Distinguished Service Award – Bench Officer Commissioner Michael Bishay
We were proud to present our annual award for Distinguished Service in the Bench Officer category to Alameda County Superior Court Commissioner Michael Bishay at our Installation and Distinguished Service Awards night on April 7th at the beautiful Brazillian Room in Tilden Regional Park.
Commissioner Michael Bishay joined the Alameda County Superior Court in 2018 and has been a part of the family law bench since that time. Prior to his current assignment, Commissioner Bishay served as the Supervising Judicial Officer of the family law division in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Before becoming a judicial officer, Commissioner Bishay was a certified family specialist with his own practice and worked as an FBI Analyst/Contractor.
Anyone who has been in Commissioner Bishay’s department knows he approaches each case and litigant with kindness and compassion, with the goal of helping the family appearing in front of him. Commissioner Bishay has worked closely with the Legal Access Alameda staff on the Family Law Day of Court Program and the Family Status Conference (FLSC) Clinic. During the development of the FLSC clinic, Commissioner Bishay offered to host this new clinic in his department on top of his normal caseload, and has continued to collaborate with clinics staff to make the clinic work remotely over the last year and a half. Commissioner Bishay continues to make assisting SRLs who desperately need help a priority in his department and supporting Legal Access’ programs that help low-income litigants in the county.
Outside of the courtroom, Commissioner Bishay always offers his expertise and time to support the training of family law attorneys. In addition to presenting at ACBA and Legal Access trainings, Commissioner Bishay has recently participated in family law and domestic violence trainings for CEB, the Court and ACFLA. Finally, Commissioner Bishay has invited new attorneys to shadow him at settlement conferences and learn from an expert on how to settle cases.