Michigan Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum 2025 Highlights

The Indigenous Law & Policy Center at MSU College of Law hosted the Michigan Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum on October 27-28, 2025. The forum was formally established in 2014 by the MichiganSupreme Court and consists of tribal judges from each of Michigan’s 12 federally-recognized tribes, 12 state court judges, as well as federal judges and officials. Michigan, which is home of 12 federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal court systems, has also enjoyed a long history of collaboration between state and tribal courts.

The meeting began with a welcome by MSU College of Law Dean Michael Sant’Ambrogio, followed by Co-Chair Reports, and a report from Chief Justice Cavanaugh. The next session was the forum business meeting where we heard about the DEI Commission Update from Hon. Melissa Pope, New Forum Member On-Boarding – Communications Committee from Hon. Carol Bealor, and Tribal Child Support Order Enforcement in State Courts.

Over lunch, the keynote was delivered by Jeff Davis, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians). Jeff is the former Executive Director of the Indian Law & Order Commission established by Congress. The Commission held public hearings throughout Indian Country to gather information from Native peoples directly on the state of justice in Indian Country and the judicial, law enforcement, and other systems that affect justice in these communities. The Commission ultimately published a report called “A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer,” which was presented to the President and Congress. Jeff’s keynote was called Views of an ‘Old’ Native AUSA: From Prosecutor to Policy—An Insider’s Look at Justice in Indian Country.

The afternoon session was geared toward the law students. Hon. Jeff Nellis, Hon. Michael Petoskey, and Hon. Angela Sherigan talked about how the tribal, state, and federal courts work together, while Hon. Allie Greenleaf-Maldonado discussed career and clerkship opportunities. In the following session, Hon. Carol Bealor talked to the students about ICWA and MIFPA, and Emilie Tarsin (SCAO) talked about Legal Deserts.

Day two was all business as the justices met in their assigned committee groups and offered report out from those committees. Lasty, plenty of action planning took place as the form worked to draft near-term deliverables; finalize action items, assign leads, confirm follow-ups; discuss Peacemaking Conference and make plans for the next Forum meeting.

The forum was attended by several justices including:

Hon. Carol Montavon Bealor – Cass County Probate Court, Family Division,
Hon. Stuart Black Isabella – County Probate Court
Hon. Patrick Conlin – 22nd Circuit Court Family Division – Peacemaking Court
Hon. Kelley R. Kostin – 52nd District Court – Division 2
Hon. Jeffrey Nellis – Mason County Probate Court
Hon. Steven Paciorka – Leelanau Count Probate Court
Hon. Valerie Snyder – 7th Probate Court, Emmet County/33rd Circuit Court – Family Division (Juvenile)
Hon. Jennifer Whitten – Grand Traverse Probate Court
Hon. Hannah Bobee – Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Hon. Michael Petoskey – Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians ( Gun Lake Tribe)
Hon. Melissa Pope – Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
Hon. Angela Sherigan – Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Hon. Wenona Singel – Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
Hon. Maarten Vermaat – US District Court
Hon. Megan K. Cavanagh – Chief Justice – Michigan Supreme Court
Hon. Allie Maldonado – Michigan Court of Appeals
Hon. Bob Butts – Sault Ste. Marie Appellate Judge (retired)
Hon. Sue Dobrich – Cass County Probate Court (retired)