LANSING — On Thursday, October 26, Governor Whitmer announced the appointments of Lawrence Elassal to the Third Circuit Court  in Wayne County, Matthew Wiese to the 25th Circuit Court in Marquette County and Monique Sharpe to the 36th District Court in Detroit.

“Today, I am honored to appoint three qualified legal professionals to the bench in Wayne County, Marquette County, and the city of Detroit,” Whitmer said. “Lawrence, Matthew, and Monique all bring decades of experience to their new positions on the bench. I am confident that they will serve with distinction and uphold the rule of law.”

Third Circuit Court — Wayne County

Elassal is currently a magistrate for the 20th District Court in the city of Dearborn Heights and the founding partner and senior trial attorney at Elassal & Associates, PLC. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford College, where he teaches business law classes. Previously, he worked as a federal attorney advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense and was an associate attorney for Cardelli, Lanfear & Buikema, P.C.

Elassal received his Bachelor of Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law.

“I am humbled and incredibly honored to receive this appointment from Governor Whitmer to serve as a Circuit Court Judge,” Elassal said. “I am excited to serve the citizens of Wayne County and the state of Michigan, and committed to treating all those who appear before the court with the utmost respect and humanity. I promise to remain devoted to every person that enters my courtroom, by ensuring my decisions are fair and equitable based on deliberation grounded in law.”

This appointment was made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Gregory D. Bill. Elassal’s term will commence on December 4 and expire at twelve o’clock noon on January 1, 2025.