![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/88\/2023\/02\/kyra-harris-bolden_side.jpg?resize=350%2C523&ssl=1\")
When she was sworn in as a Michigan Supreme Court justice on Jan. 1, Kyra Harris Bolden \u201914 made history. The University of Detroit Mercy Law alumna is the first Black woman to serve on the state\u2019s highest court.<\/p>\nWhen she was sworn in as a Michigan Supreme Court justice on Jan. 1, Kyra Harris Bolden \u201914 made history. The University of Detroit Mercy Law alumna is the first Black woman to serve on the state\u2019s highest court.<\/p>\n
In appointing her to the position, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, \u201cKyra is committed to fighting for justice for generations, and I know she will serve Michigan admirably, building a brighter future for her newborn daughter and all our kids.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI will ensure equal access to justice, apply the law without fear or favor, and treat all who come before our state\u2019s highest court with dignity and respect,\u201d Bolden said in a prepared statement when she was appointed.<\/p>\n
She praised the work of other Black, female judges who paved the way for this appointment and said she hopes today\u2019s young women will see her as an inspiration. \u201cI hope that my voice on the court will inspire future generations to pursue their dreams,” she said.<\/p>\n
Bolden, 34, is also the youngest justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and came to the position by a circuitous route. In 2022, she ran for one of two seats on the bench, but came in third behind incumbents Richard Bernstein and Brian Zahra \u201987, who is also a UDM alumnus. Shortly after the election, Whitmer chose Bolden to replace sitting justice Bridget Mary McCormack, who retired.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in public service,\u201d Bolden said in a 2020 interview with Detroit Mercy Law, when she was running for a second term in the Michigan House. \u201cI thought that I could use my legal background to serve my community in a unique way. I know how the laws affect people and my community and perspective are incredibly important.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an interview with CNN\u2019s Poppy Harlow, Bolden tells the story of her great-grandfather, Jesse Lee Bond, who was lynched in Tennessee in 1939 for asking a store owner for a receipt. He was beaten, castrated and thrown into a river. The death was ruled an accidental drowning and no one was held responsible.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I realized that was something that happened in my own family, I just felt the need to be a part of the justice system and to go to law school and find my way,\u201d she said in the interview.<\/p>\n
She chose University of Detroit Mercy\u2019s School of Law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud of Justice Bolden,\u201d Detroit Mercy Law Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum said. \u201cShe is a shining example of the great work being done by Detroit Mercy Law graduates. We look forward to the lasting impact she will make serving in this important role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolden credits the location, camaraderie, and diversity of Detroit Mercy Law in helping shape her into the attorney and jurist she is today.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a part of Detroit Mercy Law afforded me many different opportunities that have absolutely enhanced my experience as an attorney and now as a jurist,\u201d she said in a recent interview. \u201cI was able to do internships and externships in and around the city of Detroit. It was a great benefit to my career to be able to walk to them and gain experience while a student.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also cited the \u201cunmatched\u201d camaraderie she experienced while attending Detroit Mercy Law.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have lifelong friends that support me, and I do the same for them,\u201d she said. \u201cThe diversity of background, experience and perspectives that Detroit Mercy Law allowed me to encounter facilitated my direction and how I wanted to move through my legal career.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating, Bolden was a civil litigator in Detroit and worked as a staff attorney for the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County and a court-appointed criminal defense attorney in Southfield. She ran for and won a seat in the Michigan House in 2018 and was re-elected to a second term in 2020. She was an effective representative, serving on the Judiciary Committee where she helped shepherd two criminal law reform bills into law. She also was noted for having the highest number of bills passed by any freshman representative in 2019.<\/p>\n
Bolden is married to Greg Bolden and the two have a newborn daughter, Emerson.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn just a few generations, this family has gone from lynching to law school, from injustice to Justice,\u201d Bolden said at the press conference announcing her appointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am humbled by this honor, and I am ready to get to work on behalf of all Michiganders.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When she was sworn in as a Michigan Supreme Court justice on Jan. 1, Kyra Harris Bolden \u201914 made history. The University of Detroit Mercy Law alumna is the first Black woman to serve on the state\u2019s highest court. In appointing her to the position, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":7974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[2,8],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/88\/2023\/02\/kyra-harris-bolden_blog.jpg?fit=600%2C315&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Kcng-24A","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7975,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions\/7975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}