Joshua A. Lerner
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Attorney Joshua A. Lerner is a trial litigator and a founding partner at Cohen, Lerner & Rabinovitz, P.C., when it came into its present form in 1998. He practices commercial litigation, construction law, and personal injury including medical provider claims against insurance companies.

Mr. Lerner has over 20 years of experience representing clients in Michigan and Illinois. He has litigated over 50 civil trials and has argued before the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court. Mr. Lerner is also admitted to practice federal courts including the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan and United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Prior to practicing law, Mr. Lerner served as a television producer. There he learned the importance of putting people first. He uses this expertise to help his clients, working with them to find the best way to reach an optimal result based on their priorities. He is also a frequent lecturer for the Striker Bar Association and the Wolverine Bar Association. He has also served as a panelist for the Attorney Discipline Board for the State Bar of Michigan since 2000. 

Areas of Practice

Commercial Litigation & Franchise Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation

Representative Cases

Collins v. Nizzi

  • 2020 Mich. App. LEXIS 6555 (Mich. Ct. App., Oct. 5, 2020)

Mathes v. Steele

  • 2020 Mich. App. LEXIS 8794 (Mich. Ct. App., Dec. 29, 2020)

Atmosphere Hospitality Mgmt. Servs., LLC v. Royal Realties, LLC 

  • 28 F. Supp. 3d 692; 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91100, June 26, 2014
  • Represented a property management company, enabling the business to keep a 778-room hotel in Dearborn, Michigan operating without interruption

Fields v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. 

  • Unpublished opinion of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, issued April 3, 2012 (Docket No. 11-15296).
  • Represented a catastrophically injured motorist to recover no-fault benefits from his auto insurance provider.

Nicholson v. Citizens Ins. Co. Of America 

  • 493 Mich. 880; 821 N.W. 2d. 786 (2012)

Price v. Kosmalski (In re Receivership of 11910 S. Francis Road)  

  • 492 Mich. 208; 821 N.W. 2d. 503 (2012)

Hall Steel Co. v. Metalloyd, Ltd.

  • 492 F.Supp. 2d 715 (E.D. Mich 2007)

Cassidy v. Akzo Nobel Salt 

  • 308 F.3d 316 (6th Cir. 2002)

Franklin Historic District Study Committee v. Village of Franklin 

  • 241 Mich. App. 184; 614 N.W. 2d 703 (2000)

American Federation of TV & Radio Artists v. WJBK-TV 

  • 164 F.3d 1004 (6th Cir. 1999)
  • Represented a private union at arbitration, securing an arbitrator’s authorization to issue and enforce subpoenas to produce records against third parties.

Suttles v. Dept. of Transportation

  • 216 Mich. App. 166 (1996) 457 Mich.
  • 635; 578 N.W. 2d. 295 (1998)

Gotlib v. Paul Revere Life Ins. Co.,  

  • 26 F.Supp. 2d 989 (E.D. Mich. 1998)
  • Represented a commission-based sales employee in a wrongful discharge lawsuit after she was denied payment of her commissions.

Gjelaj v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 

  • 27 F.Supp. 2d 1011 (E.D. Mich. 1998)

Bar Admissions

State Bar of Michigan, 1995

State Bar of Illinois, 1996

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1995

U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit 1996

U.S. Supreme Court, 2002

Education

Indiana University School of Law, 1994

  • Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
  • Order of the Barrister (top 10%)
  • Indiana International & Comparative Law Review Member
  • First Place, Moot Court Competition

Wayne State University Law School, Detroit, MI, 1993-1994

  • Visiting Student 
  • American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Advocacy, 1993

University of Wisconsin, 1989

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and Political Science

Professional Experience

Cohen & Ellias, P.C., Associate Attorney, 1998

Blum, Konheim & Elkin, Associate Attorney, 1995-1998

Garan, Lucow, Miller, Seward & Becker, Law Clerk, 1993-1994

Maurer, Rifkin & Hill, Law Clerk, 1992

Larry King Live Show, Associate Producer

PM Magazine, Producer

WOR-TV, New York, Associate Producer

WDIV-TV, Detroit, Producer, News Department

WANE-TV, Fort Wayne, Executive News Producer

Professional Activities

State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners, 1999-2002; 2023 - Present

State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly, 2020 – 2023.

State of Michigan, Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, Hearing Panelists, 2000 - Present

State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section, Executive Council, 1995-2002. Chair 2000 – 2001.

American Bar Association, House of Delegates, 2001-2003

D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, Bar Lecturer, 1996 – Present

Organizations and Memberships

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

Hillel of Metropolitan Detroit

Michigan Chamber of Commerce – Leadership Michigan, Graduate, Class of 2003

Published Works

“Snuffing Out a National Symbol: What the U.S. Can Learn From France’s New Non-Smoking Law,” Indiana International & Comparative Law Review 4 (Fall 1993): 331