Karen Braxton

The Honorable Karen Braxton

Board Director, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Judge Braxton was first elected to serve as Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit Court in November 2012 and re-elected in 2018 and 2024. She presides over delinquency, dependency, guardianship, adoption, and child custody matters. She is the current Presiding Judge for the Third Judicial Circuit Court’s Supervised Treatment for Alcohol & Narcotic Dependency Program, a juvenile drug treatment court program for youth with substance use disorders. Prior to taking the bench, she maintained a very successful practice that was devoted to criminal and juvenile law. Her career path was and is driven by her desire to help others.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, Judge Braxton also serves as an Executive Board member of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). Because of her leadership and passion, Judge Braxton is also a member of the following local and national organizations: National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Foster Care Review Board Advisory Committee, and the ICare4Children Steering Committee. Judge Braxton was most recently appointed as Chair of the Child Welfare Improvement Task Force. For her term, Judge Braxton’s goal is to use data to redesign the front-end response to allegations of abuse and neglect, ensuring that it is free of any bias while increasing kinship care and improving access to community mental health services.

Judge Braxton recognizes the importance of continuing judicial education as she enhances both her legal education and professional skills. Due to her extensive training and certifications, she has emerged as a leader and expert in Juvenile Justice Reform and Child Welfare. In 2021, Judge Braxton was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. As a result of her work with the task force, she was selected by the Chief Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit Court to lead the court’s juvenile justice reform efforts. Judge Braxton was instrumental in securing a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and led her team through the prestigious and rigorous Georgetown Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Transforming Juvenile Probation Certificate Program. She is certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist through NACC which is a professional achievement signifying an attorney’s specialized knowledge, skill, and verified expertise in the field of child welfare law. She was the second person and first judge to obtain this certification in Michigan. Judge Braxton has presented locally and nationally, being asked to share her knowledge and experience. Additionally, Judge Braxton’s goal of making the lives of children and families better regularly requires her to interact with legislative leadership to assist them in their efforts toward doing the same.

In her spare time, she goes “Beyond The Bench” and regularly reads to elementary school children in Wayne County, participates in career days, and engages with community-based organizations that support youth in an effort to find more community-based services as alternatives to incarceration and to organizations that support reunification of families.

Judge Karen Braxton earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Rochester and her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Judge Karen Braxton is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.