Kupferschmidt Honored as Champion of Justice

The State Bar of Michigan honored many of its own at the Distinguished Service Awards dinner held during the 69th Annual Meeting in Lansing on September 30, 2004.

Among the honorees was Western Michigan Legal Services attorney Richard C. Kupferschmidt of Kalamazoo who was presented with the 2004 Champions of Justice Award.  This award is given for integrity and adherence to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and for professional accomplishments that benefit national, state or local communities.

Kupferschmidt has contributed greatly to the Kalamazoo community throughout his career as a legal aid attorney for the past twenty-five years.  In particular, he has shown a great commitment to poverty issues through domestic violence work and housing advocacy on behalf of the poor.  He has been very active in the Kalamazoo County Bar Association, serving a President (1997-1998) and served on it Board of Directors from 1994-1998.  He was a founder of the Pro Bono Legal Clinics in Kalamazoo and has served as an active and regular participant in the clinics.  He has also served on serveral Kalamazoo District Court committees and the Kalamazoo County Homeless Advisory Council.

During his career in legal services, Kupferschmidt has supervised and mentored dozens of law students and new lawyers instilling in them a zeal for representing the interests of the poor and modeling the best qualities of the profession.

His community involvement has also led him to be a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Westwood Neighborhood Association.  He also served as President of the West Main Hill Neighborhood Association.  Kupferschmidt lives with his wife Vickie and their two sons in Kalamazoo.