Detroit legal community has cause to celebrate women lawyers and judges
By Zenell Brown
In her March 31, 1776 letter, Abigail Adams wrote her husband, John Adams, “Remember the Ladies.” Mrs. Adams reminded the her husband of women’s need to have greater rights in the newly formed American government. Her request fell on deaf ears, but 250 years later on Women History Month, Women’s International Day, and Women Judges International Day the Detroit legal community has cause to remember and celebrate the women lawyers and judges, honoring our past and celebrating those who lift as they climb.
“No women allowed, welcomed, or wanted” was the accepted business practice as women graduated from law schools in the late 1960s.
Regardless of talent, women entered the legal profession facing challenges, barriers, restrictions, and stereotypes. Access to employment, elected positions, and professional associations was restricted. Dress and decorum were policed. It was an absurd thought that a woman could practice law or sit as a judge.
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The Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court has existed since 1805. The first woman took the bench in 1973. Justice Mary Coleman was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court to a term of service beginning January 1, 1973. She was the first woman to serve as chief justice, holding that position from 1979 until her retirement in 1982. In her first year, she wrote a unanimous opinion that recognized married women's interest in their personal property. Since Justice Coleman, 14 women, many from the Detroit legal community, have served on the Michigan Supreme Court. Currently, four women sit on the Michigan Supreme Court and Justice Megan Cavanagh serves as chief justice.
Justice & Years of Service
Mary S. Coleman 1973–1982
Patricia Boyle 1983–1998
Dorothy Comstock Riley 1985–1997
Elizabeth A. Weaver 1995–2010
Marilyn Kelly 1997–2012
Maura D. Corrigan 1999–2006
Diane Hathaway 2009–2013
Mary Beth Kelly 2011–2015
Bridget Mary McCormack 2013–2022
Joan L. Larsen 2015–2017
Elizabeth T. Clement 2017–2025
Megan K. Cavanagh 2019–Present
Elizabeth M. Welch 2021–Present
Kyra Harris Bolden 2023–Present
Kimberly Ann Thomas 2025–Present
Their biographies are available in the Michigan Supreme Court historical Society website: https://www.micourthistory.org/justices/
—————
The Michigan Court of Appeals
The Michigan Constitution of 1963 created the Michigan Court of Appeals. It commenced operations in 1965. In 1976, Dorothy Comstock Riley was appointed and became the first woman to sit on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Judge Karen Fort Hood was elected and became the first African-American woman on that bench in 2003. In 2022, Judge Sima Patel became the first woman of South Asian descent to serve on the Michigan appellate court. In 2025, Judge Mariam Bazzi was appointed, becoming the first Arab American woman to serve on the Michigan appellate court
—————
Third Circuit Court
The news headlines read, “Justice dons a skirt” when Lila J Neuenfelt was the first woman elected judge to the Third Circuit Court in 1941. Cornelia Kennedy followed as the second woman in 1966. In 1980, Judge Lucile Watts took the bench. She was the first Black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan. In 1997, Judge Kirsten Frank became the first Presiding Judge of Third Circuit Court ‘s newly created Family Division. In 2002, the Michigan Supreme Court appointed Judge Mary Beth Kelly the chief judge of the Wayne Circuit Court, making her the first woman to lead that court. Many women from the Third Circuit like Judge Kelly ascended to higher benches, but in 2004 Judge Kym Worthy left the bench and became the first woman to serve as the Wayne County Prosecutor and the first African-American woman to serve as a county prosecutor in Michigan. In 2005, Judge Charlene Elder was appointed, becoming the first Arab- American Muslim woman judge in the country. Judge Patricia Fresard in 2023, was named as chief judge, becoming the second woman and the first Hispanic person to hold the distinction. These judges have worn skirts, dresses, pants, and hijabs and have ensured justice is accessible to all.
