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May 2, 2002High court justice visits for Law Day- State supreme court justice Marilyn Kelly says there is much work to be done for system's imageBy PATRICK SULLIVANRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Law Day is a time for lawyers to reflect on the public's opinion of the legal profession and to think about how to improve it, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly said at a luncheon here Wednesday. Kelly addressed a group of lawyers and members of the community at an annual Law Day celebration sponsored by the Grand Traverse Leelanau Antrim Bar Association. Kelly praised local judges' efforts to better educate people about the courts, such as an 86th District Court program that holds criminal proceedings at junior high schools. But she said studies show that, in general, lawyers have a long way to go to become more esteemed members of the community. A recent study conducted by the State Bar of Michigan's Open Justice Commission shows some disturbing statistics, she said. - Eighty-one percent of those surveyed believe politics influence court decisions. - Fifty-six percent believe juries are not representative of the community. - Sixty-eight percent believe they could not afford to bring a case to court. - Forty-four percent believe judges are out of touch with what's going on in their community. A Columbia Law School study also found that 39 percent of those surveyed believed lawyers are dishonest and 60 percent believe lawyers are overpaid, Kelly said. In order to overcome those perceptions, Kelly urged lawyers to participate in more pro bono - at no cost - work. She also said she supports Open Justice Commission initiatives to make courts more welcoming to the public, increase citizen participation in juries and make application of the law more even for the handicapped, for those who have difficulty with English and for minorities. Traverse City's Law Day also honored a former judge for his volunteer work. The Liberty Bell award is given out each year to a non-lawyer, but this year retired Judge James McCormick received the award for work since he retired in 2000. McCormick has served as a volunteer mediator, worked at the Third Level Crisis Center, taught a Northwestern Michigan College class on creative thinking and conflict resolution and has done international humanitarian work. Also honored were three ninth graders for their essays on this year's Law Day theme, "Access to Justice." Elizabeth Gartner, from West Junior High, won first place, Dan Kaschel, from East Junior High, won second place and Tara Mulder, from West Junior High, won third place. Each wrote an essay in support of the cautious use of racial profiling by police. |
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