Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE)

Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) ICLE is a jointly sponsored institute at the U-M cosponsored by the State Bar of Michigan.

Clients rarely present with neat, courtroom-ready capacity facts.So what do you do when “full capacity” and “guardianshi...
05/28/2026

Clients rarely present with neat, courtroom-ready capacity facts.

So what do you do when “full capacity” and “guardianship” both feel like the wrong answer?

On Friday, June 5, in Novi, Christopher W. Smith from Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices will offer a practical roadmap for navigating the space between substituted decision-making (guardianships—and even POAs) and supported decision-making, including:

• The actual distinction (and why it matters to the communities we serve)
• Michigan’s supported decision-making story: legislative + case history
• What other states are doing that Michigan practitioners should know
• Tools and approaches you can use right away with real clients

When the facts are gray, your process shouldn’t be.

Estate administration is straightforward …. until it isn’t.One unusual asset can create outsized delay, conflict, and va...
05/28/2026

Estate administration is straightforward …. until it isn’t.

One unusual asset can create outsized delay, conflict, and valuation headaches. This session is built for the files that don’t fit the template.

On Friday, June 5, in Novi, Anthony J. Frasca from Dykema will cover strategies for administering and transferring hard-to-handle assets, such as:

• Art + collectibles
• Farm equipment and other specialized tangible property
• Cryptocurrency/digital holdings
• Mineral rights
• Offshore assets

If you’ve ever thought “we’ll figure it out as we go,” this is your chance to build a repeatable process.

If the SECURE Act and Secure 2.0 is on your radar, you already know the problem: the rules didn’t stop changing when the...
05/27/2026

If the SECURE Act and Secure 2.0 is on your radar, you already know the problem: the rules didn’t stop changing when the initial Act passed.

On Friday, June 5, 2026, Nancy H. Welber of Nancy H. Welber PC will be at the Probate & Estate Planning Institute in Novi to provide:

- Analysis of the final regulations under the SECURE Act

- A review and clarification of the most confusing requirements of SECURE and SECURE 2.0, including the 5-year and 10-year rules, and when minimum distributions for beneficiaries are required

- A refresher of the basics including defining required beginning dates for account owners, Roth and traditional plans and beneficiaries

- A discussion of additional trust types like the “applicable multi-beneficiary trust,” or “AMBT, and an “Age 31 Trust.” added by the SECURE Act

Congratulations to Douglas A. Mielock of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC. He is this year’s recipient of the Cooney Awa...
05/20/2026

Congratulations to Douglas A. Mielock of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC. He is this year’s recipient of the Cooney Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to continuing legal education. The award was presented by ICLE and the Probate & Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

For over 30 years, Doug has shared his extensive expertise with Michigan’s legal community—he has spoken at countless ICLE seminars, contributed to several publications, and served in various roles with the State Bar of Michigan.

Reflecting on the importance of building relationships during one’s career and the value of connecting at in-person events, Doug shared, "One of the lessons that I want to pass on to you is that there are all sorts of fabulously interesting people seated next to you and up at the podium… reach out and get to know them.”

Congratulations and thank you, Doug, for everything you do for ICLE!

Also pictured are Warren Krueger of Foster Swift and Jeff Kirkey of ICLE.

Thank you to the 400+ who joined us last week at the 66th annual Probate & Estate Planning Institute in Acme–we can’t wa...
05/18/2026

Thank you to the 400+ who joined us last week at the 66th annual Probate & Estate Planning Institute in Acme–we can’t wait for round 2 in Novi!

Even after 66 years, there’s nothing better than spending a few days problem-solving and connecting with so many talented members of Michigan’s probate and estate planning community. Thank you to the faculty, sponsors, and exhibitors who made it possible!

We were honored to host James B. Steward as he received the Michael W. Irish award from the State Bar's Probate & Estate...
05/14/2026

We were honored to host James B. Steward as he received the Michael W. Irish award from the State Bar's Probate & Estate Planning Section today.

Section council members Angela Hentkowski, Mark Kellogg, and Katie Lynwood presented the award at ICLE's Probate & Estate Planning Institute. It is awarded to a member reflecting high standards of professionalism, selflessness, and community service.

Among the advice he shared, James emphasized the value of speaking up as a contribution to the profession. "I was not afraid to speak up and say I disagreed... If you think that something isn't being handled correctly, say so. Overall, just pay attention and you can contribute a lot."

Congratulations James!

Lisa Hamameh, 91st president of the State Bar of Michigan, kicked us off with opening remarks at the Probate and Estate ...
05/14/2026

Lisa Hamameh, 91st president of the State Bar of Michigan, kicked us off with opening remarks at the Probate and Estate Planning Institute in Acme today! She's joined by Peter Cunningham, the State Bar's executive director, who's set to open our Friday sessions. Also pictured is Jeff Kirkey, ICLE's new executive director.

If you aren't one of the 400+ joining us this week, there's still time to register for our Novi location on June 5.

05/12/2026

Choosing the right trust for your client secures their financial future for generations to come.

In one of 2025’s most popular Probate and Estate Planning Institute sessions, Amy N. Morrissey of Mitzel Law Group PLC broke down the difference between conduit trusts and accumulation trusts so that you can better protect clients and their beneficiaries.

This year’s Probate and Estate Planning Institute covers the essentials of asset protection, trust accounting, drafting joint trusts, and more. If you’re looking to stay ahead in 2026, you’ll want to be in the room.

We’re pleased to announce that Jeffrey E. Kirkey has been named executive director of ICLE, effective June 4, 2026.Jeff ...
05/08/2026

We’re pleased to announce that Jeffrey E. Kirkey has been named executive director of ICLE, effective June 4, 2026.

Jeff brings nearly three decades of experience with ICLE, most recently as the Institute’s chief learning officer. As head of ICLE, he will oversee day-to-day operations and help implement strategic objectives in our mission to support Michigan lawyers.

We look forward to the vision and leadership he will bring to the organization and to continue serving Michigan’s legal community with excellence.

Read the full announcement: https://info.icle.org/jeff-kirkey-named-icle-executive-director

Joint trusts look efficient on paper.In real life, they can be either a clean solution—or the document that bakes in con...
05/07/2026

Joint trusts look efficient on paper.

In real life, they can be either a clean solution—or the document that bakes in conflict, confusion, and cleanup work for whoever inherits the file.

Rebecca K. Wrock of Varnum LLP will dig into the practical drafting questions Michigan estate planners run into with joint trusts, including:

• When a joint trust makes sense (and when it doesn’t)
• Spotting and addressing conflicts of interest before they become client problems
• Tax planning angles that change the “obvious” answer
• Other drafting and administration considerations that are easy to miss

If joint trusts are part of your toolkit—or you’re deciding whether they should be—this is a must-attend.

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