—————
Detroit Recorder’s Court and District Courts in Wayne County
I am still learning and collecting pieces about women history and the Detroit Recorder’s Court and district courts in Wayne county. l look forward to sharing those in the future. In the meantime, here are a few women judge highlights to add to your knowledge:
Martha W. Griffiths was the first woman elected as a judge of Detroit's Recorder's Court, taking the position in 1953. In 1966, Judge Geraldine Bledsoe Ford joined the bench, becoming the first Black woman judge in Michigan and the first Black woman in the United States elected to a judgeship without the benefit of a prior appointment. When Recorder’s Court merged with Wayne County Circuit Court in 1997, Judge Vera Massey Jones was serving as the chief judge.
In 1974, Audrey Stroia was selected the first female Judge for the 33rd District Court. She was instrumental in the found in the creation of a Downriver Bar Association as well as the Wayne County Family Bar Association.
In addition to the local judges, remember the women lawyers, women bar associations, the women in bar associations and women student associations in the local law schools.
Never underestimate the power of one: In 1970, Attorney Sue Weisenfeld, a Detroit practitioner advocated and won support of Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Brennan for women lawyers wearing pants in the courtroom. Chief Justice Brennan wrote,“ there is nothing inappropriate about trouser suits for women lawyers appearing in the Supreme Court, or any other court in the state. They have achieved wide acceptance among women of good taste in both business and social circles, and would not in these times be looked upon as mere sportswear.”
—————
Local and Affinity Bar Associations
The local and affinity bar associations demonstrate the power of collective effort and collaboration to promote justice and the interests of women in the legal profession.
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan was created in 1919 before women gained the right to vote. Honorable Tanya Grillo is the current president. The Wayne reach encompasses Detroit and is led by its president, Jailah Emerson. WLAM Foundation Angel Carole Chiamp credited the association for breaking barriers and ensuring the right for women to enter the front doors of the Detroit Athletic Club and to sit unescorted at a bar.
Carole Chiamp was elected as the first woman President of the Detroit Bar Association in 1982. That was 18 years after Judge Cornelia Kennedy was the first woman named to the board of directors of the Detroit Bar Association. In the historical records at the Detroit Library, there is little mention of the women involved in the Detroit Bar other than the Ladies Reception Committee at a bar event. The Detroit Bar Association has had 10 women presidents since its inception in 1836. Stefanie Regan of Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers & Seabolt will take the oath in June and become the 11th woman president.
The Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (BWLAM) was founded July 28, 1992 and incorporated on March 25, 1993. BWLAM promotes civic education through law and the scholarship and opportunity for black women at all levels of education. Dorothy Dean is the current president and one of the 2026 initiatives is offering book awards for students to several law schools in the area.
State Bar of Michigan President Lisa Hamameh and President-Elect Erika Bryant like many of the previous women presidents of State Bar of Michigan have strong ties to the Detroit’s local and affinity bars.
—————
Law schools
Phyllis Crocker served as the first woman Dean of the University of Detroit Mercy Law School (2014-2021). During her tenure, the portrait of Judge Denise Langford Morris was installed in the school’s atrium, becoming the
first official portrait of a woman on the wall. Judge Langford Morris was the first African American judge on the Oakland County Circuit Court. Jelani Jefferson Exum followed Phyllis Crocker as dean and became the first Black woman Dean for University of Detroit Mercy Law.
Wayne State University Law School had standouts as well. Joan Mahoney served as dean from 1998 to 2003. She was the first woman law school dean in Michigan. Prof. Frederica K. Lombard served as its first full-time female faculty member (starting in 1966), professor, and interim dean (2003-2004) until her retirement in 2007. She was a founding member of the school’s Commission on the Status of Women.
The Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan are dedicated collectors and the keepers of the records. Thanks to the individual efforts of those such as Lynn Seaks, Carrie Sharlow, Judge Cynthia Stephens, Attorney Nicole Smithson, Attorney Kristina Bilowus the history of Detroit women lawyers and judges is being preserved and remembered.
