About the Society
Mission Statement
The Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1988 by then-Chief Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley. The mission of the Society is to collect, preserve, and display documents, records, and memorabilia relating to the Michigan Supreme Court and the other Courts of Michigan, promote the study of the history of Michigan’s courts, and seek to increase public awareness of Michigan’s legal heritage.
The Society sponsors and conducts historical research, provides educational materials for students, and sponsors and provides publications, portraits and memorials, special events, and other projects consistent with its mission.
There are nearly 500 members. Society dues are $150.00 annually for individuals and $1,000.00 for law firms and other groups. Attorneys who have appeared in a calendared case before the Michigan Supreme Court may join the Advocates Guild for an additional $50.00 per year on top of their Advocates Guild membership.
Please use the drop-down menu below to choose your membership level and pay your dues online. THANK YOU for supporting the Society’s work!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers:
- President: Carl W. Herstein
- Vice President: Lawrence P. Nolan
- Secretary: Susan Fairchild
- Treasurer: John P. Jacobs
Board of Directors:
Hon. Fred L. Borchard, Lori A. Buiteweg, Hon. Alfred M. Butzbaugh, Hon. Michael F. Cavanagh, Hon. Avern L. Cohn, Bruce A. Courtade, Gregory J. DeMars, Peter H. Ellsworth, John G. Fedynsky, Julie I. Fershtman, Joseph J. Gavin, Matthew C. Herstein, Hon. Mary Beth Kelly, Mary Massaron, Hon. Denise Langford Morris, Shenique A. Moss, Charles R. Rutherford, Hon. James L. Ryan, Stephen K. Valentine Jr., Janet K. Welch, Jill M. Wheaton
Directors Emeritus
Alan Ackerman Frederick G. Buesser, Jr.* Frederick G. Buesser, III* John S. Clark* Maura D. Corrigan John Robert Dethmers* Michael Franck* Samuel C. Gardner* Boyd A. Henderson Jane K. Souris* Nathaniel W. Stroup* Duane L. Tarnacki John M. Wright* Clifford W. Taylor Thomas G. Kavanagh, Jr. John E. Riecker* |
D. Larkin Chenault George E. Bushnell, Jr.* Thomas A. McNish* William R. Peterson* Roger F. Lane* Eugene Driker Andrea Fischer Newman John W. Fitzgerald* David L. Porteous R. Stuart Hoffius* Prentiss M. Brown, Jr. John T. Berry Thomas E. Brennan* Bruce M. Groom Leonard D. Givens David A. Goldman* |
Lawrence G. Campbell Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. Wendy L. Potts Scott S. Brinkmeyer Christine D. Oldani Eugene D. Mossner Michael Murray Patricia J. Boyle* Wallace D. Riley* Charles L. Levin Michael G. Harrison* Ronald Keefe John W. Reed* Frank J. Kelley Richard D. Reed |
*Deceased