Chief Judge

Katherine Hansen was appointed Judge of the 36^th District Court by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm in April 2004, and was sworn in to office by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn J. Kelly.  She was elected in November 2004 to a full term.   

Judge Hansen is a graduate of Drake University School of Law.  As a full time law student, she served as the American Bar Association-Law Student Division's National Student Director for VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance project.

Judge Hansen came to the bench following four years as an Assistant Attorney General, and was assigned to the Children and Youth Services Division, where she maintained a trial and appellate practice.  Prior to her position as an Assistant Attorney General, she was employed for seven years as a Member of the Michigan Employment Security Board of Review, where she decided unemployment insurance benefit and unemployment tax rate cases.  She began her legal career at the UAW International Union’s Unemployment Insurance Clinic.  

Throughout her legal career, Judge Hansen has served with many professional organizations including the American Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges, the Association of Black Judges of Michigan, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan - Wayne Region, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association - Eastern District of Michigan Chapter and the Michigan Association for Justice where she has participated in the Association’s Bicycle Helmet campaign. Additionally, Judge Hansen has been admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar.

Judge Hansen is the current Secretary of the Wayne County District Judges Association. She is a board member of the Michigan District Judges Association, and served as the conference planning co-chair for the 2009 annual conference.  Recently, she was selected as a member of the District Court Academic Advisory Committee of the Michigan Judicial Institute which determines educational topics for statewide judicial training.  Judge Hansen is completing her second term on the Michigan State Bar’s Standing Committee on Domestic Violence.  She previously served as a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Children’s Law Section Council, Administrative Law Council, and the Civil Liberties Committee.   

Judge Hansen is a member of the Board of Directors for Michigan Legal Services and of The Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association. She is a former board member of the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit.

In addition to fulfilling her responsibilities as a judge in one of the busiest courts in the nation, Judge Hansen is a co-chair of the 36^th District Court’s annual Law Day and Constitution Day observances.  Each observance has included hosting free legal advice days (assisting hundreds of citizens of Metro Detroit), school visits, and courthouse tours.  Judge Hansen spearheaded the court’s recycling program; in less than two years, the court’s efforts have resulted in saving the equivalent of more than 400 trees.  She also serves on the 36th District Court's committee coordinating training for House Counsel defense attorneys.  

Judge Hansen presides over a rotating docket of Real Estate, Traffic and Ordinance, Criminal Misdemeanors, Felony Preliminary Examinations, and Civil Claims under $25,000.