StateBarWatch was established in 2003 by Frank Lawrence, Jr., who is dedicated to protecting the public from the State Bar of Michigan.  The organization is now being run by Thomas Lawrence, a prospective law student, who is preparing his own federal lawsuit against Michigan licensing officials.

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE NOVEMBER 2003:

No one likes plagiarism.  StateBarWatch discovered that (former) State Bar of Michigan Executive Director John T. Berry failed to acknowledge that an article he published was based upon another person's work.  Click here for more.

StateBarWatch discovered that State Bar Assistant Regulation Counsel Victoria Kremski made false statements to a federal appeals panel on her supervisor's behalf.  When StateBarWatch took action, she filed a document styled "correction of a misstatement in the record."  Click here to see the document.  Later, she was hired to teach professional responsibility at the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law.  

StateBarWatch discovered that applicants have been denied admission to the Michigan Bar on character and fitness grounds, simply because administrators did not like them.  Click here to see the internal communication.

StateBarWatch discovered that (former) Character and Fitness Director Thomas Byerley stated to a federal judge that there is "no evidence that any applicant to the State Bar of Michigan has been denied admission for exercising her or his First Amendment rights.” (click here).  He made this statement just a short time after he stated to a different federal judge “The bar has had several applicants who exercised free speech in a fashion that contributed to a recommendation of denial of admission." (click here). 

StateBarWatch was responsible for helping to gather public opposition to the nomination of Judge David W. McKeague to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  Click here for more.  You can also click here for more information about why Judge David W. McKeague is bad news for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

StateBarWatch Founder Frank Lawrence, Jr. defeated the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission's claim of a blanket privilege of its records in Lawrence v. Van Aken, 316 F. Supp. 2d 547 (W.D. Mich. 2004).  Click here to see the Court's opinion. 

 StateBarWatch IN THE NEWS:

December 15, 2003 - Click here to see the Michigan Bar Journal discuss how the State Bar of Michigan abuses the "character & fitness" process, specifically discussing StateBarWatch founder Frank Lawrence's situation.

May 17, 2004 - Click here to see the Michigan Lawyers Weekly article about StateBarWatch's victory over the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission

June 27, 2005 - Click here to see the Michigan Lawyers Weekly article about the Michigan Supreme Court's emergency order to get around the decision in Lawrence v. Van Aken, et. al, 316 F.Supp. 2d 547 (W.D. Mich. 2004).