Bio of Steven H. Schwartz

Mr. Schwartz has thirty-three years of labor and employment law experience, and he is both an ICLE-trained mediator and case evaluator for the Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland County Mediation Tribunals.  He is also appointed to the Labor and Employment Arbitration panels for the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Schwartz holds an “AV” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell rating service, the highest possible ranking for professional competence. He is a frequent speaker at many professional organizations, including the Labor and Employment Relations Association, Michigan Public Employers Labor Relations Association, Michigan Finance Officers Association and Michigan Local Government Management Association. He is a Past President of the Labor and Employment Relations Association.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Schwartz was the Assistant City Manager/Personnel Director for the City of Birmingham and Executive Director of the Intergovernmental Cable Communications Authority. During this time, he attended Wayne State University Law School, graduating sixth in his class. He also was a member and Associate Editor of the Wayne Law Review, publishing an article: After Carr: Rehabilitating The Michigan Handicappers’ Statute. He earned the “book” award for the top grades in Local Government Law and Labor Law and was selected by the faculty to the prestigious Order of the Coif.

Education

  • Juris Doctor, 1998, Wayne State University (magna cum laude)
  • Masters of Urban Planning, 1976, University of Michigan
  • Bachelors of Arts, Clark University (with honors)

Bar Admissions

  • State Bar of Michigan
  • State Bar of Ohio
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court, Western District of Michigan
  • United States Court of Appeals

Professional Memberships

  • American Bar Association,
    Labor and Employment Section
    Litigation Section
  • State Bar of Michigan
    Labor and Employment Section
  • Labor and Employee Relations Association
  • Michigan Public Employee Labor Association

Publications and Speaking Engagements

  • “2011 Amendments to Michigan’s Labor Law: An Overview,” Michigan Public Employment and Labor Relations Manual (2016)
  • “Overview of Two Recent Changes in Michigan Public Sector Labor Law,” State Bar of Michigan Labor Section Newsletter (2011)
  • “After Carr: Rehabilitating the Michigan Handicappers’ Statute,” Wayne Law Review (1976)
  • Speaker, Public Sector Law Labor Update, Michigan Township Attorneys Legal Institute, December 2012.
  • Speaker, Eating an Elephant One Spoonful at a Time - Managing OPEB Liability, Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association, September 2013.
  • Speaker, Avoiding Common Mistakes in Grievance Arbitration and Labor Negotiations, Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association, June 2017.
  • Speaker, Right To Work--Effect on Labor Relations; Labor and Employee Relations Association, spring 2018.
  • Speaker, Sexual Harassment in the "Me Too" Era,  Labor and Employee Relations Association, spring 2019.
  • Speaker, Protecting People in the Workplace, Labor and Employee Relations Association, June 2020.
  • Protecting Employees in the Workplace, Labor and Employment Law Section - State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Lawnotes, fall 2020