Judge Berry invited as honored guest to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Women's History Month program

On March 27, 2019, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration invited Judge Annette J. Berry as an honored guest at their Women’s History Month program.

As the keynote speaker, Berry spoke about the incredible progress women have made in her life time alone, stating there has been a definite paradigm shift in the way society perceives women. Women have not only broken into every field, they have pushed the boundaries of those fields into new territories, Berry said. After last year’s election women hold more government offices in Michigan than ever before. Even more, for the first time in history, the leaders of the Michigan Judges Association (MJA), the Michigan District Court Judges Association (MDJA), the Michigan Probate Judges Association (MPJA), and the Judicial Section Council (JSC) of the State Bar of Michigan, are all women. While this is an incredible achievement, Berry expressed a desire for women to go even further, stating that people need to extend more compassion and kindness to one another. In particular, women need to support one another and develop a sense of comradery. What is important is to come together and seek to lift one another up, said Berry.

Judge Berry was elected to the Wayne County Circuit Court in November, 2000, and re-elected in 2006, 2012, and 2018.  Since 2013, Berry has served in the Civil Division of the 3rd Circuit Court. She served in the Criminal Division from 2001-2013. In January of 2019, Berry was selected to be included in the first edition of Michigan’s Judiciary Success Stories, issued by the Michigan Supreme Court. Chief Justice Stephen Markman wrote that these judges “make a genuine difference in their communities by giving back. Their passion for volunteer work and commitment to worthy investments of time and resource to better serve the people of Michigan is an inspiration.”

Berry has served as past president of the Michigan Judges Association (MJA) and Executive Board of Directors. Berry currently serves on the Judicial Council of the State Bar of Michigan (SBM) having previously served as chair from 2017-2018. Other committees include:  Access to Justice Policy Committee, State Bar of Michigan (SBM); the Judicial Ethics Committee, State Bar of Michigan (SBM); member of the Michigan Court Forms Committee, State Court Administrator Office (SCAO), and former chairperson; Receivership Forms Committee, (SCAO); and serves as a delegate to the American Bar Association (ABA), Judicial Division. In addition, she previously served as a member of the Model Criminal Jury Instructions Committee from 2008-2015, and Berry is a Fellow with the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.

In addition, she currently serves as president of the Father Kern Foundation, Most Holy Trinity Church, Detroit, and on the board of directors for the Catholic Lawyers Society. Berry volunteers her time on many levels within her community including Junior Achievement for Southeastern Michigan and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Sunset District in Detroit, Michigan.  She has been recognized by the Boy Scouts of America and received the “Outstanding Leader in Scouting” Award on behalf of the Great Lakes Council, Detroit, Michigan and is the 2010 Recipient of the ADC “Guardian of Justice Award.” Since 2008, Berry has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn where her courses include Ethics, Criminal Law, and Comparative Criminal Justice Systems in the Criminology & Criminal Justice Program. She taught as an adjunct professor for the Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Berry is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University Law School, formerly the Detroit College of Law.