Our Law Firm in Port Huron

Mr. Schonk graduated from Port Huron Catholic High School and later studied law at the University of Detroit Law School where he graduated in 1950. Shortly into his private practice, the residents of St. Clair County elected Mr. Schonk to serve as their Prosecuting Attorney. Of interesting note, Mr. Schonk continued his private practice partnership with Judge Cordon while serving as Prosecuting Attorney, as this practice was permitted at the time. 

Judge Corden graduated from Marine City High School and, after serving in the Army during WWII, he went to the University of Michigan Law School. During his private practice, Judge Cordon served as City Attorney for Marine City and was elected to the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners, where he later became Chairman of the Board. Judge Corden also served a term as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney under Mr. Schonk. 

The Honorable John G. Cummings eventually joined the Firm and continued his private practice until being elected as a District Court Judge for the 72nd District Court. Around this time, Ronald Flanigan and Peter E. Deegan also joined the Firm. Peter E. Deegan became Prosecuting Attorney for St. Clair County and left the Firm as those serving as Chief Prosecutor were no longer allowed to continue private practice. Judge Deegan was elected as a Circuit Court Judge and subsequently became Chief Judge of the 31st Judicial Circuit Court where he served for many years until reaching age limits preventing re-election.



Following Judge Deegan’s departure, the Firm was known as Corden and Flanigan. Daniel A. Traver and the Honorable John R. Monaghan later joined the Firm. Judge Corden was elected as Circuit Judge of St. Clair County in 1978. He continued in that office and served as Chief Judge of the 31st Judicial Circuit until his retirement in 2000. The Firm then became known as Flanigan, Monaghan, and Traver until Judge Monaghan was elected as Probate Judge. He became Chief Probate Judge of St. Clair County, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 2006. Patrick Emerson was a member of the Firm from the early 1990s until his departure in 2001 when he purchased a successful business called Leadership Resources.  In 2004, Daniel Traver left the Firm to become a Federal Administrative Law Judge and is currently the Chief Judge for the Social Security Administration/Office of Disability Adjudication and Review in the City of Louisville, Kentucky. Stephen Walzak joined the Firm in 1995 and served as the Firm’s senior partner until his retirement in 2014.