Chief Judge James Biernat has again been listed as one of Metro Detroit’s Top Circuit CourtJudges in DBusiness magazine’s March/April 2026 publication. He began serving as chief judge in 2015 and has been appointed to the position every two years since.
This year, Biernat is joined by Judge Richard Caretti, Judge Teri Lynn Dennings,Judge Julie Gatti, Judge Rachel Rancilio, Judge Kathryn Viviano, and Judge Tracey Yokich.
“It is an honor to be chosen for this distinction by the attorneys who come before the court,” says Biernat. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community in this capacity and to share this honor with such an inspiring group of Judges.”
Biernat graduated from Hillsdale College in 1991. In 1997, he received his law degree from University of Detroit Law School.
Biernat was a commissioner for the 16th District on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners from January 1993 through December 1998. He also worked as an assistant prosecutor for the Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office from January 1999 until his appointment to the bench by the governor in 2011. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Macomb County Bar Association.
DBusiness conducts a survey each summer asking attorneys to vote for the top judges in the metro Detroit area. The judges named on the list received a high number of votes from peers and attorneys.
