Hennessey Greenwalt appointed to 54B District Court bench

Governor Gretchen Whitmer on July 22 announced the appointments of Molly E. Hennessey Greenwalt to the 54B District Court of the City of East Lansing, and Kwame L. Rowe to the 6th Circuit Court of Oakland County.  

Hennessey Greenwalt currently serves as a commissioner with the Michigan Supreme Court. In her current role, she researches legal issues, writes reports, and provides recommendations to the Justices on a wide variety of civil, criminal, and family law matters. Hennessey Greenwalt previously worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ingham County and as a law clerk with the Michigan Supreme Court and the Abood Law Firm. 

Hennessey Greenwalt earned her law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Wisconsin. She is the assistant reporter for the Michigan Criminal Jury Instruction Committee and a legal assistant for the Michigan Supreme Court Judicial Tenure Commission Workgroup and the Task Force on Open Courts, Media, and Privacy. Molly lives in East Lansing with her husband, Kyle, and their three children, Gus, Teddy, and Mary Rose. 

“This is an exciting time to be a judge,” said Hennessey Greenwalt. “I’m honored by the Governor’s trust and I look forward to serving the people of East Lansing.” 

This appointment was made to fill a partial term, which expires at noon on January 1, 2023, after Judge Andrea Andrews Larkin stepped down effective June 1, 2021. If Hennessey Greenwalt wishes to serve the remainder of Larkin’s term, expiring January 1, 2025, she would be required to run for reelection in November of 2022.

Rowe currently serves as an assistant prosecutor for Oakland County. In his current role, Rowe is a special assistant prosecuting attorney with the Trafficking Unit working on felony cases involving human trafficking, complex narcotics, and homicide.

Rowe earned his Juris Doctor degree from Cooley Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.