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Governor Whitmer Appoints Kristen D. Simmons to the 54A District Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

September 18, 2019       

Governor Whitmer Appoints Kristen D. Simmons to the 54A District Court   

  

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today appointed Kristen D. Simmons to the 54A District Court in Ingham County.   

  

“Kristen has built a reputation as a successful legal professional, and she will be a great addition to the court,” Whitmer said. “Her diverse experience within the legal system give her a well-rounded perspective that will ensure fairness across the board.”  

  

Kristen D. Simmons, of Lansing, currently serves as the litigation manager for the Michigan Department of Corrections. She formerly served as an assistant attorney general concerned with civil litigation, employment, and election law, and as an assistant city attorney for the city of Lansing where she served as FOIA coordinator and legal advisor for the Lansing Police and the Police Board of Commissioners. Prior to her public service, she was an attorney with Gary Legal Advisors and a discovery attorney for Strategic Legal Solutions in Novi. She has also taught legal classes as an adjunct faculty member at Lansing Community College.   

  

Ms. Simmons earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Bachelor of Arts from Hampton University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; The Links, Incorporated volunteer organization; and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. In 2017, the Ingham County Bar Association named her as one of their Top 5 Under 35.   

  

This appointment was made to fill a partial term, which expires at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2021, after Judge Hugh B. Clarke, Jr. retired effective September 13, 2019. Ms. Simmons would be required to run for reelection in November 2020 in order to serve the remainder of Judge Clarke’s unexpired term ending at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2023.     

  

This appointment is not subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.  

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