Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard is flanked at the awards ceremony by Butzel attorney Jim Rosenfeld and Foley & Lardner attorney Ray Carey.
Patricia Perez Fresard, chief judge of the Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County for the past two years, was in the spotlight on November 14 at the Detroit Yacht Club as this year’s recipient of the Detroit Bar Foundation Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award.
Fresard, the first Hispanic chief judge in the court’s history, joins an illustrious list of previous winners that has included the likes of the late U.S. Senator Carl Levin, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, former state Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The 20th annual event was held in honor of former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, a past president of the American Bar Association.
A judge for 25 years, Fresard was first elected to the bench in 1999. There, she has tried more than 500 cases and was instrumental in establishing Wayne County’s Drug Court. In September 2012, Fresard transferred to the Court’s Civil Division and was named Presiding Judge in 2016. Three years later, she was appointed Chief Judge Pro Tem.
Before becoming a judge, the Detroit College of Law graduate served as a prosecutor.
Judge Fresard’s mantra is “joining forces to serve better together,” which she does in both her professional and personal life. Fresard remains active in the Wayne County community, sitting on the board of directors for La Sed, a nonprofit agency serving Hispanics and residents of Southwest Detroit, the Detroit Bar Association Foundation, and the Mediation Tribunal Association. She is also a member of Wayne County’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force. In addition, Fresard has allocated time, talent, and resources to the crafting of a Diversity and Inclusion Plan for the Third Judicial Circuit.
A native of Ecuador who came to Detroit with her family at the age of 3, Fresard enjoys painting and spending time with her husband, three children, and three grandchildren.
“For two decades, the Detroit Bar Foundation has presented the Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award to a member of our profession whose commitment to public service goes about and beyond the call of duty,” said a spokesperson for the Foundation. “Since 2003, this award has been reserved for the best of the best of Michigan’s legal profession – extraordinary lawyers and judges who have established careers dedicated to the betterment of both our profession and our community.”
Proceeds from the November 14 event will help fund free law clinics and outreach programs in the community.
Fresard, the first Hispanic chief judge in the court’s history, joins an illustrious list of previous winners that has included the likes of the late U.S. Senator Carl Levin, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, former state Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The 20th annual event was held in honor of former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, a past president of the American Bar Association.
A judge for 25 years, Fresard was first elected to the bench in 1999. There, she has tried more than 500 cases and was instrumental in establishing Wayne County’s Drug Court. In September 2012, Fresard transferred to the Court’s Civil Division and was named Presiding Judge in 2016. Three years later, she was appointed Chief Judge Pro Tem.
Before becoming a judge, the Detroit College of Law graduate served as a prosecutor.
Judge Fresard’s mantra is “joining forces to serve better together,” which she does in both her professional and personal life. Fresard remains active in the Wayne County community, sitting on the board of directors for La Sed, a nonprofit agency serving Hispanics and residents of Southwest Detroit, the Detroit Bar Association Foundation, and the Mediation Tribunal Association. She is also a member of Wayne County’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force. In addition, Fresard has allocated time, talent, and resources to the crafting of a Diversity and Inclusion Plan for the Third Judicial Circuit.
A native of Ecuador who came to Detroit with her family at the age of 3, Fresard enjoys painting and spending time with her husband, three children, and three grandchildren.
“For two decades, the Detroit Bar Foundation has presented the Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award to a member of our profession whose commitment to public service goes about and beyond the call of duty,” said a spokesperson for the Foundation. “Since 2003, this award has been reserved for the best of the best of Michigan’s legal profession – extraordinary lawyers and judges who have established careers dedicated to the betterment of both our profession and our community.”
Proceeds from the November 14 event will help fund free law clinics and outreach programs in the community.
Among those on hand for the awards ceremony were Plunkett & Cooney attorneys (l-r) Briana Combs, Cloie Chidiac, Regan Glenn, and Chelsea Saferian.
Posing for a photo op were (l-r) Christopher Merritt, Marcy Taylor, Wayne County Corporation Counsel Sue Hammoud, and Wayne County Circuit Judge Darnella Williams-Claybourne.
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