The Oakland County Bar Association will present its 2025 Circuit-Probate Court Bench/Bar Conference, “Beyond Boundaries: Effective Lawyering in a Digital World,” on Friday, March 7, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac, 3600 Centerpoint Pkwy. in Pontiac.
The biennial Bench/Bar Conference offers an opportunity to strengthen connections and collaboration between the bench and the bar. This year’s theme focuses on mastering digital tools in modern legal practice while avoiding common pitfalls. Attendees will gain insights from sessions and roundtable discussions on key topics, including the challenges and opportunities of AI, hybrid practice, and more.
The conference kicks off with breakfast and a welcome and introduction by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard H. Bernstein, Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Circuit Judge Jeffery S. Matis, and Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien. Afterward, participants select two breakout sessions from among several informative options. There will also be plenty of time in between sessions for networking.
When registering, participants will be required to select one of the following A sessions and one of the following B sessions:
—Session A
• Business
“Legislative and Court Rule Reforms (Part 1)” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren, Business Court; and Paige M. Szymanski, Askar Management Group.
• Civil
“Anatomy of a Civil Case: The Dos and Don’ts of Civil Litigation from Filing the Complaint through Trial” with Kari L. Melkonian, Fieger Law; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe; Justin A. Grimske, Secrest Wardle; Laura A. Alton, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC; Scott J. Pawlak, Lipton Law; and Samantha Teal, SMT Litigation Consulting.
• Criminal
“New Standards for MIDC” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Yasmine I. Poles; Pete Menna, chief attorney, Oakland County Indigent Defense Services Office; Nicole Smithson, Oakland County Indigent Defense Services Office.
• Family
“Staying Ahead of the Game - What the Family Division Judges and Referees Expect from You” with Ellen M. Paynter, Paynter & Associates; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kameshia D. Gant, Family Division; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Amanda J. Shelton, Family Division; Referee Tyler R. Martinez, Oakland County Friend of the Court; and Referee Rebecca Decoster, Oakland County Friend of the Court.
• Probate
“Alternative Dispute Resolution in Probate Proceedings” with Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien; retired Judge David J. Szymanski; Chiara F. Mattieson, Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder, & Lazar PC; and Juliet R. Boyd, Dickinson Wright PLLC.
• Late Morning Plenary Session
“‘What Should I Do?’ Addressing Professionalism and Civility Issues” with Michael Leib, Leib ADR LLC; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe; Tim Lessing, Lessing Legal; and Trent B. Collier, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC.
—Session B
• Business
“Legislative and Court Rule Reforms (Part 2)” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren, Business Court; and Paige M. Szymanski, Askar Management Group.
• Civil
“Avoiding the Pitfalls of Grievances and Malpractice Claims” with Kari L. Melkonian, Fieger Law; Judith Cunningham, former Oakland County corporation counsel (ret.); Michael V. Goetz, grievance administrator, Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission; James J. Hunter, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC; and Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffery S. Matis.
• Criminal
“Understanding the Conviction Integrity Unit” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe, and Beth Greenberg Morrow, Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
• Family
“Family Matters: Navigating Ethics and Professionalism in the Family Division - An Interactive Presentation” with Referee Ryan O’Neil, Oakland County Friend of the Court.
• Probate
“Effective Pleading and Early Relief to Protect Assets in Contested Probate Matters” with Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien; Chiara F. Mattieson, Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder, & Lazar PC; and Juliet R. Boyd, Dickinson Wright PLLC
Cost for the conference is $95 for OCBA members; $65 for OCBA?new lawyers, paralegals, students, and judicial law clerks; and $155 for non-members. To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”
The biennial Bench/Bar Conference offers an opportunity to strengthen connections and collaboration between the bench and the bar. This year’s theme focuses on mastering digital tools in modern legal practice while avoiding common pitfalls. Attendees will gain insights from sessions and roundtable discussions on key topics, including the challenges and opportunities of AI, hybrid practice, and more.
The conference kicks off with breakfast and a welcome and introduction by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard H. Bernstein, Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Circuit Judge Jeffery S. Matis, and Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien. Afterward, participants select two breakout sessions from among several informative options. There will also be plenty of time in between sessions for networking.
When registering, participants will be required to select one of the following A sessions and one of the following B sessions:
—Session A
• Business
“Legislative and Court Rule Reforms (Part 1)” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren, Business Court; and Paige M. Szymanski, Askar Management Group.
• Civil
“Anatomy of a Civil Case: The Dos and Don’ts of Civil Litigation from Filing the Complaint through Trial” with Kari L. Melkonian, Fieger Law; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe; Justin A. Grimske, Secrest Wardle; Laura A. Alton, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC; Scott J. Pawlak, Lipton Law; and Samantha Teal, SMT Litigation Consulting.
• Criminal
“New Standards for MIDC” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Yasmine I. Poles; Pete Menna, chief attorney, Oakland County Indigent Defense Services Office; Nicole Smithson, Oakland County Indigent Defense Services Office.
• Family
“Staying Ahead of the Game - What the Family Division Judges and Referees Expect from You” with Ellen M. Paynter, Paynter & Associates; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kameshia D. Gant, Family Division; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Amanda J. Shelton, Family Division; Referee Tyler R. Martinez, Oakland County Friend of the Court; and Referee Rebecca Decoster, Oakland County Friend of the Court.
• Probate
“Alternative Dispute Resolution in Probate Proceedings” with Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien; retired Judge David J. Szymanski; Chiara F. Mattieson, Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder, & Lazar PC; and Juliet R. Boyd, Dickinson Wright PLLC.
• Late Morning Plenary Session
“‘What Should I Do?’ Addressing Professionalism and Civility Issues” with Michael Leib, Leib ADR LLC; Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe; Tim Lessing, Lessing Legal; and Trent B. Collier, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC.
—Session B
• Business
“Legislative and Court Rule Reforms (Part 2)” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren, Business Court; and Paige M. Szymanski, Askar Management Group.
• Civil
“Avoiding the Pitfalls of Grievances and Malpractice Claims” with Kari L. Melkonian, Fieger Law; Judith Cunningham, former Oakland County corporation counsel (ret.); Michael V. Goetz, grievance administrator, Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission; James J. Hunter, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC; and Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffery S. Matis.
• Criminal
“Understanding the Conviction Integrity Unit” with Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé L. Rowe, and Beth Greenberg Morrow, Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
• Family
“Family Matters: Navigating Ethics and Professionalism in the Family Division - An Interactive Presentation” with Referee Ryan O’Neil, Oakland County Friend of the Court.
• Probate
“Effective Pleading and Early Relief to Protect Assets in Contested Probate Matters” with Oakland County Probate Court Judge Daniel A. O’Brien; Chiara F. Mattieson, Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder, & Lazar PC; and Juliet R. Boyd, Dickinson Wright PLLC
Cost for the conference is $95 for OCBA members; $65 for OCBA?new lawyers, paralegals, students, and judicial law clerks; and $155 for non-members. To register, visit www.ocba.org and click on “events.”
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