The Invaluable Michigan Courts' Website

The Michigan Courts One Court of Justice website is an invaluable resource for Michigan practitioners.

Below I will highlight just a few of the resources available on the Michigan Courts' website, but I would advise anyone interested in practicing law in Michigan to make yourself very familiar with this website.

• You can find State Court Administrative Office court forms that are fillable PDF forms and can be filed in courts throughout Michigan. These forms offer a pre-formatted caption and the information necessary to start a cause of action. 

• There is a free case law database where you can find Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals cases using the party name, docket number, or by doing a keyword search. 

• You can find the Model Civil Jury Instructions, which are often a helpful place to start research. The MCJI give the necessary elements for a civil cause of action with citations to both case law and statutes to further your research. 

• There is information about the various filings fees required by the district courts, circuit courts, and probate courts. 

• There is an amazing self-help center that offers information about particular causes of action, including a general overview, statutes, and court forms. You can find self-help in many areas of law: appeals, civil, custody, divorce, eviction, felony, name change, parenting time, personal protection, setting aside a conviction, and small claims. 

• The Michigan Judicial Institute's benchbooks are wonderful resources that are helpful practice guides for a wide variety of issues. 

All states would be lucky to have a court website like the one in Michigan. For attorneys practicing in other states, you should find the reputable resources available online that will help you in practice. The Washburn School of Law has created a clean portal that will aid you with links to information for all states.