My Mail

Applicants for admission to the Michigan State Bar receive a "greeting letter" which they are required to file with the court system. Filing costs $25, after which the applicant is asked to sign his/her name in the attorney roll book of his/her county. The Wayne County roll book is very large, very old, and looks like a Book of Spells or a tome from The Never Ending Story.

The clerk took my original letter, and gave me a copy. It looks like ... well, a copy. I asked her if I was supposed to keep the original. She said "No, I keep the original. You get a copy." And she wore an expression that indicated she has had this conversation before, maybe a thousand times. Anyway, the text of the letter is below.

Michigan Supreme Court
Board of Law Examiners
Michigan Hall of Justice
P.O. Box 30104
Lansing, MI 48909


May 5, 2006


TO THE COURTS OF RECORD OF MICHIGAN, GREETINGS:

The State Board of Law Examiners, pursuant to the statute in such case made and provided, has examined applicant

[my full name here]

of Detroit, MI and has found this applicant to be of full age and possessed of sufficient learning in the law, moral character and ability to enable this applicant to properly practice as an attorney and counselor in the courts of this state.

This applicant's admission to the Bar of this state is therefore recommended.

THE BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS OF MICHIGAN

Timothy J. Raubinger,
Assistant Secretary