Kromkowski

I just called to offer my congratulations to Larry Nelson. The unofficial vote count has Mr. Nelson winning by 248 votes. My heartfelt thanks to all who were so supportive of my candidacy. I am proud of our efforts and will continue to be a conscientious and concerned member of our Leelanau community.

Marian Kromkowski: Blend of legal training and moral responsibility

As expected, some are challenging the legitimacy of Marian Kromkowski’s candidacy for Leelanau Probate Judge, claiming she is an extremist, even a communist. The controversy appears to have been ignited after she agreed to appear on WTCM talk radio where she was met with a pre-planned attack on her active defense of human and civil rights rather than an honest discussion about the responsibilities of a probate judge and her reasons for seeking election. The controversy, however, really has its roots in a misunderstanding of the rights and responsibilities of all members of civil society who undertake the task of upholding the rule of law regardless of whether it is popular or “politically wise”.

Marian is not a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. It is no secret that Marian was an early opponent to the war in Iraq. It was her belief that this reckless and costly invasion was based on false information and contrary to national and international law. In this she was in agreement with the passionate voices of distinguished conservatives, including the eloquent “neo-con” Francis Fukuyama; Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to President George H. W. Bush; and the 27 former senior US diplomats and military commanders who issued a statement in opposition to the war in 2004.

Now more than half of the population agrees that US troops should not be in Iraq or Afghanistan. As a lawyer, she has been trained to think critically, to view all sides to an argument and, most importantly, to uphold the principle that this is a country of laws made by the people and for the people. As a woman, she was raised to think more than just of her own needs or those just of her immediate family. She believes she has a moral responsibility to help others, to make sure all get treated fairly and that the bounty of this good earth that we all share is not destroyed.

This blend of legal training and moral responsibility have made her who she is. Her active pursuit of justice outside the courtroom has brought compassion and empathy to her work as a lawyer. The lawyer in her has brought critical thinking, writing and speaking skills to her pursuit of justice outside the courtroom. She is a lawyer for the people in all respects.

There is no question that Marian Kromkowski has the legal knowledge necessary for Probate Court. If the values you seek in a judge are upholding the law without fear or favor and treating all with respect and dignity, we encourage you to vote for Marian Kromkowski.
From the Committee to Elect Marian Kromkowski PO 519, Suttons Bay, MI 49682

Marian Kromkowski has dedicated her legal career to working for quality representation and effective dispute resolution for all Michigan citizens. She has been involved in Leelanau County community activities for three decades.

KROMKOWSKI
In Tune with Leelanau County
• Leelanau Conservancy, Steward
• Early Childhood Initiative of Leelanau County
• Suttons Bay Friends of the Fine Arts
• Suttons Bay Montessori School
• 4-H, MSU Extension Service
• Shielding Tree Nature Center
• Omena Cut Flowers
• Northport Dog Parade
• Great Lakes Bioneers
• Michigan League of Women Voters
• Leelanau Independent Women for Democratic Action
• Area Peace & Justice Community
• Community Sustainable Agriculture
• Fair Trade, Local Food Movement
• Kenosha Creek Buying Club

KROMKOWSKI
Tuned into Legal Profession
• Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim Bar Association
• Family, Children and Probate Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections of Michigan Bar Association
• Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council
• Women Lawyers Association
• Referee Association of Michigan
• Michigan Association of Court Mediators
• Conflict Resolution Service Volunteer
• Up North Collaborative Divorce Professionals
• Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan, Board Member
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
• Voices for Michigan’s Children
• American Civil Liberties Union
• 2009 Child Abuse and Neglect Summit
• 2010 Making a Difference in Juvenile Justice
• 2010 Courts, Child Welfare and Infant Mental Health Conference
• Annual Michigan Judicial Institute Training for Referees
• Annual Advanced Mediation Training
• Annual Criminal Law Conference
• 400+ hours of Mediation Training
• 100+ hours of Collaborative Divorce Training
• Domestic Violence Protocol Training
• Facilitated Trainings re: Ethics and Power Imbalance in Mediation
• Regular consultant for area attorneys re: criminal & family law
• 31 Years More at Kromkowski.com

Your neighbor, Your friend, Your colleague,
MARIAN KROMKOWSKI Your Choice for Leelanau Probate Judge

Law Career:

1979-1993
As a criminal defense attorney, Marian Kromkowski has provided effective and conscientious representation not only to those who could afford their own counsel, but also those who required court appointed legal services. Until 1987, she represented criminal defendants at the trial level in the Detroit area. She was counsel in more than 100 trials. In Wayne County, as a Public Defender, she managed a large caseload and coordinated the Defender’s Office’s Circuit Court appointments. She provided legal services to financially challenged felony defendants in Leelanau County. She has presented at a variety of workshops and served on criminal law related committees, at the local and state levels. She has practiced criminal appellate law throughout Michigan since 1983. She also worked with the State Bar Association and local courts to stream-line and coordinate criminal court procedures.

