The Michigan judicial elections for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Oakland County Circuit Court are fast-approaching. In fact, for many citizens who are voting by absentee ballot, the ballots have already arrived. The question becomes: Which judges and justices should you vote for in this election?  

Regardless of whether you will be voting at a local polling place or from the comfort of your home by absentee ballot, the judicial election races for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Oakland County Circuit Court are very important and deserve careful attention.

The Michigan Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the state and issues rulings that interpret and determine what the law is for everyone in Michigan, has only seven Justices. Two of those “Justice” positions are in contention for the November 5th, 2024 election.

Similarly, the Michigan Court of Appeals, which provides appellate review of trial court and other lower court rulings from across the state and whose published opinions have binding precedential effect on the Court of Appeals itself as well as all of the state’s circuit, district and municipal courts, is also going to be an issue on the November 2024 ballot.

The Oakland County Circuit Court serves the citizens of Oakland County and is the first line of defense for protecting the rights of people who have been injured by the negligence of others or who have been treated unfairly by insurance companies.

My hope is that this blog post with its recommendations for the candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Oakland County Circuit Court will help make it a little easier for you to know which judges and justices are the most qualified to earn your vote for the 2024 judicial elections. I know from my own friends and family that for non-lawyers, the judicial section of the ballot can be utterly mystifying. I’ll share with you who are the best judges for you to vote for in 2024.  

First, an observation. In recent years, no matter which political party you align with, the judicial decisions in America seem very much to be going in the direction of protecting big insurance companies and big corporations, often at the expense of consumers and ordinary citizens whose rights are being taken away.

The 2024 Michigan judicial elections gives us the opportunity to change this by electing justices and judges who care about protecting people who have been harmed by corporations and standing up for consumers, small business owners and small hospitals who have been  treated unfairly and had legitimate claims denied by large insurance companies.

I have already personally voted for the judicial candidates below, and they are the ones that I am recommending to my family and friends.

Significantly, they are also the candidates who have been endorsed by the Michigan Association for Justice for the 2024 Michigan judicial elections. The MAJ is Michigan’s leading and most respected association of consumer protection and civil rights lawyers and judges.

Michigan Judicial Elections in 2024 for the Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court candidates whom I am recommending that you vote for and who have been endorsed by the Michigan Association for Justice for the November 2024 Michigan judicial elections are current Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and respected lawyer and University of Michigan law professor Kimberly Ann Thomas.

Justice Kyra Harris Bolden – Candidate for Michigan Supreme Court Justice

2024 judicial elections candidate Justice Bolden is the first Black woman to serve as a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court. Before ascending to the state’s high court, Justice Bolden practiced law as a civil litigation attorney and also as a criminal defense attorney. Additionally, she also served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge John A. Murphy in Wayne County’s Third Circuit Court. Justice Bolden also served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. Representing Michigan’s 35th House District, Justice Bolden was a forceful and effective advocate for crime victims. She successfully crafted and passed bipartisan legislation to protect survivors of sexual violence. Justice Bolden continues to serve as a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Straker Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, the National Congress of Black Women-Oakland County, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Kimberly Ann Thomas – Candidate for Michigan Supreme Court Justice

2024 Michigan judicial elections candidate Kimberly Ann Thomas is an experienced and effective trial and appellate lawyer. She is currently a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she is the co-founder and director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic. Governor Whitmer appointed Thomas to the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. She served as a US Fulbright Scholar at the University College Cork School of Law in Cork, Ireland. She has been honored with the Justice for All award from the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. Thomas also has been engaged as a legal education expert for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey, which involved traveling to Jordan, developing a law school curriculum and establishing community-based legal clinics. 

