The State Court Administrative Office has six regional offices located in Detroit, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, and Gaylord (
see map of counties in each region). Led by a regional administrator, each office provides direct management assistance to trial court chief judges and staff in the administration of judicial business.
The Regional Offices work with the Central Office to implement Supreme Court judicial administration policy, monitor workload and caseflow, and to forge productive working relationships with local judicial system stakeholders.
The primary functions of the regional offices are to:
- identify courts that need management or technical assistance and oversee that assistance
- monitor the implementation of recommended changes in operations in trial courts
- provide assistance to chief judges in planning for ongoing improvements in operations
- serve as a primary contact for local funding units and other local justice system stakeholders regarding judicial operations
- serve as resource to ensure that judicial operations are both accountable for their use of public resources and meet community service needs and expectations
- issue judicial assignments authorizing judges to serve in courts outside of their jurisdiction when necessary
Primary services include: caseflow management; dispute resolution between trial courts and local government; judicial assignments; liaison between trial courts and state agencies; management assistance; oversight of trial courts; policy implementation in trial courts; and public inquiries.