Former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Clifford W. Taylor was honored recently at a ceremony in Lansing during which his portrait was unveiled. He is pictured with the artist, Patricia Hill Burnett.
By Roberta M. Gubbins
Legal News
A special session of the Michigan Supreme Court was held recently in honor of former Chief Justice Clifford W. Taylor. As is traditional, the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society presented a portrait of the former justice to the court.
“Justice Taylor, we are pleased to have you back here and we will enjoy seeing just how well Patricia Burnett, the artist worked up your portrait to disguise the deprivations of age.” Chief Justice Robert F. Young said to laughter, opening the ceremony.
Wallace D. Riley, president of the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society explained that the society “is the caretaker for 87 portraits, all relating to the court.
“This number includes individual portraits of majority of the justices who have sat on this court,” he said.
When the court organization first acquired the portraits, he explained, many had been seriously damaged over the course of time. The group successfully took on the task of restoring and preserving the collection.
Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and U.S. senator, spoke of the early years with Taylor when they would compete for public office.
According to Abraham, he and Taylor, back in 1971 when they were starting their careers wanted to have an “impact on the legal discourse” in our country.”
To that end they started the Harvard Review of Law and Policy, a trend that eventually led to the formation of the Federalist Society.
Maura D. Corrigan, who served on the high court bench for more than a decade before leaving to take over as director of the Department of Human Services, looked back on the
20 years since she and Taylor were appointed to the court by Gov. John Engler.
“You (Justice Taylor) were steadfast in your work as a judge and a justice. You always honored the oath that we took,” she said, commenting on his years of service.
“It is special day indeed for us and for Cliff Taylor and his family,” said Attorney General bill Schuette, acknowledging Taylor’s contributions to the community and the state.
“The space that your portrait will occupy in this building is of the highest distinction.”
Bernard Dobranski, dean-emeritus and professor of law at Ave Maria School of Law spoke next, noting that Taylor followed the tenant that judges should interpret not make the law.
Engler called Taylor “a man of great integrity” and noted Taylor’s contributions to the leadership of the courts.
Patricia Hill Burnett, who is designated as a distinguished portrait artist by the Council of Leading American Portraits Painters, unveiled the portrait.
Over the years, Burnett has been commissioned to paint portraits of such notables as Rosa Parts, former Gov. William Milliken, Max Fisher, Barbara Walters, Betty Ford,
Margaret Thatcher and Corazon Aquino. Her work is shown in galleries across the United States, London, Paris and Rome.
The Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society collects, preserves and displays documents, records and memorabilia relating to the Michigan Supreme Court and the other courts of Michigan, promotes the study of the history of Michigan’s courts, and seeks to increase public awareness of Michigan’s legal heritage.
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