New Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. Thomas (second right) was sworn in by Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement (far left) during a recent ceremony witnessed by members of the new justice’s family.
Members of the Michigan Supreme Court formally welcomed Justice Kimberly A. Thomas to the bench at their first conference of 2025 earlier this month.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Thomas brings experience as a clinical law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and co-founder of the Juvenile Justice Clinic.
With the addition of Thomas, the court includes five women for the first time.
Justices also unanimously elected Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement to continue leading the court for the next two years. Clement is the seventh woman to serve as chief justice, and this term is the fifth time the court is majority women.
“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.”
In addition to casework, the court, through the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), provides managerial guidance and support to more than 240 trial courts statewide.
Most notably, SCAO is focused on implementing statewide systems for both case management and case filing. These improvements will allow local courts to be more efficient, improve service,
and allow the public to file online at any time.
Other initiatives include efforts to support continued implementation of the juvenile justice reform package that was approved by the legislature and governor in 2023 and became law last October.
With the reform plan enacted, Clement announced that she would be stepping away from juvenile justice issues and named Thomas to serve as liaison from the court on this matter.
Both Clement and Thomas previously served on the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, which recommended the reform plan.
Thomas also was named court co-liaison on child welfare issues with Justice Megan K. Cavanagh. Work in this area includes follow up to a recent report recommending steps to improve legal representation for children and families involved in child protective proceedings.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Thomas brings experience as a clinical law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and co-founder of the Juvenile Justice Clinic.
With the addition of Thomas, the court includes five women for the first time.
Justices also unanimously elected Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement to continue leading the court for the next two years. Clement is the seventh woman to serve as chief justice, and this term is the fifth time the court is majority women.
“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.”
In addition to casework, the court, through the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), provides managerial guidance and support to more than 240 trial courts statewide.
Most notably, SCAO is focused on implementing statewide systems for both case management and case filing. These improvements will allow local courts to be more efficient, improve service,
and allow the public to file online at any time.
Other initiatives include efforts to support continued implementation of the juvenile justice reform package that was approved by the legislature and governor in 2023 and became law last October.
With the reform plan enacted, Clement announced that she would be stepping away from juvenile justice issues and named Thomas to serve as liaison from the court on this matter.
Both Clement and Thomas previously served on the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, which recommended the reform plan.
Thomas also was named court co-liaison on child welfare issues with Justice Megan K. Cavanagh. Work in this area includes follow up to a recent report recommending steps to improve legal representation for children and families involved in child protective proceedings.
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