Meet Liisa Speaker

Liisa also published her first book in 2021, “Kids Caught In The Middle: How Families Are Harmed When Judges Don’t Follow The Law”. Learn more here!

Liisa has represented clients in the federal appellate courts (the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth, and Sixth Circuits) as well as the appellate courts of Michigan and Texas. She has been recognized by her peers for her appellate advocacy, receiving the 2009 Distinguished Brief Award, presented by the Cooley Law Review from among the briefs submitted to Michigan Supreme Court in the prior year. The award honored her writing efforts for the amicus curiae brief she submitted in the USF&G v Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association case in the Michigan Supreme Court.

Liisa drafted and submitted amicus briefs on behalf of organizations such as the Family Law Section for the State Bar of Michigan, the Family Defense Attorneys of Michigan, the Appellate Practice Section for the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan District Judges Association. the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault, the Michigan Association for Justice, and Brain Injury Association of Michigan. These briefs aided the Court in drafting opinions or orders that had profound impacts on the law in Allard v Allard, Estes v Titus; USF&G v MCCA, Rowland v Washtenaw County Road Commission, Beaver v Barton Malow, U of M Regents v Titan Insurance, and McCormick v Carrier, to name a few.

She has also obtained favorable rulings for her clients, resulting in many published opinions. For example, in In re Keast she obtained a victory in a published opinion in the Michigan Court of Appeals in an adoption case which is now one of the most frequently cited cases in Adoption Law. In Rose v Rose, Ms. Speaker's efforts led to a published opinion addressing whether a party who waived his right to modification of spousal support can obtain relief from judgment. In Glaubius v Glaubius, the Court of Appeals held that a couple's divorce judgement did not bar the mother from later seeking a revocation of her ex-husband's paternity. In Lieberman v Orr she convinced the Court of Appeals to overturn a trial judges so called parenting time decision because the new parenting time schedule actually changed custody. In In re MGR, she helped prospective adoptive parents finalize an adoption after years of litigation, multiple appeals and Supreme Court oral argument. She has achieved great success in obtaining the rarely-granted peremptory reversals for clients in the Michigan Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. In Romans v Michigan DHS she obtained a reversal from 6th Circuit of trial court's grant of summary judgment on an employee's Family Medical Leave Act claim.

Through her written and oral advocacy, Ms. Speaker has demonstrated a passion for developing an appellate practice that gives her clients a voice, while contributing to the legal community. She is a council member and the current treasurer for the State Bar of Michigan Family Law Section, as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She was also previously appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to two four-year terms on the Court Reporter and Recorder Board of Review. Liisa lives in Lansing with her husband, two daughters, a dog and a turtle.

Published Decisions:

Baby Boy Doe, __ Mich __ (2022).
Kostreva v Kostreva, 337 Mich App 648 (2021).
People v Parrott, 335 Mich App 648 (2021).
Martin v Martin, 331 Mich App 224 (2020).
Bofysil v Bofysil, 332 Mich App 232 (2020).
In re Jankowski, 335 Mich App 273 (2020).
Pennington v Pennington, 329 Mich App 562 (2019).
In re AGD, 327 Mich App 332 (2019).
In re MGR, 323 Mich App 279 (2019).
In re Blakeman, Minors, 326 Mich App 318 (2018).
In re Miller minors, 322 Mich App 497 (2018).
In re MJG, 320 Mich App 310 (2017).
In re Adoption of JSP and In re Adoption of BGP, 320 Mich App 338 (2017).
Geering v King, 320 Mich App 182 (2017).
Elahham v Al-Jabban, 319 Mich App 112 (2017).
Allard v Allard, Opinion on Remand, 318 Mich App 583 (2017) (Amicus curiae).
Lieberman v Orr, 319 Mich App 68 (2017).
Wallen v Yachcik, 319 Mich App 24 (2017).
Estate of Tyler Maki v Victor Coen, 318 Mich App 532 (2017).
Bowling v McCarrick, 318 Mich App 568 (2016).
In re Deng, Minors, 314 Mich App 615 (2016).
Madson v Jaso, 501 Mich 1024 (2018).
In re Bittner, 312 Mich App 227 (2015).
Maier v Maier, 211 Mich App 218 (2015).
Richards v Richards, 310 Mich App 683 (2015).
Hunter v Sisco, 497 Mich 45 (2014) (Amicus curiae).
Glaubius v Glaubius, 306 Mich App 157 (2014).
Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company LLC v NCPCP/BRYS Centre LLC, 305 Mich App 215; (2014) (Oral Argument Only).
W.H. Bearce Trust v Estate of Rosemary Futrell, 303 Mich App 28 (2013).
Burris v Kam Transport Inc, 301 Mich App 482 (2013).
Berrien v United States, 711 F.3d 654 (6th Cir 2013 [Mich.]).
Romans v Michigan Department of Human Services, 668 F3d 826 (6th Cir. 2012 [Mich.]).
People v Gomez, 295 Mich App 411 (2012).
Joseph v Auto Club Ins Ass’n, 491 Mich 200 (2012) (Amicus curiae).
Augustine v Allstate (After Remand), 292 Mich App 408 (2011).
Krohn v Home-Owners Ins Co, 490 Mich 145 (2011) (Amicus curiae).
University of Michigan Regents v Titan Insurance Co, 487 Mich 289 (2010) (Amicus curiae).
McCormick v Carrier, 478 Mich 180 (2010) (Amicus curiae).
Rose v Rose, 289 Mich App 45 (2010).
United States Fidelity Ins & Guar Co v Mich Catastrophic Claims Ass’n, 484 Mich 1 (2009).
Estes v Titus, 481 Mich 573 (2008) (Amicus curiae).
In the Matter of Alyssa and Amber Keast, Minors, 278 Mich App 415 (2008).
In the Matter of Steven Zimmerman, Minor, 277 Mich App 470 (2008), rev’d in part 48 Mich 1143 (2008).
Mackinac Chapter of Sierra Club v. Michigan DEQ, 277 Mich App 53 (2008).
Rowland v Washtenaw County Rd Comm’n, 477 Mich 197 (2007) (Amicus curiae).
United States v. Stuart, 507 F.3d 391(6th Cir. 2007 [Mich.]).
Palasota v. Haggar Clothing Co., 342 F.3d 569 (5th Cir. 2003 [Tex.]).