Daily Briefs

Attorney Jill Booth named new Region V Administrator for SCAO

Attorney Jill M. Booth has been named director of the State Court Administrative Office’s new Region V, State Court Administrator Chad C. Schmucker announced last week.

“Ms. Booth has been a very trusted and respected advisor to the trial courts ever since she joined SCAO in 2007 as a management analyst,” Schmucker said. “Her administrative experience and legal skills make her a valuable addition to State Court Administrative Office leadership.”

A graduate of Kalamazoo College, Booth earned her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She practiced law in the private sector for 17 years, then joined the 10th District Court, Calhoun County, where she served as a magistrate. Four years later, she was named deputy administrator of the 10th District Court.

As a senior management analyst in SCAO’s Trial Court Services Division, Booth counseled Michigan’s district and probate courts on administrative and procedural matters, and analyzed legislation affecting those courts. She also served as SCAO’s liaison to the Michigan District Judges Association, Michigan Court Administrators Association, Michigan Association of District Court Magistrates, and Michigan Association of District Court Probation Officers.

Booth’s appointment follows the redrawing of administrative districts for the state court system, which will go into effect on July 1. The new Region V will include Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun,
Cass, Eaton, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.


Wayne Law’s first-time bar exam passage rate is highest in the state

Ninety percent of Wayne State University Law School graduates who took the state bar exam in February passed — the highest passage rate of any law school in the state.

The state average was 65 percent. Second after Wayne Law for first-time passage rates was the University of Michigan Law School, with a passage rate of 87 percent.

Wayne Law Dean Jocelyn Benson said she is encouraged by the high first-time passage rate, and is strongly committed to further improving the rate for all of the school’s graduates.  In her February State of the Law School address, she outlined her plans for helping students reach their full potential, and improving the school’s bar passage rate was among those goals.

In keeping with that plan, Judge and Adjunct Professor Elizabeth Gleicher is in the initial stages of developing a new course on Michigan law for the winter 2014 term, and Sarah Garrison has joined the Dean of Students Office to assist graduates taking the July bar exam. The Law School’s development team also is “exploring opportunities for donors to financially support bar prep courses for students with financial need,” the dean said.

Wayne Law’s passage rate for graduates taking the February bar exam for a second time was 50 percent, above the state average of 48 percent for second-time exam takers.
Wayne Law’s overall passage rate is 63 percent, which takes into account the second-time passage rate. The Law School’s overall rate is above the state average (58 percent), above Michigan State University’s average (60 percent), and second only to Michigan's (82 percent).

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