Business & Professional

We Are Family

Colleagues, friends, family honor retiring probate judge.

Judith Doner Berne
Special to the Jewish News

I is obvious that the lawyers know the
routine on motion Wednesdays in
Oakland County Probate Judge Barry
M. Grant's courtroom.
The pace is swift, the cases quickly
drawn as one set of lawyer(s) and client(s)
after another files before the long-serving
judge.
Grant, age 72, is reluctantly wrapping
up 31 years on the bench Dec. 31, under a
state law that forbids an incumbent judge
over age 70 to run for another term.
As a probate judge, he primarily deals
with cases concerning the distribution
of deceased persons' estates. But probate
court also handles guardianships or con-
servatorships for minors or adults, the
involuntary hospitalizations of the men-
tally ill and minors in need of substance-
abuse treatment or rehabilitation.
"I've always wanted to be a judge, always
wanted to do public service said Grant, a
Bloomfield Township resident who gradu-
ated from Detroit Mumford High School,
Michigan State University and Wayne State
University.Law School.
"My greatest strength was to mediate
— saving people enormous time, stress
and expense!" He hopes to open an office
as a mediator — perhaps being "of coun-
sel" to a law firm.
Grant's advice is to explain early on to
your beneficiaries what you are leaving
them and treat them all as equally as pos-
sible. "There's nothing worse than a fight
between siblings:' he said.
"My biggest achievement:' he said, "is
having the ability to solve problems and
reduce family strife by sitting down with
families to help them settle their matters!'
But he also has helped make the
Oakland County Courthouse a safer place.
Grant pushed for the courthouse to be first
in the state to install metal detectors. And
he recently won approval from the county
Board of Commissioners to install heart
defibrillators throughout the courthouse,
another state first.
His most interesting cases include one
in which a former and a current wife
fought over a deceased man's ashes. ("I
told them to divide them up!')
In another case, a homeless man found
dead in the car in which he was living
"suddenly acquired all sorts of relatives"
when it was discovered he owned a bloc

Judicial Tenure Commission, where her
dad is the first Jewish person to serve as
• chairman.
• Indeed, Barry Grant, holder of
the Eleanor Roosevelt State of Israel
• Humanitarian Award and a member
of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, is
proud of his long list of Jewish "firsts" (see
related story).
"Bill Milliken" he said, when asked to
name a hero, referring to former Gov.
William Milliken who appointed him to
the probate court in 1976.
"It took a lot of courage to appoint the
first Jewish probate judge in Oakland
County. He came down to Oakland County
to swear me in. He had a profound effect
on my career!"
Just as Milliken may have influenced
Grant's life's work, Grant may have influ-
enced his judicial clerk, Anthony Watts,
who calls out the cases and swears in liti-
gants at a seemingly record speed.
"I was fresh out of college [not law
school]," Watts said. "He gave me a shot.
He treats us like we're his family"
Indeed, Grant's Dec. 4 retirement
party, administered by his friend, former
Oakland Circuit Court Chief Justice Barry
Howard, was all about family.
That includes his wife, children and
grandchildren, his "judicial family" and
even what William Beaumont Hospital
CEO Kenneth Matzick called "Barry's
other family — the Beaumont Family"
"Barry has spoiled Beaumont for 30
years now:' Matzick said. Grant has served
as a Beaumont trustee for 21 years and as
chair of the Beaumont Hospital Research
Institute.
Beaumont in Royal Oak is also where
two members of Grant's own family prac-
tice medicine. Son Dr. James Grant, M.D.,
is chief of anesthesiology and daughter-
in-law Dr. Lisa Grant, M.D., is a Beaumont
family practitioner. Another son, Dr.
Scott Grant, M.D., is a family physician in
Judge Grant: "I've always wanted to be a Judge, always wanted to do public service."
Birmingham.
Although each of his children and
of valuable stocks. ("I think we eventually
for a person to go to court.
grandchildren spoke at the Dec. 4 event,
found one real relative')
"My concern is that my successor
it was 13-year-old Eric Frankel who
Grant is openly disappointed that his
[Probate Judge-elect Daniel O'Brien] con-
assured the crowd of nearly 300, "If you're
son-in-law, Mark Frankel, a partner in the tinues providing the service that I have
his grandchild, you've got it made. We
Couzens Lansky law firm in Farmington
made a concerted effort to do over the last [Zackary Frankel, 15, Brendan Grant, 10
Hills, lost the Nov. 4 election to succeed
31 years!"
and Alexandra Grant, 8] are glad that 'Pa
him.
However, a Grant still presides in
is retiring so he has more time to spend
"This is a very sensitive court to human Oakland County. His daughter, Judge
with us!'
needs:' Grant said. "I respect the people
Nanci J. Grant, was elected to the circuit
who come before me. It's very traumatic
court in 1996 and is on the Michigan
We Are Family on page A38

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December 25 • 2008

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