In its first conference of 2025, members of the Michigan Supreme Court voted unanimously to retain Elizabeth Clement as the court’s chief justice.
Clement was first elected chief justice in November 2022, succeeding retiring Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and becoming the seventh woman to hold the position.
In 2017, Clement was appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to fill a Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice Joan Larsen, who was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit by President Donald Trump. In the 2018 election, Clement retained her seat after securing a nomination from the Michigan Republican Party, with her term set to expire in 2027.
Clement is one of two Republicans members on the bench, as Democrats expanded their majority to five seats in the 2024 election, with Justice Kimberly Thomas securing the seat left by the now-retired Justice David Viviano, a Republican.
Clement previously served as Snyder’s chief legal counsel, advising him on a wide variety of legal, legislative, and policy matters. She also served as legal counsel in the Michigan state Senate in 2010.
The court also welcomed Thomas to the bench Wednesday, noting in a press release that this is the first time the Court includes five women, and would mark the fifth time women made up the majority of justices.
“Justice Thomas joins a Court that is fiercely independent and committed to leading a justice system that is accessible, accountable, and fair to all,” Clement said. “We look forward to her experience as a legal scholar, clinician, and professor contributing to the important administrative work of the Court.”
Additionally, Clement, who previously served on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Juvenile Justice Task Force, announced she would be stepping away from juvenile justice issues following the implementation of several reforms recommended by the task force. She named Thomas as the court’s new juvenile justice liaison.
The court will hear its first oral arguments of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
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