Markman chosen to serve as state's chief justice

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The Michigan Supreme Court has unanimously selected Justice Stephen Markman to serve as its new chief justice. 

Markman was appointed to the court in 1999 and re-elected in 2000, 2004, and 2012. He succeeds Justice Robert P. Young Jr. who has served as chief justice since 2011.

“The first responsibility of the Supreme Court, and the chief justice, is to preserve the responsible and equal rule of law in Michigan,” said Markman following Friday’s selection, “and to ensure that our system of justice is made readily and fairly available to all of the people of our state.” 

Before joining the court, Markman served on the Michigan Court of Appeals and practiced law with the firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock, & Stone in Detroit. 

Prior to that, he served as U.S. attorney (federal prosecutor) for the Eastern District of Michigan, after having been nominated by President George H. W. Bush, and served as well as assistant U.S. attorney, nominated by President Ronald Reagan.

In the latter position, Markman headed the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy, which served as the principal policy development office within the Department and which coordinated the federal judicial selection process.

Prior to that, he served as chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution and as deputy chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Markman is widely published in the law and has taught constitutional law at Hillsdale College for more than two decades.

He has spoken before hundreds of youth, civic, charitable, and legal groups throughout Michigan and nationally.