Downriver Bar Association

11/02/2026

Meeting NEXT week (Nov. 11) and NOT this week (Nov. 4)!!!!

Downriver Bar Association members and attenders, just a reminder, we are meeting NEXT week on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 5:30 pm at Whiskey's on the Water on Biddle Ave. of Wyandotte. We are NOT meeting this week, Wednesday, November 4, due to the Election.

Next week, on November 11, at 5:30 pm, our guest speaker will be Sara Bowman, Director of the Paralegal Program at Oakland Community College, as she discusses her paralegal program. Please join us for a great evening of learning and networking! The location again will be Whiskey's on the Water on Biddle Ave. of Wyandotte.

Annual Membership fees:
*Returning members: $75
*New members: $55
*New attorneys: $45
*Paralegals/Legal Assistants/Students: $25
*Drop-in fee for non-members: $20

Enjoy friends · Enjoy good food · Enjoy the evening

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Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors:

Hon. Elizabeth L. DiSanto - President
Krystle-Marie Medina - Vice President
Anthony S. Guerriero - Secretary
Robert E. Donald, Jr. - Treasurer

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

We had a great meeting last night for our annual judges night. Thank you to all who were in attendance:

*Judge Elizabeth DiSanto, 27th District Court
* Judge Adrienne Scruggs, 3rd Circuit Court
* Judge Mark Slavens, 3rd Circuit Court
* Judge James Chylinski, 3rd Circuit Court, retired
* Judge Richard Page, 24th District Court
* Judge Nicole Castka, 3rd Circuit Court
* Judge Ann Marie McCarthy, 3rd Circuit Court
* Judge Bryan Oakley, 34th District Court
* Judge Bradley Cobb, 3rd Circuit Court
* Judge Victoria Shackelford, 23rd District Court

A big thank you to our speaker as he shared information about the non-profit known as Downriver Community Clinic of Wyandotte, providing medical treatment for the working uninsured population. The non-profit will be holding a fundraiser dinner on February 12th, 2027. Feel free to contact either the clinic or the bar association if interested.

10/06/2026

TOMORROW NIGHT!

JUDGES' NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026 AT 5:30 PM!!!

Dear Members and Colleagues,

The Downriver Bar Association is pleased to invite you to Judges’ Night 2026. Join members of the judiciary, attorneys, students, and friends of the legal community for an evening of conversation and connection.

📅 Wednesday, October 7, 2026
🕰️ 5:30 p.m.
🥃 Whiskey’s on the Water
📍 2903 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192

Judges’ Night is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the bench and the bar, welcome new members of our legal community, and enjoy time with colleagues and friends. We hope you’ll join us for good food and an enjoyable evening.

Membership fees:

Returning members: $75
New members: $55
New attorneys: $45
Students: $25
Drop-in fee for non-members: $20
Enjoy friends · Enjoy good food · Enjoy the evening

--
Sincerely,

Your Board of Directors:

Hon. Elizabeth L. Disanto - President
Krystle-Marie Medina - Vice President
Anthony S. Guerriero - Secretary
Robert E. Donald, Jr. - Treasurer

09/30/2026

RENEW YOUR STATE BAR LAW LICENSE!

It is that time of year again, time to RENEW your law license. The
2026-2027 License Renewal is Now Open

The State Bar of Michigan uses an online system to make license renewals fast and convenient for Michigan attorneys. Click on the “Renew Your License Now” button above to login and begin your license renewal. Some helpful tips are listed below or click here to review our Frequently Asked Questions.

DEADLINE
11:59 p.m. (ET) November 30, 2026

WARNING: The U.S. Postal Service no longer postmarks mail the day it is sent (unless you take it inside to a service counter and specifically request a same-day postmark). A $50 late fee will be assessed on all payments not received or postmarked by the post office by 11:59 p.m. November 30, 2026 — regardless of the day it was mailed. The State Bar of Michigan recommends online payment to ensure your payment is received on time. You can pay online using a check at no additional cost or using a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit/debit card.

As a reminder, all attorneys must complete mandatory regulation disclosures, including interim administrator planning, IOLTA and non-IOLTA funds, other licensing jurisdictions, malpractice insurance, and any undisclosed criminal convictions.

