Steven Tobocman is a former politician from the state of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. He was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives  until term limits forced him to give up his seat at the end of 2008. A Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, he represented the 12th district in Southwest Detroit. He was one of the few Jewish members of the Michigan House. He was elected to be the Democratic Floor Leader for the 2007-2008 legislative session. He has also voiced his support for Rashida Tlaib

Rashida Tlaib

Rashida Tlaib is a Democratic member of the Michigan House of Representatives. She represents the 12th District , which is located in Southwest Detroit and stretches from an area just south of Downtown to the city's southern border, and west to the city of Dearborn...

, his successor.

Early life

Tobocman is the founder and former Executive Director of Community Legal Resources, a non-profit organization that delivers free legal services to nonprofit organizations building neighborhoods in Detroit and throughout Michigan. Steve launched Community Legal Resources while working as a Skadden Fellow. He has served on the boards of Clark Park Coalition, Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, the ACLU Metro Detroit Board, the Alumni Board of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, and the Detroit Jewish Initiative.

Political career

Tobocman was elected in 2002, and in 2007, he was elected the Democratic Floor Leader. In the house, Tobocman wrote legislation dealing with illegal immigration. The Michigan Immigration Clerical Assistant Act, written by Tobocman, is an important consumer protection law for immigrants.