In her March 31, 1776 letter, Abigail Adams wrote her husband, John Adams, “Remember the Ladies.” Mrs. Adams reminded the her husband of women’s need to have greater rights in the newly formed American government. Her request fell on deaf ears, but 250 years later on Women History Month, Women’s International Day, and Women Judges International Day the Detroit legal community has cause to remember and celebrate the women lawyers and judges, honoring our past and celebrating those who lift as they climb.
“No women allowed, welcomed, or wanted” was the accepted business practice as women graduated from law schools in the late 1960s.
Regardless of talent, women entered the legal profession facing challenges, barriers, restrictions, and stereotypes. Access to employment, elected positions, and professional associations was restricted. Dress and decorum were policed. It was an absurd thought that a woman could practice law or sit as a judge.
—————
The Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court has existed since 1805. The first woman took the bench in 1973. Justice Mary Coleman was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court to a term of service beginning January 1, 1973. She was the first woman to serve as chief justice, holding that position from 1979 until her retirement in 1982. In her first year, she wrote a unanimous opinion that recognized married women's interest in their personal property. Since Justice Coleman, 14 women, many from the Detroit legal community, have served on the Michigan Supreme Court. Currently, four women sit on the Michigan Supreme Court and Justice Megan Cavanagh serves as chief justice.
Justice & Years of Service
Mary S. Coleman 1973–1982
Patricia Boyle 1983–1998
Dorothy Comstock Riley 1985–1997
Elizabeth A. Weaver 1995–2010
Marilyn Kelly 1997–2012
Maura D. Corrigan 1999–2006
Diane Hathaway 2009–2013
Mary Beth Kelly 2011–2015
Bridget Mary McCormack 2013–2022
Joan L. Larsen 2015–2017
Elizabeth T. Clement 2017–2025
Megan K. Cavanagh 2019–Present
Elizabeth M. Welch 2021–Present
Kyra Harris Bolden 2023–Present
Kimberly Ann Thomas 2025–Present
Their biographies are available in the Michigan Supreme Court historical Society website: https://www.micourthistory.org/justices/
—————
The Michigan Court of Appeals
The Michigan Constitution of 1963 created the Michigan Court of Appeals. It commenced operations in 1965. In 1976, Dorothy Comstock Riley was appointed and became the first woman to sit on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Judge Karen Fort Hood was elected and became the first African-American woman on that bench in 2003. In 2022, Judge Sima Patel became the first woman of South Asian descent to serve on the Michigan appellate court. In 2025, Judge Mariam Bazzi was appointed, becoming the first Arab American woman to serve on the Michigan appellate court
—————
Third Circuit Court
The news headlines read, “Justice dons a skirt” when Lila J Neuenfelt was the first woman elected judge to the Third Circuit Court in 1941. Cornelia Kennedy followed as the second woman in 1966. In 1980, Judge Lucile Watts took the bench. She was the first Black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan. In 1997, Judge Kirsten Frank became the first Presiding Judge of Third Circuit Court ‘s newly created Family Division. In 2002, the Michigan Supreme Court appointed Judge Mary Beth Kelly the chief judge of the Wayne Circuit Court, making her the first woman to lead that court. Many women from the Third Circuit like Judge Kelly ascended to higher benches, but in 2004 Judge Kym Worthy left the bench and became the first woman to serve as the Wayne County Prosecutor and the first African-American woman to serve as a county prosecutor in Michigan. In 2005, Judge Charlene Elder was appointed, becoming the first Arab- American Muslim woman judge in the country. Judge Patricia Fresard in 2023, was named as chief judge, becoming the second woman and the first Hispanic person to hold the distinction. These judges have worn skirts, dresses, pants, and hijabs and have ensured justice is accessible to all.
