Kommareddi Law Is My Day Job Liberty Bell Award—Dr
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May/June 2016 ARBE A B Genesee County Bar AssociationT Thanks for the Lessons and Memories The Genesee County Sobriety Court Law Day 2016: “Miranda: More Than Words” Genesee County Bar Foundation Crime Victim Advocate—Jayashree (Jay) Kommareddi Law is My Day Job Liberty Bell Award—Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha Regulation of Union Dues and the Constitution: Golden Apple Award—Vickie Weiss Money Talking and Money Taking Ohio State University Water Drive for Flint Supported The Arts Helping Troubled Youth By Two Local Alumni Judges Welcome New Members Protecting your health. Today. You plan every detail of your practice to ensure its success. Nothing is left to chance. Don’t take chances with your health insurance. You and your staff deserve a quality Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan health plan. • Group plans • Individual plans • Recognized worldwide • Solutions tailored to your needs To learn more about the affordable BCBSM plans, contact Member Insurance Solutions. Call 800.878.6765 or visit memberinsurancesolutions.com today. Protecting tomorrows. Today. Member Insurance Solutions is a marketing name of MDA Insurance & Financial Group. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is a nonprofit corporation and independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT May/June 2016 2 Genesee County Bar Association Table of Contents 2015-2016 Board of Directors PRESIDENT – Shayla D. Blankenship 4 Thanks for the Lessons and Memories by Shayla D. Blankenship VICE PRESIDENT – Michael A. Kowalko TREASURER – Jessica J. Hammon 5 Law Day 2016: “Miranda: More Than Words” by Sherri L. Belknap SECRETARY – Sherri L. Belknap 5 Crime Victim Advocate—Jayashree IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT – Jeffrey J. Himelhoch (Jay) Kommareddi Specialty Bar Board Members 6 Liberty Bell Award—Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha Young Lawyers Delegate – Chadd A. O’Brien Women Lawyers Delegate – Vacant 6 Golden Apple Award—Vickie Weiss Mallory Van Dyne Scott Bar – Whitney Frazier Flint Trial Lawyers Representative – Cristine Wasserman 7 Ohio State University Water Drive for Flint Supported By Two Local Alumni Judges Board Members James N. Bauer ‘16 Craig R. Fiederlein ‘16 8 The Genesee County Sobriety Court by Hon. Vikki Bayeh Haley Kyle R. Riem ‘16 Angela Wheeler ‘16 Morgan R. Cherry ‘17 Michael J. Gildner ‘17 9 Genesee County Bar Foundation by Hon. Duncan M. Beagle Craig L. McAra ‘17 Jonathan Poulos ‘17 Tedd E. Bean ‘18 Hon. Vikki Bayeh Haley ‘18 9 Law is My Day Job by Victor Galea Hon. Mark W. Latchana ‘18 Michael A. Tesner ‘18 10 Regulation of Union Dues and the Staff Constitution: Money Talking and Money Taking by Greg Gibbs Tatilia Y. Burroughs, Executive Director Eileen M. Harris, Office Manager 11 The Arts Helping Troubled Youth by Shelley Spivack Starlynn J. Estep, LRIS Specialist 12 Welcome New Members Bar Beat Editor LindaLee Massoud [email protected] Advertisers Genesee County Bar Association Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Larry Day 315 E. Court St., Flint, Michigan 48502-1611 inside cover Mediation, Arbitration & Umpire Services 3 (810) 232-6012 Jakeway Injury Law 4 For editorial information, call (810) 232-6000. Robert M. Ransom, Private Judging 7 Published bimonthly by the State Bar of Michigan, 306 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933, for the Genesee County Bar Association. For advertising, call (517) 346-6315. On the Cover st No material in Bar Beat reflects the opinion or endorsement of the 1 place golf team for 2015: Bruce Leach, Dr. Brian Beissel, Genesee County Bar Association, unless otherwise stated. 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Blankenship, President s I complete my term as President of the GCBA, I am • I learned that we really have Agrateful for the opportunity I had to serve. I am also a great group of members in grateful for the lessons I learned. Here are just a few: the GCBA. Oh sure, I always knew this, but it was differ- • I learned that one had better like pizza because it will Shayla D. Blankenship be served at every meeting where food is available. It ent when I saw it firsthand, feeds a lot of people for a nominal fee; thus it’s the go- upfront, and involved. When to choice of meeting food. I asked for help, you said yes. When I asked you to consider giving to charitable organizations or causes, • I learned how to run a meeting quickly. I thought I knew you