Flanking Judge Timothy Connors at the May 14 ceremony were former State Bar President Joseph McGill (left) and Ann Arbor attorney Chad Engelhardt.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Kreger
Photo courtesy of Michelle Kreger
From the State Bar of Michigan
The Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan recently presented its Judicial Excellence Award to the Honorable Timothy P. Connors in recognition of more than 34 years of distinguished service on the bench. The award ceremony was held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, drawing members of the bench, bar, and legal academy from across Michigan.
For more than three decades, Judge Connors has exemplified the very meaning of judicial excellence. As one of Michigan’s founding business court judges, he has served the citizens, lawyers, and businesses of this state with extraordinary wisdom, fairness, intellect, and humanity.
In his courtroom, every litigant, regardless of background or the nature of the case, has been treated with respect, ensuring that all parties, including individuals and corporations alike, receive a full and fair opportunity to be heard. His calm and thoughtful demeanor reflects the very best qualities of our justice system.
Judge Connors’ commitment to justice has extended well beyond the bench in Washtenaw County. He is past co-chair of the Michigan Tribal-State-Federal Forum, has served by appointment as judge pro tem for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and was the presiding judge of the Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court, which has become a national reference point for restorative approaches to state court justice. His leadership in implementing new, community-based approaches to dispute resolution has expanded the reach of the courts and strengthened public confidence in the rule of law.
His influence extends equally into the classroom. An award-winning law professor, Connors has taught for decades at the University of Michigan Law School, Wayne State University Law School, and Vermont Law School, and previously at Cooley Law School, with a teaching portfolio spanning trial skills, peacemaking, and other core litigation courses. He is a regular faculty member for the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, the Michigan Judicial Institute, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and ICLE, and has trained thousands of lawyers and judges with a particular focus on ethics and trial advocacy. His scholarship — including “Exit, Pursued by a Bear: Why Peacemaking Makes Sense in State Court Justice Systems” (ABA Judges Journal, Fall 2016), “Our Children Are Sacred: Why the Indian Child Welfare Act Matters” (ABA Judges Journal, Spring 2011), “Crow Dogs vs. Spotted Tail: Case Closed?” (Michigan Bar Journal, July 2010), and the co-authored “Tribal Court Peacemaking: A Model for the Michigan State Court System?” (Michigan Bar Journal, June 2015), has contributed meaningfully to the ongoing evolution of Michigan jurisprudence.
The Judicial Excellence Award joins a long list of honors recognizing Connors’ contributions to the law. In 2024 he received both the State Bar of Michigan’s Lifetime Judicial Excellence Award and the Washtenaw County Bar Association’s Lifetime Excellence Award. In 2021, the Michigan Supreme Court presented him with the Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award for Exemplary Service to Michigan’s Families and Children. In 2018, the NAACP Ypsilanti Willow Run Branch honored him with its Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Award. Among many other recognitions, he is a past recipient of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Innovator of the Year Award, the Hilda Gage Judicial Excellence Award from the Michigan Judges Association, and a three-time recipient of the Justice Blair Moody Award for Significant Contributions to Judicial Excellence.
The evening was made even more meaningful by a special proclamation delivered by Joseph McGill, 90th president of the State Bar of Michigan, who also serves as Ireland’s Consul. President McGill honored the judge’s extraordinary legacy of service and excellence, closing the circle on a deeply rooted piece of heritage with the following proclamation from the nation of Ireland:
14 May 2026
On behalf of the Government of Ireland and the Consulate General of Ireland to the Midwestern United States, it is my privilege to offer warmest congratulations to Judge Timothy P. Connors as he is honoured by the State Bar of Michigan.
For over thirty years, Judge Connors served the people of Washtenaw County with distinction, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to integrity, public service, mentorship, and justice.
In particular, I would like to acknowledge Judge Connors’ deep pride in his Irish heritage and support for Michigan’s Irish American community. The Irish have long been well represented in the American judicial system, inspired by a strong sense of public duty and fierce sense of justice. Over the course of his career, Judge Connors has exemplified these traits in abundance.
Thank you to Judge Connors for his decades of service to the people of Michigan.
In a profession that can sometimes be adversarial, Connors has stood out for his exemplary civility and his embrace of peacemaking principles in every kind of dispute. His professionalism, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to justice have left a lasting impact on generations of lawyers and judges throughout the state.
———————————
The Litigation Section serves Michigan’s trial and appellate lawyers through educational programs and learning opportunities focused on litigation and trial preparation, advocacy, and recognition of excellence in the practice and administration of justice.
