Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday announced her picks to fill two judicial vacancies on the Michigan Court of Appeals left by the resignations of former Chief Judge Elizabeth L. Gleicher and Judge Douglas B. Shapiro.

The governor has named Adrienne Young and Philip Mariani to the court's Second District and Third District, respectively, according to a press release announcing the appointments.

Young is an assistant defender with the State Appellate Defender Office, which represents clients who cannot afford lawyers in their appeals. She clerked with the Michigan Supreme Court before joining SADO, according to the governor's announcement.  
Young worked as a special education teacher before obtaining her law degree from University of Chicago Law School.

She will serve out the rest of Judge Gleicher's term, which expires at the end of this year.

In an email Thursday to Law360, Young said she was grateful to Whitmer for appointing a career public defender to the bench. 

"I firmly believe that public defenders, and justice-impacted people in general, should have a seat at every table where important decisions are made. I'm so glad the governor saw fit to seat me here. I am forever indebted to her, of course, but also my brave and resilient clients," Young said.

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