Attorney Richard Kraus elected to American Bar Association Council of Appellate Lawyers Executive Committee

Attorney Richard C. Kraus of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, has been elected to a two-year term on the executive committee of the American Bar Association Council of Appellate Lawyers.  In addition, Kraus will continue in his position as state chairperson for Michigan. 

The American Bar Association Council of Appellate Lawyers is devoted to the professional development of lawyers who practice appellate law and the fostering of creative dialogue between those lawyers and appellate judges, both federal and state.  Its objectives are to work in collaboration with appellate judges to improve the administration of justice and the practice of appellate law; to promote and advance the role of the appellate lawyer in the litigation process and the goal of recognizing appellate practice as a specialty; and to develop national standards and guidelines for appellate practice.  

Kraus has 35 years of experience in the areas of health care law, appeals, commercial litigation, constitutional litigation and economic crimes defense. He is chair of the American Institute of Appellate Practice, an invitation-only association of experienced appellate attorneys. In addition, Kraus was honored as 2006 Lawyer of the Year by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Brief Award for Exceptional Appellate Advocacy before the Michigan Supreme Court, and has been appointed as a Special Master for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.