Speaker Law Firm

05/28/2026

Jordan obtained a win in a stepparent adoption appeal in which she represented the Petitioner-Appellee. The Court of Appeals affirmed the Trial Court's order terminating the Respondent-Father's parental rights after finding no errors warranting reversal in the Trial Court's determination that the Respondent-Father had the ability to contact the children but failed to do so. Great work, Jordan!👏

05/27/2026

This week on the Speaker Law Blog: "Tribal Laws Inapplicable: Mother’s Parental Rights Properly Terminated"

To read more, click the link below:

In re L.A. Ledee, Minor - The trial court properly terminated a mother’s parental rights where 1) the trial court correctly held the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act did not apply, and 2) termination was supported by the evidence and was in the child’s bes...

05/26/2026

Jury selection doesn't just impact trial court success — it also affects appellate viability. Join us this Thursday as Elizabeth Parker and Arnold Reed break down the overlooked connection between jury selection and appellate preservation in our webinar, "Mastering Jury 'Deselection.'" See the details below and register today!

Register for FREE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1WjK8US6RwGg5KlLTIYjUg
Thursday, May 28 1:00-2:00 pm

You’ll learn:
✅ How trial strategy affects the appellate record from day one
✅ The hidden risks of relying on instinct over structure
✅ How to ask bias-revealing questions without turning jurors against you

We look forward to having you join us!

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day! Today we remember and honor those who gave their lives for our freedom. Our office will be closed today, May 25.

05/21/2026

The Speaker Law Team... Meet Catrina Selesky!

Catrina is the newest appellate attorney at Speaker Law Firm! Prior to joining the Firm as an appellate attorney, Catrina was a law clerk for our office from 2022-2023 and was a law clerk for a Family and Probate Court Judge in Genesee County. She will be handling family law and child welfare matters for the Firm. Catrina is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan Family Law Section, Children’s Law Section, Appellate Practice, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Probate & Estate Planning Section, and Elder Law & Disability Rights Section. Catrina graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 2023 and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oakland University in 2019. Catrina lives in Linden with her husband, Ben, and their aquatic pets.

We are so excited to have you join our team, Catrina!🥳

05/20/2026

This week on the Speaker Law Blog: "Trial Court’s ‘Factual Error’ Does Not Negate Its ‘Entire’ Best-Interests Decision"

To read more, click the link below:

In re L.L. Gentry, Minor - The trial court properly held that it was in the minor-child’s best interests to terminate the respondent-father’s parental rights, even though it “clearly erred” in finding that the child had a “lack of extended family support,” the Michigan Court of Appeals h...

05/18/2026

Let us help you rewrite your story and fight for your rights on appeal! At Speaker Law Firm, we cover a wide variety of issues within many different areas of law. If you or your client want to move forward with an appeal, call our office right away: (517) 482-8933, or visit our website to find out if you qualify for an appeal: www.speakerlaw.com

05/13/2026

Every case at Speaker Law Firm is handled as a team! This team approach means we work together on appeals to be as efficient as possible and provide the best value to our clients. No one is working on a case alone; each staff member is crucial in keeping our firm running and cases moving forward!

Think you might want to appeal? Call us today: 517-482-8933, or schedule a call with our New Client Coordinator, Cody: https://www.speakerlaw.com/schedule-a-call

05/13/2026

This week on the Speaker Law Blog: "DHHS Violated Discovery Order: Termination Petition Properly Dismissed"

To read more, click the link below:

In re Johnson, Minors - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services violated the court rules in this termination of parental rights case when, at the father’s request, it did not produce video recordings of interviews conducted with his minor children, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ru...

05/12/2026

Register for FREE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xzl-ygn3QIyXkmSXPEhYYw

The May Family Law Webinar is this Thursday, May 14, and it's a Speaker Law Firm double feature! Join Liisa Speaker and Jordan Ahlers-Smith for a webinar discussing what happens when joint legal custodians make a unilateral custody decision and what we can do to try to fix/prevent it.