I was born and reared in the City of Detroit.  I am the middle child of three sisters.  My father drove a truck for the U S. Postal Service.  My dad passed away when I was 10 years of age.  My mother worked in a laundry prior to becoming a licensed practical nurse.  Educated in the Detroit Public School System, I attended Alger and White Orthopedic Elementary Schools.  Having contracted  polio at age 3, I was taught by the public school visiting teachers when confined to hospitals and at home.  My middle school years were spent at Sherrod Middle School.  Cass Technical High School is my almamater.  After graduating from Cass with a diploma in Clothing and Textile, I was accepted at Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo Michigan.

Studying at Western from l970 to l973, I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Education. While attending Western, I was elected dorm president at Draper Hall, served on the governing board of the Student Union Board, and volunteered with several campus projects.

Upon leaving Kalamazoo, I returned to Detroit and began my teaching career with the Detroit Public School System. The teaching field being over crowded at the time, I began studies at the University of Detroit in the field of Criminal Justice and Family Counseling in 1974.  I was awarded a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice in l976 but not before leaving Detroit for Valparaiso Indiana.

In l975 I was recruited by the good people of Valparaiso University.  They were recruiting young people from economically depressed areas throughout the United States to afford them an opportunity to obtain a legal education.  The goal was to train future leaders who would return to neighborhoods and provided legal services to their communities.  I attended Valparaiso University School of law from 1974 until l977 when I graduated.   While attending Valpo, I participated in the Moot Court competition, Law Review, and served as the National Vice President of the Black American Law Students Association during my senior year.  In my capacity as national vice president, I authored the Rules and Procedures for the Fredrick Douglas Moot Court which was established as BALSA‘s official national moot court competition the year before by now Judge Cynthia Stephens.  Additionally, I conducted and published a historical/analytical study of Affirmative Action and the experiences of Black Law Students.  This scholarly work became my Masters thesis at the University of Detroit.

Earning my way through law school, I worked summer vacations with the City of Detroit summer lunch program.  Employed with one of the food providers, International Telephone and Telegram, I worked both as the Community Liaison and Director of Personnel.  My junior year of law school I also worked at the Legal Defenders Office of Detroit part-time while studying for my Masters Degree at U of D.

Howard University School of Law, like Valparaiso University School of Law, had a program designed to provide legal services to socially, and economically, depressed communities in the l970s.  The Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer National Fellowship Program specifically trained attorneys for placement throughout the country, to service those with the greatest unmet needs and least amount of resources. I was awarded a fellowship upon graduating from Valparaiso and thus began by full time legal career.

The Reggie program placed me close to home at the Oakland County Legal Aid Society with offices in both Pontiac and Royal Oak Township, in Oakland County Michigan.  Working at Legal Aid I produced a one half day program centering on the legal rights and responsibilities of youth, assisted the Native American Community in securing artifacts discovered in Rochester Michigan during the expansion the campus of Oakland University, managed a pro per divorce program, and met with various clients with diverse legal needs.  I remained with legal for over two years before going to work for the UAW Legal Services Plan, Chrysler Division.  At UAW Legal Services, I assisted in setting up the family division, real estate division and the bankruptcy division for services to members of the UAW.

Little more than two years later, I went to work with Michigan Employment Security Commission (M.E.S.C.) Michigan Department of Labor.  Employed as an Administrative Law Examiner, I represented the Commission at administrative hearings, drafted proposed legislation, and worked in the implementation of the Trade Retraining Act (TRA), a federal established to provide employment training of displaced auto workers.  During those same years (1980-1983) I was an instructor with the American Institute for Para Legal Studies, teaching family law, real estate law, and legal writing and research.

In 1983, I began work for the Southeast Michigan Transportation Authority (S.E.M.T.A.), the regional public transportation bus service for communities surrounding the City of Detroit.  As Assistant General Counsel I provided legal services in labor law, civil rights litigation, and advised in public administration practices, policies and procedures. 

I left this employer to begin my own legal practice which was in the field of family law, juvenile law, probate law, criminal law and general civil law. During these years I served as a Mediator with the Wayne County Probate Court and ran for election to the Detroit City Council.  The 1984 city council race was my first campaign for public office.

The citizens of Wayne County elected me to the Wayne County Circuit Court in 1994 were I continue to serve.

 In 2004, I ran for Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.  With no more than 7 weeks to campaign and a budget of little more than $28,000.00 I received 1,261,635 votes, placing third in a two seat race loosing by little more than twelve thousand votes.

I am not all work and no play.  I enjoy fishing and have since early childhood. Sewing is so much fun.  I began hand sewing clothes for my dolls as a child and grew up to sew and tailor by the time I left Cass tech. Gardening makes me smile. I have a perennial garden for both sun and shade. Volunteering in my community began as a Brownie continued as a Girl Scout, T-teen, and today among other groups I am an active member of The Improved Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks of The World.

This year, I am running for the Michigan Supreme Court again, I am starting earlier, working harder, and trying to impress upon the minds of all of Michigan citizens that they must vote the non-partisan portion of the ballot where all judges are listed for election.    I hope you will join me in the educational election process. You are invited to come along.

Join the campaign to elect Judge Deborah Thomas to the Michigan Supreme Court!!!

                                         VOTE AND ELECT

      DEBORAH THOMAS FOR MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

BALANCED JUSTICE WITH INTEGRITY FOR MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT

                           "VOTE FOR JUSTICE FIRST!!"                   

                         WITHOUT JUSTICE WE HAVE NOTHING

                                 "VOTE FOR JUSTICE FIRST!!"

VOTE DEBORAH THOMAS JUSTICE OF THE MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT

         ALL JUDGES ARE ELECTED ON THE NON-PARTISAN BALLOT

CONTACT US:(313)458-1592,deborahthomas4misupremecourt@yahoo.com

This webpage is paid for by: Judge Deborah Thomas for Supreme Court Committee, 2831 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207. Paul Stern Treasurer.