LANSING, Mich. (MIRS News) –  The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously voted Friday to elect Elizabeth Clement as chief justice.

Clement said she would commit to focusing on “civility, transparency, and accountability” for the courts while maintaining “an efficient justice system that works for everyone.”

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“I appreciate the confidence of my colleagues and look forward to the opportunity to serve as chief justice, working collaboratively with all stakeholders in the judicial system for the benefit of the public,” Clement said.

Her election comes after Justices Richard Bernstein and Brian Zahra were reelected to the bench, maintaining a 4-3 majority for Democratic-nominated justices to the court. Clement, appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Rick Snyder in 2017, was renominated by the Republican Party in 2018.

Clement will serve the rest of the term for Chief Justice Bridget McCormack after she steps down no later than Dec. 31 to start a new position at the American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolutions.

When McCormack was first elected as chief justice in 2019, the seven-member court had three Democratic-nominated justices.

“We thank Justice McCormack for her leadership as chief and for her service to the people of Michigan for the past 10 years,” Clement said.

She is the liaison for the 204 Problem-Solving Courts in Michigan. They include drug courts, sobriety courts, mental health courts, veterans’ courts and other nontraditional courts that focus on treatment and intense supervision.