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Academy

Academy of Municipal Attorneys

Components of the AMA

MAMA founded the AMA July 1, 2010.  Participation in the AMA involves both an educational component and a practice component to achieve the purposes of the program.  The educational component seeks to train and educate the applicant in not only the basic elements of municipal law, but also to encourage academic and scholarly excellence in municipal law.  The practice component seeks to recognize the implementation of the academic component by applying the academic program to effective and competent legal practice.  In addition, membership in the AMA seeks to encourage opportunities for dialogue, friendship, and fellowship — with social opportunities to promote the Academy.

Application Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the AMA must have the following minimum requirements in order to enroll in the program:

  1. The applicant must be at least a five-year member of MAMA, and must continuously remain a member of MAMA or the Government Law Section (GLS) of the State Bar of Michigan, and in good standing with the State Bar of Michigan during the application process.
  2. The applicant must have at least five years’ experience in representing Michigan municipal entities in a significant capacity, including but not limited to attending and advising at public meetings, providing legal opinions to public bodies, representing municipalities in land use cases, personal injury cases, civil rights cases, labor matters, property taxation matters, municipal finance, election law or other administrative matters or prosecuting on behalf of  a municipality, or other areas, as approved by the AMA Committee.
  3. The applicant must submit at least two letters of recommendation that detail the applicant’s qualifications, as set forth above.  The letters of recommendation must be from persons who are not in the same office or firm as the applicant, who have knowledge of the applicant’s abilities and professional accomplishments, or in the alternative, from elected or appointed municipal officials that have worked closely with the applicant and can attest to his or her qualifications for membership in the AMA.

Each applicant must pay a $100 non-refundable fee at the time the application is submitted.

 

Scholarly Achievement

In addition to the educational requirements described below, an applicant must also show evidence of scholarly achievement by completing one of the following within four years after the date of application or prove to have previously completed:

  1. Acting as a presenter or moderator in at least two (2) seminars or webinars of MAMA, GLS, IMLA or MML, or another seminar approved of in advance by the AMA Committee.
  2. Writing and publishing two scholarly articles of municipal interest in recognized municipal or legal publications, including but not limited to MML Legal Briefs, SBM Journal, SBM Section publications, ABA Journal, county bar journal, or another publication approved of in advance by the AMA Committee.
  3. Presenting a municipal topic or moderating at one MAMA, GLS, IMLA or MML seminar or workshop and writing or publishing one scholarly article in a recognized municipal or legal publication, as set forth above.

Education Requirements

Upon application and acceptance into the AMA program, an applicant must complete within four years after the date of application or prove to have completed since July 1, 2010, three of the following six educational requirements, unless a one-year extension is approved by the AMA Committee.  An applicant will be granted retroactive credit (1:1) for each course taken since initiation of MAMA education tracking in 1993.

Required

  1. The Municipal Law and Practice Institute by MAMA
  2. The Annual Advanced Institute by MAMA (pre-MML Capital Conference)
  3. The GLS Annual Winter Seminar
  4. The Annual Joint MAMA/GLS Summer Seminar
  5. The MAMA Annual Meeting and Conference
  6. The MAMA Local Government Academy (previously ABC’s of Local Gov’t)

Although the applicant can take the same course (1-6) more than one time, no more than two of any of the above courses (1-6) shall count towards the required educational component. 

Electives

In addition to the above educational requirements, the applicant must also complete during the same four-year period following application or prove to have completed since July 1, 2010, at least 25 additional hours of instruction in municipal law and receive credit or certification, based on one credit per hour of instruction.  The elective educational component must cover one of the following areas: trial practice and procedure, contract drafting, real property and zoning, governmental immunity, labor law, condemnation, ordinance enforcement, insurance, personnel, taxation, municipal finance, election law, constitutional law, bankruptcy, environment, accounting, budgeting, municipal investing, economic development or other municipal law related course offerings, including:

  1. Additional Required Courses (above) or other MAMA or GLS courses
  2. IMLA (International Municipal Lawyers Association) Annual Conference
  3. The IMLA Annual Mid-Year Seminar
  4. ICLE courses in any area of municipal law, as set forth above
  5. Michigan State Police Training Council courses for municipal prosecution
  6. Prosecutors Association of Michigan courses for municipal prosecution
  7. Other IMLA Courses or Webinars
  8. Courses or webinars presented by the ABA Section of State and Local Law
  9. Other courses approved of in advance by the AMA Committee

Program Completion and Renewal

The AMA Committee will formally recognize the graduates of the AMA at the MAMA/GLS Joint Summer Seminar or at another MAMA program, with a certificate and with membership in the AMA. The designation of being an AMA graduate is effective for five years, as long as the graduate continues to be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Michigan and of either MAMA or GLS.  During this five-year period, the applicant can continue to submit verification of any continuing education in municipal law to MML.  After a period of five years, each AMA graduate can submit a renewal application, where the applicant demonstrates that he or she is still a member in good standing of the State Bar of Michigan and of either MAMA or GLS.  In addition, each renewal applicant must demonstrate that he or she has completed at least 35 hours of continuing education since the time of AMA graduation, as set forth under either the Required Courses or the Elective Courses.  The fee for renewal will be paid by MAMA.

Click here for a printable brochure and application.

AMA Graduates

John M. Barr (2016)
Lori Grigg Bluhm (2012)
Steven P. Joppich (2012)
Kevin K. Kilby (2017)
Peter A. Letzmann (2016)
William C. Mathewson (2016)
Catherine M. Mish (2012)
Andrew J. Mulder (2012)
Carol A. Rosati (2012)
Gregory T. Stremers (2012)