did. this before, but when I gathered several attorneys to- gether for a meeting I became more aware that time is • I learned to ask more questions and listen more care- money. They are donating their time to address a GCBA fully. I got calls or emails about lots of things, and no concern or issue, and I wanted to make sure that their matter what that communication was about I learned time was used wisely. to appreciate the feedback from our members. • I learned that I really like people and connecting people I will miss my active days of leadership in the GCBA. I to each other in ways that are mutually beneficial. I now join a growing list of Past Presidents who are always knew this before about myself to an extent, but being willing to help when asked. I leave the Presidency in good the President of the GCBA put me in contact with many hands. Michael Kowalko is ready to lead us into a new and more people I perhaps would not have otherwise met. exciting year. Now Accepting Hip Implant Cases Your Genesee County Personal Injury j Referral Connection G-8161 S. Saginaw Street, Grand Blanc, MI 48439 j Accepting Referrals in All Injury Matters (810) 694-1211 j www.JakewayInjuryLaw.com j Millions Paid Out to Referring Attorneys Auto-Negligence j Premises Liability j Medical Malpractice j General Negligence Genesee County Bar Association BAR BEAT May/June 2016 4 State Bar Honors ... continued Law Day 2016: “Miranda: More Than Words” By Sherri L. Belknap 016 marks the 50th Anniversary of the decision in Miranda ecutor and Glenn Simmington 2v Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). During the week of April portrayed the defense attorney 25, 2016, the Genesee County Bar Association (“GCBA”) before Genesee County high Law Day Committee (“Committee”) recognized “Miranda: school students who were ran- Sherri L. Belknap More than Words” in various activities. domly chosen to participate in the In this year’s coloring poster, second and third grade Voir Dire. The students were given a small taste of what students used their imagination to color a police officer. Voir Dire is really like. Fourth and fifth grade students had to create their own After Voir Dire, the students joined GCBA members works of art to match this year’s theme. The art was dis- and award recipients for lunch. Lastly, the ten teams of played at the Flint Public Library during May. high school students took over the Genesee County Cir- On Tuesday, April 26, 2016, the Committee and the cuit Court and tried the case of the People v Tracy Knotting. American Civil Liberties Union partnered to present “What Their dedication definitely showed with their performances. to do when you are stopped by a Police Officer?” Officer Regardless of the verdicts in the cases, participants all have Terry Lewis of the City of Flint Police Department and Trooper reason to be proud of their work. Steven Kramer of the Michigan State Police joined moderator As the week closed on another GCBA Law Day celebra- Glenn Simmington and fellow GCBA members John Potbury, tion, I was reminded of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s words Justin Henry, and Chris Christenson in presenting what has to in her acceptance speech, “speak for those who cannot.” be done during a traffic stop and what should be done. Miranda: More than Words is one way our profession helps Our annual Law Day Celebration on April 29, 2016 citizens to know their rights under the law. Let’s see what started with Jury Voir Dire. Michael Tesner played pros- else we can do that is more than words. Crime Victim Advocate—Jayashree (Jay) Kommareddi he Prosecutor’s Crime Victim Advocate Award was pre- Jay recruited vari- Tsented to Jayashree (Jay) Kommareddi, by David Leyton. ous community lead- Jayashree (Jay) Kommareddi received a Bachelor’s ers to join the com- Degree in Psychology & English from Delhi University and mittee/task force. a Masters Degree in Sociology from the Delhi School of Genesee County Economics. She is married to Dr. Prasad Kommareddi and Prosecutor David Ley- has two daughters, Madhuri and Mallika. ton was not only one Until recently she chaired the Human Trafficking Initia- of the first speakers tive of the MI Women’s Commission. She is the Co-Founder recruited to address of the Genesee County Human Trafficking Task Force and various groups about is the Co-Chair of the Public Awareness and Community human trafficking but Outreach Committee. also one of the task When Jay volunteered to chair the human traffick- force’s earliest sup- ing initiative, it didn’t take her long to realize that human porters.