One of the many challenges for lawyers during the COVID 19 crisis is managing the flood of important information that comes out every day.

In this regard, Michigan practitioners are in luck.

The State Bar of Michigan is doing its best to keep lawyers well informed. On the home page of its website is the headline: “COVID-19 Resources for Michigan Lawyers: We’re here to help you help others.”

What follows is a compendium of up-to-date info on everything from “Emergency Orders from the Governor” to “Attorney Discipline Board Orders.”

You can access the State Bar of Michigan website here.

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COVID 19 Documents at Your Fingertips
An entire page of the State Bar of Michigan website is dedicated to: “Text of Documents on Coronavirus of Importance to the Legal Community at Your Fingertips – Because lawyers need to know exactly what the law actually says.”

The page is updated regularly. Sections include:

• Governor’s Emergency Orders on COVID-19. These cover everything from temporary restrictions on veterinary services to the latest Disaster Declarations.
• Michigan Supreme Court Orders and Guidance. Everything from extensions and suspensions of filing deadlines to permissible activities at court facilities.
• Attorney Discipline Board Orders and Guidance
• Local Court Orders and Guidance
• Presidential Orders

COVID 19 Legal Resources and Referrals
The SBM website also has a wealth of information for consumers, such as:

• Unemployment Benefits
• Avoiding COVID 19 Scams
• COVID 19 and Foreclosure Proceedings
• How COVID 19 Might Impact Your Criminal Case or Traffic Case
• COVID 19 and Agricultural Workers
• How COVID 19 Might Impact Your Social Security Case
• What the Stay at Home Order Means

People working in these areas are deemed critical infrastructure workers: Health care and public health; Law enforcement, public safety, first responders; Food and agriculture workers; Energy; Water and wastewater; Transportation and logistics; Public works; Communications and IT, including news media; Other community-based government operations and essential functions; Critical manufacturing; Hazardous materials; Financial services; Chemical supply chains and safety; Defense industrial base; Child care workers (licensed or unlicensed) who are taking care of children of critical infrastructure workers; Designated suppliers and distribution centers; Insurance industry workers (only work cannot be done remotely); Workers and volunteers for businesses or organizations that provide food, shelter, and other necessities Critical labor union staff.

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