Michigan Legislative Council Appoints Honigman Partner Peter B. Ruddell as Chair of Michigan Law Revision Commission

The Michigan Legislative Council appointed Honigman Government Relations and Regulatory Practice Group Co-Leader and Partner Peter B. Ruddell as chair of the Michigan Law Revision Commission, effective today. The commission was established to review laws and determine the needs of legal reforms for the State of Michigan. Ruddell replaces Richard D. McLellan who held the role since 1986. Ruddell will be the fourth person to chair the commission since its establishment in 1965. 

“It’s an honor to be appointed to this commission that impacts our state laws and has a legacy of excellence and innovation and has been led by distinguished lawyers such as Richard McLellan and Jason Honigman, one of our firm’s founders, who was chair from 1967 to 1981,” said Ruddell. 

The Michigan Law Revision Commission (“MRLC”) is a body formed under the Michigan Legislative Council, which was created by Article IV, Section 15 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963. The Michigan Legislative Council created the MRLC to perform this constitutional obligation: “The council shall periodically examine and recommend to the legislature revision of the various laws of the state.” 

According to the MLRC: “Legislation enacted in 1965 establishing the Legislative Council, Act 412 of 1965 (since superseded by Act 268 of 1986), also authorized the creation of a law revision commission to "examine the common law and statutes of the state and current judicial decisions for the purpose of discovering defects and anachronisms in the law and recommending needed reforms." The commission makes an annual report to the (Michigan) Legislative Council.”

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