Last July, as part of an “On the Stand” profile, I asked Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Elizabeth Gleicher whether she and her husband, outspoken appellate attorney Mark Granzotto, have any heated arguments over non-law matters.
She was all too eager to answer:
Yes. We cook every single night together, and he’s Italian and I’m half-Italian, and our most serious debates are about the pasta — who’s overcooked it, who’s responsible, is there too much salt in the water, canned tomatoes versus fresh, is the sauce too sweet. Mark and my three sons’ favorite criticism is my pasta’s “too busy,” with too many things in it. It’s the constant source of every-night fighting.
Come June 5, you’ll have the rare opportunity to watch them duke it out, as part of the fifth annual Bench Bar Culinary Challenge.
This fundraiser pits a team of three judges (Grilled from the Bench) against three attorneys (Grilled by the Hour) in a live, outdoor grilling showdown, with attendees getting to vote for the best team.
Granzotto will be joined by Lynn Capp Sirich and Elizabeth Hardy on the lawyers’ side, while Gleicher will have allies in Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mary Beth Kelly and 17th District Court Chief Judge Karen Khalil.
And while Granzotto and Gleicher probably won’t be making pasta (who can on a grill?), it’ll still be interesting to see who prevails.
The event takes place 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Grosse Pointe Park home of Court of Appeals Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly. Proceeds go to Alternatives for Girls, Crossroads for Youth and the WLAM Foundation Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact Lavinia Biasell at (248) 351-7059 or lbiasell@maddinhauser.com.
The Michigan Lawyer 