The Section’s Judicial Excellence Award is conferred upon members of the judiciary whose service exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and dedication to the rule of law.
The Litigation Section of the State Bar of Michigan recently presented its Judicial Excellence Award to the Honorable Timothy P. Connors in recognition of more than 34 years of distinguished service on the bench. The award ceremony was held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, drawing members of the bench, bar, and legal academy from across Michigan.
For more than three decades, Judge Connors has exemplified the very meaning of judicial excellence. As one of Michigan’s founding business court judges, he has served the citizens, lawyers, and businesses of this state with extraordinary wisdom, fairness, intellect, and humanity.
In his courtroom, every litigant, regardless of background or the nature of the case, has been treated with respect, ensuring that all parties, including individuals and corporations alike, receive a full and fair opportunity to be heard. His calm and thoughtful demeanor reflects the very best qualities of our justice system.
Judge Connors’ commitment to justice has extended well beyond the bench in Washtenaw County. He is past co-chair of the Michigan Tribal-State-Federal Forum, has served by appointment as judge pro tem for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and was the presiding judge of the Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court, which has become a national reference point for restorative approaches to state court justice. His leadership in implementing new, community-based approaches to dispute resolution has expanded the reach of the courts and strengthened public confidence in the rule of law.
His influence extends equally into the classroom. An award-winning law professor, Connors has taught for decades at the University of Michigan Law School, Wayne State University Law School, and Vermont Law School, and previously at Cooley Law School, with a teaching portfolio spanning trial skills, peacemaking, and other core litigation courses. He is a regular faculty member for the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, the Michigan Judicial Institute, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and ICLE, and has trained thousands of lawyers and judges with a particular focus on ethics and trial advocacy. His scholarship — including “Exit, Pursued by a Bear: Why Peacemaking Makes Sense in State Court Justice Systems” (ABA Judges Journal, Fall 2016), “Our Children Are Sacred: Why the Indian Child Welfare Act Matters” (ABA Judges Journal, Spring 2011), “Crow Dogs vs. Spotted Tail: Case Closed?” (Michigan Bar Journal, July 2010), and the co-authored “Tribal Court Peacemaking: A Model for the Michigan State Court System?” (Michigan Bar Journal, June 2015), has contributed meaningfully to the ongoing evolution of Michigan jurisprudence.
The Judicial Excellence Award joins a long list of honors recognizing Connors’ contributions to the law. In 2024 he received both the State Bar of Michigan’s Lifetime Judicial Excellence Award and the Washtenaw County Bar Association’s Lifetime Excellence Award. In 2021, the Michigan Supreme Court presented him with the Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award for Exemplary Service to Michigan’s Families and Children. In 2018, the NAACP Ypsilanti Willow Run Branch honored him with its Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Award. Among many other recognitions, he is a past recipient of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Innovator of the Year Award, the Hilda Gage Judicial Excellence Award from the Michigan Judges Association, and a three-time recipient of the Justice Blair Moody Award for Significant Contributions to Judicial Excellence.
The evening was made even more meaningful by a special proclamation delivered by Joseph McGill, 90th president of the State Bar of Michigan, who also serves as Ireland’s Consul. President McGill honored the judge’s extraordinary legacy of service and excellence, closing the circle on a deeply rooted piece of heritage with the following proclamation from the nation of Ireland:
14 May 2026
On behalf of the Government of Ireland and the Consulate General of Ireland to the Midwestern United States, it is my privilege to offer warmest congratulations to Judge Timothy P. Connors as he is honoured by the State Bar of Michigan.
For over thirty years, Judge Connors served the people of Washtenaw County with distinction, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to integrity, public service, mentorship, and justice.
In particular, I would like to acknowledge Judge Connors’ deep pride in his Irish heritage and support for Michigan’s Irish American community. The Irish have long been well represented in the American judicial system, inspired by a strong sense of public duty and fierce sense of justice. Over the course of his career, Judge Connors has exemplified these traits in abundance.
Thank you to Judge Connors for his decades of service to the people of Michigan.
In a profession that can sometimes be adversarial, Connors has stood out for his exemplary civility and his embrace of peacemaking principles in every kind of dispute. His professionalism, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to justice have left a lasting impact on generations of lawyers and judges throughout the state.
———————————
The Litigation Section serves Michigan’s trial and appellate lawyers through educational programs and learning opportunities focused on litigation and trial preparation, advocacy, and recognition of excellence in the practice and administration of justice.
The Section’s Judicial Excellence Award is conferred upon members of the judiciary whose service exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and dedication to the rule of law.
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