In a photo taken during the Zoom ceremony, Judge Debra Nance is shown holding the engraved glass award she received from the WBA.
(Photo courtesy of WBA)
Debra Nance, a judge on the 46th District Court bench since 2013, recently was presented with the Joan Young Judicial Excellence Award from the Women's Bar Association. The awards ceremony took place at the Annual Meeting of the WBA, which was held via Zoom on May 27.
"Each year, the Women's Bar Association presents the Joan Young Judicial Excellence Award-an award honoring a member of the judiciary who openly demonstrates her commitment to securing the rights of women in society, promoting equality and social justice for all, and demonstrating the highest caliber of judicial integrity," said a spokesperson for the WBA. "Judge Nance, the WBA is beyond proud and honored to present you with the Joan Young Judicial Excellence Award for 2021."
The award is named in honor of the longtime Oakland County Circuit Court judge who retired from the bench in 2016 after a distinguished 28-year career, where she served also on the 52nd District Court and the Oakland County Probate Court.
An alumna of the University of Detroit, Nance earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She has worked in the Oakland County Prosecutor's Domestic Violence Unit and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Child & Family Abuse Bureau. In 2001, she went into private practice with a mid-sized law firm where she developed a successful litigation practice in civil, probate, family, and adoption law.
Since taking the bench, Nance developed and presented "Careers in the Courtroom" to encourage elementary and high school students to pursue careers as defense attorneys, prosecutors, civil attorneys and judges. The program also introduces students to the importance of jury service. In addition, for adults, Nance has designed and presented "How to Prepare for Your Day in Court" and "Tips for Landlords and Tenants," which she shares with neighborhood/condo associations, church groups, and veterans' groups.
A Southfield resident for more than 30 years, Nance was as a board member for the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association. In addition, she served on the Oakland County Bar Association Judicial Candidates Committee and was a long-serving member of the Adoption Subcommittee of the Family Law Division for the State Bar of Michigan. She was president of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan from 2016-17.