1993-2010
Kromkowski was the first Domestic Relations Referee in Grand Traverse, Antrim and Leelanau Counties and initiated procedures that are still used in the 13th Circuit Family Court. Since 1998, she has been a part-time Referee in Wexford and Missaukee Counties. As a Referee, she has conducted thousands of formal court trials and motion hearings in divorce and post-divorce related matters such as custody, parenting time and child support for represented parties and in pro per litigants. She is a judicial officer bound by and has followed the Michigan Supreme Court’s Code of Judicial Conduct.

1993-2010
As a family law practitioner, Kromkowski has continuously sought more effective problem solving methods for families in crisis. She was the first attorney in northern Michigan to be trained in Domestic Relations Mediation and to offer such services. She has worked with the Conflict Resolution Service, the Alternative Dispute Resolution committee of the local bar and the local court to improve the quality of mediation practice in our area. She is a court approved Domestic Relations Mediator and has concluded over 300 mediations.

She is considered one of the pioneers of alternative dispute resolution methods in the area of family disputes in Northern Michigan. In addition to being a champion of mediation, she has introduced collaborative divorce practice to our area. She is a recognized educator and advocate for developing ways for families to resolve their own disputes and to fashion acceptable and mutually agreed upon solutions. She is on the board of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan.

She is a member of the Referee Association of Michigan, the Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association, the Up North Collaborative Divorce Professionals and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.

Family Life
Prior to attending law school at Wayne State University, Kromkowski lived in South Bend, Indiana. She is a graduate of parochial grade school and high school. She graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University with a major in History. She was raised in a Polish-American community on the West Side of South Bend. She is the youngest of five children. Her parents were second generation Polish-Americans who instilled in her a strong work ethic, appreciation of her Polish heritage and a respect for the dignity of all persons regardless of their race, religion or economic circumstances. Her maternal grandfather, Boleslaw Maternowski owned a neighborhood grocery store and made the best Polish sausage in South Bend. Her paternal grandfather, Jan Kromkowski, was a skilled carpenter at Singer Sewing Machine Company. Grandmothers Katerzina Kromkowsa and Stella Maternowska managed their home fronts and raised a total of 17 children.

Upon graduation from law school Kromkowski married Matthew Posner. His family has ties to Leelanau County going back to 1947. The couple honeymooned in 1980 at the Posner summer cottage, near the lighthouse, and continued to visit until they relocated here in 1987. The couple raised their three daughters, Esther, Claire and Ellen in Leelanau County. Matthew and Marian have tried to provide their children with a variety of experiences and opportunities that would best insure that they would become smart, independent women with self-discipline and self-respect. Each has been active in their children’s activities on

• the ski hills with the Leelanau Ski Club;
• the meadows and forests with Shielding Tree Nature Center;
• the barn yard with 4-H;
• the dance studios of Dance Arts Academy; and
• the music halls with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Friends of Fine Arts in Suttons Bay

Esther, 27, completed an internship at the Smithsonian Institute this past summer, graduated with a geology degree at Grand Valley State University and will attend Graduate School in planetary geology program at the University of Arizona this fall. She still writes poetry, plays saxophone and piano and recently added ukulele to her repertoire. Claire, 24, graduated from Macalester College in 2008 with a degree in Sociology and Political Science and is teaching English in Toyko, Japan through early 2011. She is our “big city” girl and is considering a future in journalism/editing or law. Ellen worked extremely hard this past summer as the Youth Corp leader at the Leelanau Conservancy. She has returned for her junior year studying marine biology at the University of Hawaii, and weekly checks in on our menagerie of 4-H animals.

Matthew and Marian placed the needs of their children first and have successfully arranged to have at least one parent working from a home office.

Judicial ambitions
Kromkowski has been asked in the past to consider running for judge. Family life came first but the three Kromkowski-Posner girls are now older. The growing costs and nasty tenor of election campaigns have also been a concern for Kromkowski. Her father was twice elected County Clerk and also twice elected County Treasurer in St. Joseph County, Indiana. He said time and time again he was a “public servant and not a politician.” When he died in 1996, Indiana Governor Joe Kernan issued a proclamation honoring his public service.

Family, privacy and costs continue to be a concern. However, commitment to public service, especially when you have more than the requisite qualifications and experience, is also her guiding principle. Kromkowski vows to conduct a respectful, honest and budget conscious campaign.

Marian Kromkowski for Leelanau Probate Judge… Right Time, Right Place, Right Person