Michigan Judicial Elections in 2024 for the Michigan Court of Appeals

The Michigan Court of Appeals candidates whom I am recommending that you vote for and who have been endorsed by the Michigan Association for Justice for the November 2024 Michigan judicial elections are Judge Adrienne N. Young and Judge Randy J. Wallace, both of whom are currently judges on the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Judge Adrienne N. Young – Candidate for Michigan Court of Appeals 2nd District

Before she became a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, 2024 judicial elections candidate Judge Young practiced law for more than 8 years as an attorney with the State Appellate Defender Office, where she represented clients from around the state who had been charged with felony crimes but who could not afford to hire their own lawyer. Her advocacy for her clients included arguing cases to the Michigan Supreme Court. Judge Young also served as an instructor to educate lawyers and judges on issues involving criminal law and criminal procedure. Prior to joining SADO, Judge Young clerked on the Michigan Supreme Court. She has been an active member of the Wayne State Law School Women’s Law Caucus, the Women’s Bar Association, the Straker Bar Association, and the DEI committee of the Oakland County Bar Association. Before she became a lawyer, Judge Young taught special education – while simultaneously earning her Master’s Degree in Education.

Judge Young is running to be re-elected to continue serving on the Michigan Court of Appeals representing the 2nd District, whose judges are elected or appointed from the counties of Genesee, Macomb, and Oakland.

Judge Randy J. Wallace – Candidate for Michigan Court of Appeals 2nd District

I’ve personally known Randy for probably over two decades, and he has a big heart and a keen intellect. Before joining the Michigan Court of Appeals, Judge Wallace practiced law in Berkley, Michigan, since 1998. He focused his practice on helping people who had been injured in car accidents and standing up for the rights of victims of negligent nursing homes, foster care facilities and assisted living facilities. As an attorney, Judge Wallace fought for citizens whose constitutional rights had been violated by governmental action. Judge Wallace has served on the Michigan Supreme Court’s Committee on Model Jury Instructions and he chaired the State Bar of Michigan’s Civil Procedure & Courts Committee. In addition to representing his own clients, Judge Wallace served as a Case Evaluator at the Oakland County Circuit Court ADR Office.

Judge Wallace is running to be re-elected in the 2024 judicial elections to continue serving on the Michigan Court of Appeals representing the 2nd District, whose judges are elected or appointed from the counties of Genesee, Macomb, and Oakland.

Michigan Judicial Elections in 2024 for the Oakland County Circuit Court

The Oakland County Circuit Court candidate whom I am recommending that you vote for and who has been endorsed by the Michigan Association for Justice for the November 2024 Michigan judicial elections is Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston.

Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston – Candidate for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge

Michigan judicial election candidate for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston currently serves as the managing attorney for the Detroit Justice Center’s Legal Services and Advocacy Practice, where she provides free legal counsel to people from marginalized and underserved communities who would not otherwise have access to Michigan’s judicial system. Huddleston is a trial attorney who handles litigation in the areas of family and civil law as well as criminal defense. Before joining the Detroit Justice Center, she practiced law as an assistant Wayne County prosecutor in its domestic violence division and as a staff attorney at Legal Aid and Defenders and Lakeshore Legal Aid. In 2021, Huddleston was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve as a commissioner on the Michigan Justice For All (JFA) Commission whose mission is to expand access to and enhance the quality of the civil legal justice system in Michigan. Huddleston is also an ABA-certified mediator in the State of Michigan. She is an active member of the Wolverine Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, and she serves as a board member for the Straker Bar Association. Additionally, Huddleston is a member of the Board of Directors for Matrix Theatre and she also serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Employment Opportunities.

Nicole Sophia-Calhoun Huddleston is running to be elected Judge in the Oakland County Circuit Court, which is Michigan’s Sixth Judicial Circuit.  I think Nicole would be an excellent addition to the Oakland County Circuit Court!

We hope this helps you

I hope this blog helps you make the best choice voting for the Justices and judges among the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and Oakland County Circuit Court candidates in the upcoming November 2024 Michigan judicial elections or on absentee ballots that are needed to maintain a fair and well-functioning justice system.

Remember to finish your ballot!

Voting straight party ticket – either Democrat or Republican – DOES NOT include a vote for the candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Oakland County Circuit Court because these justices and judges are considered non-partisan.

In order to ensure you vote counts for the 2024 Michigan judicial elections you must complete your ballot and vote for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the Oakland County Circuit Court as well.

Remember – your vote truly matters.

Paid for with regulated funds by the Michigan Auto Law – Auto Accident Attorneys Committee, 30101 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334. Not authorized by any candidate.