New chief judges appointed to Circuit, Probate Courts

Oakland Circuit Judge Shalina Kumar and Oakland Probate Judge Kathleen A. Ryan were appointed chief judges of the Circuit and Probate Courts, respectively, effective January 1, 2018.  Both appointments were announced by the Michigan Supreme Court last week.

Kumar’s service to the Circuit Court began in 2007. She was appointed chief judge pro tempore of the Circuit Cour t from 2010-2013. She currently serves as one of two judges presiding over the Adult Treatment Court which functions as a sentencing alternative for non-violent offenders with chronic substance abuse addictions. Kumar graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She worked as a private practice attorney specializing in medical malpractice and wrongful death litigation prior to joining the circuit bench.

Kumar holds memberships in the Federal Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, and the Oakland County Bar Association.  She currently serves as a member of the Michigan Association for Justice. Kumar is a member of the Women’s Bar Association and a past member of the Executive Board of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association.  She is a former member of the Sylvan Lake City Council.

Ryan was elected to the Oakland County Probate Court bench in 2010. She was appointed chief judge pro tempore in 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Prior to taking the bench, Ryan was partner at her law firm working as a private practitioner specializing primarily in probate and family litigation. 
Ryan is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association and the Michigan Probate Judges Association. She is currently the president of the Southeast Michigan Probate Judges Association. Ryan holds memberships in the Women’s Bar Association, the Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers, the Michigan Irish American Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Official Network, and the Michigan Inter Professional Association. She is also the vice chair of the SAVE Task Force (Serving Adults who are Vulnerable and/or Elderly).

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