After our lovely lunch, President Rebecca called the meeting to order, and we recited the 4-Way Test, one of the best things about Rotary! Ben Rathbun delivered a thoughtful reflection regarding gratitude, leadership, resilience, and turning hope into action which speaks to the spirit of Rotary’s “Service Over Self” motto. God Bless America was our patriotic song for this week, and then Evan Winters mastered the microphone duties for the introduction of visiting Rotarians and guests: - Ben Rathbun introduced Lhauren Singleton from Ready Set Aspire - Janet Lillie introduced Ed Phillips from MSU Travel - Lolo Robison introduced Sonia Barlow from CATA - Ben Bakken introduced Jason Helman from McLaren - Rebecca Bahar-Cook introduced Pam Moore from BWL - Katie Krick introduced Mordecai from Cape Town, South Africa. He’s only been in the U.S. for 7 days! He’ll be starting his studies in Neuroscience at LCC. Announcements: - The Membership Committee met after this meeting. - Information was shared about the Corporate Membership and attendance. - Thanks were given to Bilky Joda-Miller for organizing Rotarian’s attendance at the annual MLK Celebration. - There is a Greater Lansing Food Bank Service Project to sort food at the warehouse on Wednesday, February 19, at 5600 Food Court at 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - John Person of the Foundation announced International Grants of $4,500 - $5,000 and totaling $45,000. Among the recipients were: o Global Dental Relief o Pathways Togo o Peace Sisters o Rescue South Sudan Village People o Simbolei Girls’ Preparatory Academy o Samuel Omogo Foundation There were nine recipients in all, and many of the recipients serve young girls in need in Africa. Well done, Lansing Rotary Foundation! President Rebecca recognized four of our Rotarians who were honored to be introduced at the Lansing Regional Chamber’s Executive Welcome event earlier this week. They are Joe Garcia, Phyllis Riley, Joseph Yang, and Tristan Wright – Congratulations! Our speaker chair Nathan Triplett introduced Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Justice Elizabeth Clement. She joined the Supreme Court in 2017, became Chief Justice in 2022, was re-elected in 2024, and has once again been selected to act as Chief Justice. This is the first time ever there have been 5 women on the 7-person Michigan Supreme Court!  Justice Clement tee’d us up for what we thought we’re going to be some remarks regarding the recent presidential election and subsequent executive orders, and then she deftly referred to the disappointment we all feel regarding the Lions and that college football team across the border to the south of us – well played, Justice Clement! People often ask what her role involves. One of the most meaningful parts of the job is getting to lead the effort to modernize our court systems and expand access to justice. These efforts not only make our legal system more efficient but also help build public confidence in it, which is absolutely essential. She shared the principles she believes are the foundation of public trust in the judicial ranch. There are six: 1) Independence. She’s had the privilege of working in all 3 branches of our state government and has learned how crucial independence is, basing decisions solely on the law. 2) Fairness. Everyone who has stepped into a Michigan courtroom must be treated equally fairly and with dignity and respect that is not negotiable. 3) Accessibility. Justice must be within reach for everyone, regardless of income, whether the door to the courtroom is physical or virtual, it needs to be open. 4) Transparency. The public deserves to know how courts operate how funds are managed. 5) Efficiency. People want their cases resolved in a timely manner, and we believe decisions should be made promptly so that individuals can move forward with their lives works must also be responsible stewards of public resources, ensuring that both time and money are used wisely in the pursuit of justice. 6) Public Engagement. Judges and justices need to need to get out and connect with the people hearing the people's concerns. Responding to them is critical for building trust and understanding. In her role as chief justice, it is her responsibility to ensure that these principles aren't just words on a page, but are actively guiding every decision made and every initiative undertaken. Regarding the Supreme Court’s basic responsibilities, she shared that they fall into 3 main areas: 1) Deciding Cases. The court hears cases based on their significance and impact, but not just on the particular case, but on cases that come afterwards. 2) Rulemaking. This is a lesser-known but vital responsibility that the court has we set the rules for how courts operate and establish codes of conduct for judges and lawyers. 3) Court Administration. Through the state court administrative office, the Supreme Court supports trial courts with everything from case management to technology like skin licenses. Technology plays a big part in court administration, and she shared how technology is being used by the Court to improve service to the public. From using Zoom to conduct hearings to e-filings, the role of technology plays in making the Court, its services, and its information accessible to the public is huge and an important focus area for Justice Clement. Justice Clement also made us aware of Michigan Judicial Council, which is a group of justice system stakeholders to include judges, administrators, attorneys, county clerks, and members of the public. The Judicial Council was created in 2021 to develop a strategic plan for Michigan's Judiciary. Instead of the seven Justices making administrative decisions on its own, the Council gives them feedback and makes recommendations on what the Michigan Judiciary needs to improve. A Q/A portion was interesting and lively and shed even more light on how the justices operate day-to-day. For example, regarding how they decide which cases to hear, she indicated that they conference every single Wednesday and discuss all the cases the justices have identified that they're interested in, and they discuss them to determine which ones they think are the most significant and will have the greatest impact on future cases. Approximately 2,000 cases are submitted a year. They review 100 cases a month, and only a few are agreed to be heard the following term. Thank you, Justice Clement, for a delightfully informative presentation! Our next meeting is a social gathering on Thursday, January 30, at the Irish Pub from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Email for Phyllis Riley: rileyps@msu.edu |