes). Read through the planned exercises in advance, prepare outlines for the direct and cross- examinations you will be asked to conduct. This is the best way to ensure you get the most that you can out of the program. Every year, students comment that they wish they had known that they needed to prepare more in advance. Do not rob yourself of this opportunity for development.

There will be a student orientation about a week prior to the program. The orientation will be held via zoom. The date will be communicated if you are accepted in to the Hillman program.

Interested students are invited to complete the Registration Application found HERE and email it to Sonja Cubillo, Hillman Coordinator, at sonja_cubillo@fd.org. Applications are due by December 20th.

Due to increased demand, Hillman will be accepting applications only at this time. Once the application is accepted and a spot is confirmed for the participant, then a link will be sent in order for the applicant to make payment. If payment is not made within seven business days after the invoice is sent, the spot will be forfeited and given to a waitlisted participant.

**August 26, 2024 Update: Registration is now closed.

Registration for the 2024 Bench Bar Conference, which will be held at Crystal Mountain Resort from Wednesday, September 18, through Friday, September 20, 2024, is now open.  Please use the form below to register online and submit your payment via PayPal.  If you would prefer to pay by check, click here to access a paper registration form.

You must separately book your room reservation at Crystal Mountain Resort. Standard rooms start at $159, plus resort fees and taxes. Rooms are based on availability. The rate runs from 9/16/24 to 9/21/24. An advanced deposit of one night’s room, tax, and fee is required to confirm your reservation. You can make your reservation by calling Crystal Mountain’s Reservations Department at 1-855-520-2974 and reference our group number – 46K4B5. Or, you can book online here. (Please note that this link prepopulates an arrival date of September 18 and departure date of September 20.) All guests will be asked for a credit card upon check-in. Also, any changes or cancellations greater than seven (7) days from arrival may be subject to a $10 administrative fee, and within seven (7) days of arrival will result in the penalty of the first nights charge.

If you would like to purchase a meal package for a guest joining you at the conference, please contact Melissa Rabidoux at melissa_rabidoux@fd.org.

The Western District of Michigan Chapter of the FBA is pleased to partner with the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) to present a trial skills program on June 20, 2024, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm at the Grand Rapids federal courthouse. The event will feature tips, insights, and demonstrations of four trial components; opening, direct exam, cross exam and closing, by ACTL and FBA attorneys and Western District of Michigan judges. There is no preparation required for registrants who are invited to come for the day to learn from the judges and the trial pros.

The registration fee is $50 and can be paid using the form below. A box lunch and light refreshments throughout the day are included in the registration fee. If you are in need of a scholarship to cover the registration fee, please email Melissa Rabidoux at melissa_rabidoux@fd.org.

Note that immediately following the event, the Young Lawyers Division of the FBA will be hosting its summer mixer. Details to follow.

Please mark your calendars for the 2024 Bench-Bar Conference. We are excited to report the 2024 Bench-Bar Conference will be held at Crystal Mountain Resort from Wednesday, September 18th – Friday, September 20th, 2024! A formal invitation will be sent out soon with registration details.

This year’s Bankruptcy Summer Seminar will occur at Boyne Highlands July 26, 2024 through July 28, 2024. Registration and hotel information will be available in April 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Liz Von Eitzen at evoneitzen@wnj.com or 269.276.8118.

We are pleased to distribute the Fall 2023 issue of Bar & Bench, our chapter’s quarterly newsletter. You can access the Fall 2023 issue HERE.

We hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or feedback, or are interested in submitting an article, please contact our newsletter editor, Charlie Quigg (cquigg@wnj.com).

2023 JUDICIAL CONFERENCE OF THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
September 6 – 8, 2023
Cleveland, Ohio
Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel
Hotel reservation and other conference-related information is available on the registration site.

You may register for the Conference here: https://6thcircuit.swoogo.com/2023

Please register for the Conference as soon as possible, but not later than August 18.
Also note the cutoff date to secure overnight accommodations at the Hilton is July 28.

Question may be directed to the Office of the Circuit Executive
via telephone 513-564-7270 or via email at CA06-Conf@ca6.uscourts.gov

In June 2023, the District Court for the Western District of Michigan proposed amendments to the Local Civil Rules and the Local Criminal Rules that affect attempts to obtain motion concurrence.  The proposed amendments to Local Criminal Rule 12.4 and Local Civil Rule 7.1(d) add requirements to the efforts to obtain concurrence and add requirements to the certificate to be filed if concurrence is not obtained. For those who practice regularly in the Court, please consider taking a look and providing any input by July 31, 2023. The proposed amendments are here and the process for comment can be found here.