Richard S. Victor

Senior and Founding Partner of Richard S. Victor, PLLC, Richard S. Victor, has practiced law since 1975. He has authored many nationally published articles on Family Law, as well as co-authoring two books: Michigan Family Law and Practice, a three volume treatise on family law; and You and Me Make Three, a children’s book regarding divorce, which was the recipient of several national book awards. He has been a faculty member or guest lecturer at Colleges, Universities, Symposiums, Law Schools, and Bar Associations around the United States and Canada.

Richard is listed as a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers and listed in Best Lawyers in America; and has been named a Super Lawyer by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine every year, since its inception and was featured on the cover of Super Lawyers publication with a special feature story in 2008. He has served as President of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was elected to the National Board of Governors of the Academy, receiving its coveted National Fellow of the Year award in 2006. He was elected Chairperson of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and received its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000 upon his 25th anniversary from graduating Michigan State University College of Law he was honored with the National Alumni of the Year Award. In 2004 the State Bar of Michigan presented him with one of its most prestigious awards, the Champion Of Justice Award, honoring him for his work on behalf of families and children. He was named as one of the top ten lawyers in Michigan by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and was awarded the Meritorious Service to the Children of America Award by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Richard is the national founder and has served, pro bono as the Executive Director of the national nonprofit Grandparents Rights Organization, since 1982. He also founded the national nonprofit Victor Smile Foundation, providing benefits to children of divorce. He, along with Judge Edward Sosnick of the Oakland County Family Court, created the SMILE (Start Making It Livable for Everyone) program (an educational program for divorcing parents) for both the state of Michigan and around the United States, as well as for the country of Australia.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

• B.S. Wayne State University 1971
• J.D. Michigan State College of Law 1975

TEACHING/LECTURE POSITIONS:

• Faculty Member 1975 through 1992 Oakland University, Rochester, MI, Author and Instructor in Family Law.
• Law School Guest Lecturer on Family Law and Child Custody: Emory Law School, University of Michigan Law School, Michigan State University College of Law, the Detroit College of Law, Wayne State University Law School, and University of Detroit Law School.
• Guest Lecturer for Institute for Continuing Legal Education; Family Law Section State Bar of Michigan; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; and American Bar Association.
• Keynote speaker for State Bar Convention-Family Law Section for the Arizona Bar Association-1994; Delaware Bar Association-Family Law Section-2002

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• Named to Best Lawyers in America for Family Law
• Named by U.S. News and World Reports top Family Law Firm in Metropolitan Detroit
• 2008-Cover Story Michigan Super Lawyers edition, published by Law and Politics Magazine;
• 2008- Hermes Creative Book Award for Children’s Books (You and Me Make Three);
• 2006- National Fellow of the Year, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers;
• 2004 -Champion of Justice Award, State Bar of Michigan;
• 2000- National Alumni of the Year, Michigan State College of Law;
• 1999- Lifetime Achievement Award, Family Law Section State Bar of Michigan;
• 1999-Lawyer of the Year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly;
• 1993-Meritorious Service to the Children of America Award, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges