Serving as the 91st president of the Oakland County Bar Association is one of the greatest achievements of my legal career. The OCBA has given me so much during my career, and it has been my honor and privilege to be able to give back to this wonderful organization. I wouldn’t be where I am without the love and support of my incredible family. I’m so grateful for my wonderful husband, Ryan. We’ve been married for 23 years, we have two amazing sons, and he’s always been my best friend and biggest supporter. We’ve been through so much through the years, the very happiest of days and the saddest of days, and we’ve done it all together with a lot of love and laughter. I was lucky enough to have Ryan emcee the Annual Meeting for me, and even though I know how funny and entertaining he is, he exceeded my expectations!
My twin sons, Jack and Brennan, are the absolute lights of my life and, by far, my greatest accomplishment. They were only 5 when I was elected to the board, and they are now 14 years old and heading to high school in the fall. While they have some different interests — Brennan is my artist, and Jack loves science and technology — they are both incredibly kind, smart, and funny, and they have the biggest hearts of anyone I know. They both make me so proud on a daily basis, and I’m so blessed to be their mom. Plus, I never imagined that one of my sons would be playing guitar for the audience at the Annual Meeting at which I was sworn in as president! Brennan was amazing, and I could not be prouder of him.
I was so happy to have my amazing aunt and brother attend the Annual Meeting. They are both always there when I need them, and their love and support mean the world to me. While my parents are no longer here, I know they would have loved seeing me get sworn in as the OCBA president. Fortunately, they got to celebrate some of my OCBA accomplishments. They were with me when I was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, and my dad came to my first Annual Meeting after I was elected to the board. They were the best parents in the world, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss them.
Thank you to Judge Hallmark and Judge Matis for their participation at the Annual Meeting by swearing me in as president and administering the Lawyer’s Oath. It has been a privilege to practice before them and to get to know them personally and professionally. They are both wonderful jurists and truly kind people. The OCBA values the attendance of our judiciary at our events as we strive to build collegiality between the bench and the bar.
Thank you to my esteemed colleagues on the OCBA board of directors. They are an incredibly accomplished, knowledgeable, and fun group, and I’ve been very fortunate to serve with them for the past nine years. Together, we’ve done great things for this organization, and I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish this year. I’d like to extend a special thank you to the outgoing president, Liz Luckenbach, for her friendship, kindness, and remarkable leadership this past year. It is truly an honor for me to be part of the first back-to-back female OCBA presidents with such an outstanding individual. Liz is not only a truly kind person, but she’s also skillful at navigating difficult situations, and she was the epitome of a fearless leader.
Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank our wonderful executive director, Jennifer Roosenberg, and her remarkable team. Our organization could not function as well as it does without their hard work, commitment, and dedication to the OCBA. Thank you for the countless hours spent making our events so fun, our trainings so meaningful, and membership in our organization so valuable. Our staff is truly the heart of this organization!
As you all know, the OCBA offers countless member benefits, and we strive to be an invaluable resource to new lawyers, lawyers of a certain age, and every lawyer in between. While you may be aware of some of the benefits of your OCBA membership, there may be some that you don’t know about, and I plan on highlighting them all year in my upcoming LACHES articles.
Some of our member benefits include a broad and vibrant group of committees that can enhance your overall practice, continuing legal education opportunities, networking opportunities with other attorneys and the judiciary, conference room rental in the OCBA offices, social events, legislative advocacy, and the Inns of Court — and that’s just to name a few. So, make sure you check each issue of LACHES for ways to get the most out of your OCBA membership.
As we emerge from the very challenging three years that we’ve all endured, the OCBA is navigating the pros and cons of in-person versus Zoom events and figuring out the best way to serve and benefit our members in this ever-changing landscape in which we find ourselves. We’ve surveyed our members to get feedback on what they love about the OCBA and what they’d like to see us offer in the future, and we’re continually working on our strategic planning initiatives. If you ever have any ideas about seminars you’d like us to offer or programs you think may be beneficial for our members, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The OCBA is your organization, and we welcome your ideas!
The OCBA is also working on a new lawyers training program. The lawyers who attended law school and were new to the practice of law during the pandemic have not had the benefits of getting to sit in a courtroom, watch experienced attorneys, and learn the ins and outs of courtroom decorum. We would like to offer a comprehensive training to these attorneys so we can help properly welcome them to the practice of law and assist them with getting acclimated to the profession. We’ll be reaching out for attorney and judicial volunteers who would like to be part of this exciting training opportunity for our new lawyers.
I’ve had discussions with Judge Matis about assisting him with a circuit court mass mediation event. A significant backlog of civil and criminal cases was created by the pandemic, and Judge Matis is committed to reducing this backlog. We are curating a list of attorneys willing to serve as mediators in many different practice areas. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the list.
Historically, the OCBA has always been a place where the bench and the bar could network and build relationships outside of the courtroom and the formalities of court proceedings. With the pandemic and the advent of virtual court, the opportunities for meaningful interaction between the bench and bar have been limited. That’s why in the coming year, the OCBA will again strive to be that place where we can build meaningful collegial relationships between the bench and the bar by providing opportunities to really get to know one another.
I’m so excited for what this next year holds for the OCBA, and I am truly honored and humbled to get to lead this exemplary organization.
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Melinda N. Deel, of Melinda N. Deel PLLC, is the 91st president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
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