Of Counsel
Ms. Speaker has diverse appellate practices in Michigan and federal appellate courts. Prior to returning to Michigan, she practiced in appeals and commercial litigation at a large Dallas firm and she served as the law clerk to Chief Justice John Cayce at the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth, Texas and worked on both civil and criminal appeals.
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Bar Admissions:
- Michigan
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
Education:
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1999
Doctor of Jurisprudence - Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, 1994
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Spanish
Published Works:
- Questions, standards of parental fitness raised in third-party custody cases, co-authored with Anne Argiroff and Rebecca Shiemke, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, May, 2009
- An Overview of Stays Pending Appeal, Appellate Practice Section Newsletter, Winter, 2009
- What Happens to Custody of Child When Adoption Falls Apart?, Family Law Journal, June/July, 2008
- Michigan Supreme Court's Citation to Wikipedia, Appellate Practice Section Newsletter, Spring 2008; Michigan Lawyers Weekly, April 2008
- Revisiting the Structured Settlement Protection Act, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, August, 2005
- A Review of MCR 7.215- Execution and Enforcement of Court of Appeals' Orders, Appellate Practice Section Newsletter, Spring, 2007
- Updated Chapter on Unfair Debt Collection Practices, Tex. Litig. Guide, 2002
- Ethical Considerations in Preparing Witnesses for Depositions and Trial, 18 Rev. Litig. 135, 1999
- Frequent Contributor to Ingham County Bar Association's BRIEFS
- In re Keast, 278 Mich App 415 ( 2008)
- In the Matter of Steven Zimmerman 277 Mich App 470 ( 2007)
- Mackinac Chapter of Sierra Club v. Michigan Dept of Environmental Quality (Administrative appeal regarding concentrated animal feeding operations)277 Mich App 531 ( 2008)
- United States v. Stuart (Criminal case raising several constitutional issues) 507 F.3d 391 (6th Cir.) 2007)
- Palasota v. Haggar Clothing Co. (Age discrimination), 342 F.3d 569 (5th Circuit 2003)
Classes/Seminars Taught:
- Tips on Kreiner and No-Fault Act, Michigan Association of Justice; January 2009
- Hot Topics in the Michigan Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, Family Law Section Mid-Summer Seminar, July 2008
- Ethics and Attorney Client Privilege, Ingham County Bench Bar Conference, February 2008
- Advising your Domestic Relations Clients of their Appeal Rights, Ingham County Bar Association Family Law Section, December 2007
- Employment Cases Attorneys Need in Their Hip Pocket, Michigan Association of Justice, Employment Law Seminar, November 2007
- Appellate Research Tips for Trial Attorneys, Michigan Association of Justice, April 2006
- Payment Terms in Michigan Construction Contracts, September 2004 & January 2006
- Witness Coaching and Ethical Implications, January 2006
- Moderator, Do the Write Thing; Make Your Research Matter, Appellate Bench Bar Conference, May 2007
- Moderator, Using and Improving MCR 7.212, Appellate Bench Bar Conference, May 2007
Honors and Awards:
- 2009 Distinguished Brief Award from Cooley Law Review for Amicus Brief in USF&G v. Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association
- Received Best Brief Award, selected by staff attorneys at the Texas Supreme Court, while in law school
- Obtained Law Degree from top-ranked national law school, The University of Texas School of Law
- Received the Outstanding Note Award from The Review of Litigation for her work on Ethical Considerations in Preparing Witnesses for Depositions & Trial, 18 Rev. Litig. 135 (1999)
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan; Treasurer; Appellate Bench Bar; Planning Committee Member; Moderator (2007); Council Member for three years Secretary for two years
- Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan; Council Member; Amicus Committee; Adoption Committee; Presenter at Mid-Summer Seminar in 2008
- Thomas M. Cooley Law School; Adjunct Faculty; Teaching moot court; Moot Court Judge
- Ingham County Bar Association; Treasurer and Board Member; Chairperson of the Publications Committee for BRIEFS, the ICBA's monthly newspaper; Member, Bench Bar Planning Committee
- American Inns of Court; Executive Board Member, Thomas M. Cooley Law School chapter Member Since 2005
- Michigan Association for Justice Member
- Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society and Advocates Guild Member
- Toastmasters International; Member and former Board Member, 1991 - Present Advanced Communicator-Bronze & Advanced Leader
For a free consultation, please call our Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan, lawyers toll free at 866-473-5636 or contact us by e-mail to submit a question about your case.
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