Berrien County Courthouse to be honored as state’s oldest courthouse

Published 3:38 pm Monday, June 24, 2013

The State Bar of Michigan will be hosting the dedication of its 38th Michigan Legal Milestone, honoring the historic Berrien County Courthouse at noon on Wednesday at Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University.

The Berrien County Courthouse was chosen to be the 38th Michigan Legal Milestone because it is the oldest courthouse in Michigan.

The dedication ceremony will last one hour, and will feature these speakers:

• Janet Welch, executive director, State Bar of Michigan, Lansing

• Bruce Courtade, president, State Bar of Michigan, Lansing; shareholder, Rhoades McKee, PC, Grand Rapids

• John Fedynsky, Author, “Michigan’s County Courthouses”; assistant Attorney General, Lansing

• Robert Myers, curator of the History Center at Courthouse Square, Berrien Springs

• Michael Marrs, attorney, Conybeare Law Office PC, Berrien Springs

• Hon. Thomas Nelson, Berrien County Circuit Court

• Hon. Alfred Butzbaugh, retired Berrien County Circuit Court; former President, State Bar of Michigan

The State Bar of Michigan has been operating the Michigan Legal Milestone program for 27 years. The program entails placing bronze plaques at locations around the state that honor important people, cases, and locations in the state’s legal history. For more information on the program, visit www.michbar.org/programs/milestones.cfm.