Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Young Rejoins Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Young returned to the firm’s Lansing office as Of Counsel. Mr. Young originally joined Dickinson Wright in 1978 and became a partner in 1982.

“I am pleased to return to the firm that welcomed me with open arms 30 years ago,” said Mr. Young. “It’s like returning home and I look forward to assisting the firm and its clients.”

Mr. Young has more than two decades of appellate judicial experience to share with firm clients on how to achieve more successful trial and appellate outcomes. In addition, as a former business lawyer, General Counsel and the chief executive of Michigan’s judiciary, he has a keen awareness of and direct experience in how to help clients identify and manage risk tolerances as they formulate and execute strategic business plans.

As the longest-serving Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, he promoted initiatives to measure judicial performance, track public satisfaction, adopt best practices, and implement technologies that expand public access, increase efficiency and boost productivity of trial courts. During his tenure as Chief Justice, the court committed to “rightsizing” Michigan’s judiciary so that it cost citizens no more than necessary for the efficient administration of justice. To this end, during Justice Young’s tenure as Chief, 26 judgeships were cut, saving taxpayers nearly $15 million over the past 6 years.

A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Mr. Young was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1995. After being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1999, Mr. Young was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2010. Mr. Young also previously served as vice president, corporate secretary, and general counsel of AAA Michigan.

Mr. Young has served on the boards of many charitable groups, including the Detroit Urban League, United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit, and Vista Maria. Mr. Young was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2012 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and “Michiganian of the Year” in 2016 by the Detroit News. He has been awarded honorary degrees by Central Michigan University and Michigan State University College of Law. Mr. Young was an adjunct professor of Wayne State Law School for more than 20 years and now teaches at Michigan State University Law School.