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Justice
Michigan Supreme Court

With a deep respect for the law, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden has spent much of her career dedicated to criminal justice reform and protecting the rights of survivors of sexual assault.

After graduating from law school, Harris Bolden served as a judicial law clerk in Wayne County and worked as a civil and criminal defense attorney before she was elected to the state House of Representatives.

She was a member of the Judiciary Committee and helped craft and pass bipartisan legislation to protect the confidentiality of survivors of sexual violence. She also supported and passed bills that helped reform legislation for medically frail prisoners and set up compensation for people wrongfully convicted of crimes.

Harris Bolden was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, making her the first Black woman to serve as a justice.

She is a graduate of Southfield Public Schools and received a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Harris Bolden lives in Farmington Hills with her husband and daughter.

The information presented here was accurate as of Jan. 1, 2024.