—————
Detroit Recorder’s Court and District Courts in Wayne County
I am still learning and collecting pieces about women history and the Detroit Recorder’s Court and district courts in Wayne county. l look forward to sharing those in the future. In the meantime, here are a few women judge highlights to add to your knowledge:
Martha W. Griffiths was the first woman elected as a judge of Detroit's Recorder's Court, taking the position in 1953. In 1966, Judge Geraldine Bledsoe Ford joined the bench, becoming the first Black woman judge in Michigan and the first Black woman in the United States elected to a judgeship without the benefit of a prior appointment. When Recorder’s Court merged with Wayne County Circuit Court in 1997, Judge Vera Massey Jones was serving as the chief judge.
In 1974, Audrey Stroia was selected the first female Judge for the 33rd District Court. She was instrumental in the found in the creation of a Downriver Bar Association as well as the Wayne County Family Bar Association.
In addition to the local judges, remember the women lawyers, women bar associations, the women in bar associations and women student associations in the local law schools.
Never underestimate the power of one: In 1970, Attorney Sue Weisenfeld, a Detroit practitioner advocated and won support of Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Brennan for women lawyers wearing pants in the courtroom. Chief Justice Brennan wrote,“ there is nothing inappropriate about trouser suits for women lawyers appearing in the Supreme Court, or any other court in the state. They have achieved wide acceptance among women of good taste in both business and social circles, and would not in these times be looked upon as mere sportswear.”
—————
Local and Affinity Bar Associations
The local and affinity bar associations demonstrate the power of collective effort and collaboration to promote justice and the interests of women in the legal profession.
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan was created in 1919 before women gained the right to vote. Honorable Tanya Grillo is the current president. The Wayne reach encompasses Detroit and is led by its president, Jailah Emerson. WLAM Foundation Angel Carole Chiamp credited the association for breaking barriers and ensuring the right for women to enter the front doors of the Detroit Athletic Club and to sit unescorted at a bar.
Carole Chiamp was elected as the first woman President of the Detroit Bar Association in 1982. That was 18 years after Judge Cornelia Kennedy was the first woman named to the board of directors of the Detroit Bar Association. In the historical records at the Detroit Library, there is little mention of the women involved in the Detroit Bar other than the Ladies Reception Committee at a bar event. The Detroit Bar Association has had 10 women presidents since its inception in 1836. Stefanie Regan of Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers & Seabolt will take the oath in June and become the 11th woman president.
The Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (BWLAM) was founded July 28, 1992 and incorporated on March 25, 1993. BWLAM promotes civic education through law and the scholarship and opportunity for black women at all levels of education. Dorothy Dean is the current president and one of the 2026 initiatives is offering book awards for students to several law schools in the area.
State Bar of Michigan President Lisa Hamameh and President-Elect Erika Bryant like many of the previous women presidents of State Bar of Michigan have strong ties to the Detroit’s local and affinity bars.
—————
Law schools
Phyllis Crocker served as the first woman Dean of the University of Detroit Mercy Law School (2014-2021). During her tenure, the portrait of Judge Denise Langford Morris was installed in the school’s atrium, becoming the
first official portrait of a woman on the wall. Judge Langford Morris was the first African American judge on the Oakland County Circuit Court. Jelani Jefferson Exum followed Phyllis Crocker as dean and became the first Black woman Dean for University of Detroit Mercy Law.
Wayne State University Law School had standouts as well. Joan Mahoney served as dean from 1998 to 2003. She was the first woman law school dean in Michigan. Prof. Frederica K. Lombard served as its first full-time female faculty member (starting in 1966), professor, and interim dean (2003-2004) until her retirement in 2007. She was a founding member of the school’s Commission on the Status of Women.
The Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan are dedicated collectors and the keepers of the records. Thanks to the individual efforts of those such as Lynn Seaks, Carrie Sharlow, Judge Cynthia Stephens, Attorney Nicole Smithson, Attorney Kristina Bilowus the history of Detroit women lawyers and judges is being preserved and remembered.
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