If you have trouble logging in to the license renewal site, try typing www.michbar.org/MemberArea directly into your browser.

You can reset your password here.

IF YOU NEED HELP
State Bar of Michigan staff are available to answer questions 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays.

For general questions, please contact us at [email protected] or call (888) SBMForU.
For questions about license fees, please contact us at [email protected] or call 517-346-6377.
For questions about Rule 21, please contact us at [email protected] or 517-346-6355.

Some portions of the SBM Member Area, including reservations, purchases, and bill payment, will be down for scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. The outage is expected to begin about 7 a.m. and last for several hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

09/03/2026

WHAT A GREAT KICKOFF MEETING!

We had a great kickoff meeting last night as we welcomed in the new Board of Directors for this new fiscal year. Our new Board was sworn in by Judge Gregory Clifton as follows:

-Judge Elizabeth DiSanto, president
-Krystle Medina, vice president
-Tony Guerriero, secretary
-Robert Donald, treasurer

We also presented outgoing-president Brian Berry with a service award for his faithful service to the association. Thank you, Brian!

It will be a great year as we have some fantastic speakers scheduled. Stay tuned for upcoming calendar events.

Sincerely,
-Judge Elizabeth DiSanto, president
-Krystle Medina, vice president
-Tony Guerriero, secretary
-Robert Donald, treasurer

09/01/2026

MEETING TOMORROW FOR DOWNRIVER BAR ASSOCIATION - SEPT 2, 2026 AT 5:30 PM!!!

Just a friendly reminder that the Downriver Bar Association’s 2026–2027 Kickoff Meeting is next week!

Please join us on Wednesday, September 2 at 5:30 PM at Whiskeys on the Water in Wyandotte as we kick off another great year together.

We’re looking forward to an evening of great food, great company, networking, and the installation of our new Board members. We hope to see you there and look forward to starting the new DBA year together!
--
Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors:
Brian T. Berry - President
Hon Elizabeth DiSanto - Vice President
Krystle-Marie Medina - Secretary
Anthony S. Guerriero - Treasurer

06/03/2026

NO MEETING TONIGHT!

Just a reminder, we have finished our fiscal year, and as is our custom, we take the summer off such that there are no monthly meetings in the months of June through August.

See you at our September monthly meeting for our fiscal year kickoff.

Have a great summer!

05/08/2026

We had a great end-of-fiscal-year meeting last night!

Thank you, Chief Gary Bresnehan of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office who lead the discussion: “From Charging Decisions to District Court Practice: A Prosecutor’s Perspective.”

We held our annual election to replace outgoing Board President, Brian Berry. We welcome and congratulate newly-elected Board member, Robert Donald! We thank Brian Berry for four years of service!
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Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors:
Brian T. Berry - President
Hon Elizabeth DiSanto - Vice President
Krystle-Marie Medina - Secretary
Anthony S. Guerriero - Treasurer

05/06/2026

MEETING TONIGHT!!!!

📅 Wednesday, May 6, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Whiskeys on the Water

This is our last membership meeting for the fiscal year until we restart in September. Tonight, we will hold our annual election to replace outgoing Board member Brian Berry. The newly elected Board member would start as Board Treasurer, and move up in officer title each year.

And, we are pleased to welcome to tonight's meeting Chief Gary Bresnehan as our guest speaker. Mr. Bresnehan serves as the Chief of Warrants, Screening & District Courts with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. He brings decades of experience in felony trials, appellate work, and district court operations, and currently oversees the review of more than 30,000 cases annually.

At our May meeting, Mr. Bresnehan will deliver an insightful presentation titled:

“From Charging Decisions to District Court Practice: A Prosecutor’s Perspective.”

He will share his perspective on how cases are reviewed, charged, and handled at the district court level, offering practical insight into the decision-making process on the prosecutor’s side. This presentation will provide valuable context for attorneys navigating criminal matters and interacting with the court system at its earliest stages.

This will be a great opportunity for attorneys at all levels to gain meaningful, real-world insight into district court practice and prosecutorial decision-making.

We look forward to a great evening of networking, food, drinks, and engaging discussion.
--
Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors:
Brian T. Berry - President
Hon Elizabeth DiSanto - Vice President
Krystle-Marie Medina - Secretary
Anthony S. Guerriero - Treasurer