Talbot appointed chief judge to start Court of Appeals' 50th year

The Michigan Supreme Court has issued an Administrative Order appointing Judge Michael J. Talbot the chief judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals. He will serve the remaining year of a two-year term starting on Jan. 1, 2015, and will succeed outgoing Chief Judge William B. Murphy, who served the first year of the term. As chief judge, Talbot will be responsible for overseeing the administration and management of the Court of Appeals, which includes case management, budget, and employees. In addition to his appellate duties, he will continue to serve as chief judge of the Court of Claims until his term expires on May 1, 2015. The Michigan Court of Appeals, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015, was recognized in a 2013 report by the National Center for State Courts for its high level of business process discipline and the implementation of private sector methodologies and tools in its case management system. Talbot was appointed by Gov. John Engler to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1998, and was most recently re-elected to the Court on Nov. 4, 2014, for another six-year term commencing on Jan. 1, 2015, and expiring on Dec. 31, 2020. In May 2013, he was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve as the Special Judicial Administrator of Detroit's 36th District Court, where he led the effort to restructure the court until September 2014. Previously, Talbot had been appointed by governors of Michigan to serve as a judge of the Wayne Circuit, Detroit Recorder's, and Detroit Common Pleas courts. He was a member of the Judicial Tenure Commission from 2004 to 2010, and presently serves by appointment of the Michigan Supreme Court as chair of the Court Reporting Board of Review. Talbot is a Trustee of Madonna University, Sacred Heart Major Seminary and the Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Fund. He received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and his law degree from the University of Detroit. Published: Mon, Jan 05, 2015