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Attorney By Attorney
Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
What?
Position, Court:
Senior Administrative Law Judge
When?
Years as a Judge:
Since 1982
Years in the Legal Profession:
Since 1978
Where?
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Employer:
Michigan Dept. Labor & Economic Growth, State Office of Administrative Hearings & Rules
http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-10576_35738---,00.html
Size/Sector:
14 judges in Detroit; 101 judges overall
City/State:
Detroit, Michigan
Law School:
University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law
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Undergraduate School/Degree:
Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in Speech Communication,
and with minors in Political Science and Economics.
Other Post-Graduate Education:
I have a very significant amount of continuing legal education
through the (Michigan) Institute of Continuing Legal Education,
the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the
Legal Services Corporation and others. I also have a very
significant amount of continuing judicial education through
the National Judicial College, the ABA National Conference
of Administrative Law Judges, the Michigan Association of
Administrative Law Judges and the National Association of
Administrative Law Judges.
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Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Being a Judge:
As a judge, you come to know that there are many more stakeholders
(people who are affected by your decision) than just the parties
who appear before you. One of the greatest pluses of judging is
a sense of knowing that you are representing society's interests
in the lives of others. It is often a challenge to assure that all
parties to a case feel like they have been fully heard. Making good,
fair, legal and defensible decisions is but one aspect of judging.
All judges command some respect - it is inherent in the office of
the judge. Judges who honor the judicial office command the most
respect in the legal community.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed as a Judge:
Any judge should have good moral character, a sense of fairness,
an unwavering commitment to do what is
right, proficiency in English grammar, syntax, inductive and deductive
reasoning, excellent reading and communication skills, organizational
skills, patience, courtesy and common sense. With these in hand,
all other
skills and knowledge can be learned.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Becoming a Judge:
First, ask yourself are you the kind of person that you would trust
to fairly hear and decide a dispute. If not, consider becoming or
remaining an advocate. Second, ask yourself what you want to get
out of it. If finances play an important role, keep in mind (1)
that a good attorney will command more income than a good judge
and (2) that public employment, while often more secure, has less
potential for substantial increases in compensation. Third, develop
a proficiency in, and passion for, some area of law. Fourth, maintain
and improve your legal skills by participating in continuing legal
education programs, by reviewing law journals, by keeping up with
recent cases handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts
of Appeal and your state appellate courts, and by maintaining knowledge
of current affairs.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
RU.S. Navy at age 17, later (after law school), 1 yr. Private
practice; 8 years with Office of Controller of the Currency; 3
years with Fannie Mae; New York Transactional Practice (partner);
Washington Transactional / Regulatory Practice, Deputy General
Counsel OFHED (1 yr.- present).
Influences and Mentors:
(1) Dennis W. Archer - former Michigan Supreme Court Justice,
Former Mayor, City of Detroit. (2) George W. Crockett, Jr. - former
Judge, Detroit Recorders Court and former member, U.S. Congress.
(3) Mother, Merdis Holiday (passed away in 1994) who helped guide
my career and who even stood with me when I was sworn in as an
attorney and took the lawyers oath along side of me. (4) Charles
Z. Smith - Justice, Washington Supreme Court and former Chair,
ABA Task Force on Minorities in the Judiciary.
Suggested Reading About Being a Judge:
Allow me to instead suggest some readings as an adjunct to being
a judge. Please consider (1) The Elements of Style by William
Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White. It is essential reading for improving
one's writing style. (2) The Elements of Nonsexist Usage, by Val
Dumond. It is a guide to "inclusive spoken and written English".
(3) Handbook on Questioning Children, A Linguistic Perspective,
by Anne Graffam Walker, Ph.D. This ABA publication is indispensable
for judges and others who want to effectively communicate with
young adults on down to toddlers. (4) Getting To Yes - Negotiating
Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher and William Ury of
the Harvard Negotiation Project. This comprehensive and thought-provoking
publication provides a judge or attorney with valuable information
on how to successfully handle the inescapable negotiations that
we all incur daily.
Job Search Techniques Used In Obtaining Your Position:
My job search to obtain this position occurred over 20 years ago.
For a job search in 2001, I would communicate with people in the
judicial body where I have an interest for insight. I would also
monitor major bar association informational publications since
vacancies are frequently announced therein. In addition, for states
where judicial vacancies may be filled by appointment, I would
monitor the appointing or reviewing body (the Governor's Office,
a bar association committee on judicial selection, etc.) for activity.
Always learn the minimum qualifications for the position and be
prepared to demonstrate that you meet or surpass them. Finally,
I would use a job-search engine on the internet, though I would
not rely upon that as a primary method. Government agencies as
a whole are not yet posting vacancies on the internet in a manner
that allows ready discovery and retrieval.
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
ABA Section and Committee Membership(s):
Judicial Division Standing Committee on Technology & Information Systems
Chairmanship(s):
Nat'l Conference of Administrative Law Judges, Exec.
Other Practice Area/Community Activities:
Judicial Division Court Technology Committee; Association of Black Judges of Michigan; National Bar Association; Past President of Michigan Association of Administrative Law Judges; Past Chair of State Bar of Michigan's Administrative Law Section; Wolverine Bar Association
Recent Professional Presentations:
For more than 15 years, I have served on the Faculty
of the National Judicial College. I have routinely participated
in judicial education training programs where I have taught course
segments on (1) Due Process. (2) Role of the Administrative Law
Judge. (3) Professional Responsibility and Judicial Ethics. (4)
Maintaining a Bias-Free Hearing Room. (5) Communication and Stereotyping.
(6) Case Management, and more. I also speak in other venues on topics
such as Ethics, Bias, and Computer Uses for Judges.
Memorable Career Moment:
Several years ago, in a highly publicized matter, I consolidated
for hearing a medical disciplinary proceeding with an employee arbitration
case from a different state agency involving the same physician.
I co-presided the hearing with an arbitrator selected by the parties
to the arbitration. During the hearings, which lasted several weeks,
the arbitrator and I discussed and came to agreed resolutions on
most evidentiary issues. In the few instances where we could not
agree, we separated the proceedings to allow one or the other to
take certain testimony after which the consolidated proceedings
continued. Once the evidentiary record closed, we separated the
two proceedings and issued our separate determinations. Throughout
the proceedings, we never discussed the merits. Remarkably, we were
very close in our factual findings and legal conclusions.
Intriguing Interests:
(1) As an adolescent, I took piano, saxophone and
accordion lessons. While I've continued playing keyboards, albeit
sporadically, after a 35-year absence, I'm starting to play the accordion
again. (2) I play basketball nearly every Tuesday with 8 to 12 guys, half
of whom are in their fifties. By the way, I'm the only minority in the
group. (3) My tastes are truly across-the-board: (a) I drive a beautiful
Lincoln Town Car and I also drive an old, beat-up clunker (brand omitted to
protect the manufacturer); (b) My wife and I enjoy fine dining and we also
get food from White Castle and Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits; (c) We attend the
Warren Symphony and the Detroit Opera Theatre, but we also watch Monk reruns and catch the latest sci-fi flicks. (d) I like flying
first-class, and I also like riding the Greyhound and local public
transportation. (e) I have never attended a circus and am one of only a
handful of Detroiters who has never attended the Thanksgiving Day Parade (I
prefer to watch it on TV).
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