Best of Pioneers and Pathfinders: Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack

Pioneers and Pathfinders

This week, as we celebrate Independence Day, we thought we'd revisit our conversation with Bridget Mary McCormack, former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Since we recorded this episode, Chief Justice McCormack has retired and gone on to be president and CEO of the American Arbitration Association, as well as strategic advisor to Penn Carey Law's Future of the Profession Initiative. In our discussion, Chief Justice McCormack talks about her efforts to ensure equal access to justice for all, the importance of public confidence in our court system, and collaborating with other branches of the Michigan state government on civil justice reform. This conversation highlights the incredible work of our country's public servants in solving today's A2J challenges. We hope you enjoy. In this episode, we have the distinct honor of being joined by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack. Her passion for access to justice has been a constant throughout her career in public service. Immediately out of law school in New York, she joined the Legal Aid Society and the Office of the Appellate Defender. As a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, she launched a number of clinics devoted to domestic violence, pediatric health, mediation, low income taxpayers, human trafficking, and juvenile justice. The Michigan Innocence Clinic, which she founded—and in which students represent wrongfully convicted Michiganders—has exonerated more than 22 people so far, and has shined a light on the important justice issues underlying wrongful conviction. She joined the Michigan Supreme Court in January 2013, and became chief justice in January 2019. Since joining the court, Chief Justice McCormack continues to teach at the law school and continues to speak out on important issues around the access to justice problem in our society. Listen in to today's discussion to hear her thoughts on the access to justice challenge and how we can bridge the gap, and why judges should be agents for justice system reform.