This webinar is intended for current (both new and experienced) district court magistrates and is independent of the new magistrate certification course required by MCL 600.8512(2).

Pretrial Update

pdf Pretrial Update Material

State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) Update

pdf SCAO Update Material

Using Motivational Communication

pdf Using Motivational Communication Material

Traffic Law and Marijuana Update

pdf Traffic Law & Marijuana Update Material

pdf Traffic Law & Marijuana Update Additional Material

Presentations are provided from various agencies: State Court Administrative Office, Michigan Department of State, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the Michigan Judicial Institute, and the Judicial Tenure Commission.

pdf Agenda

pdf Field Services Update Material

pdf State Court Administrative Office Update Material

pdf Michigan Department of State Update Material

pdf Michigan State Police Update Material

pdf Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan Update Material

pdf Michigan Judicial Institute Update Material

pdf Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan - Current Issues with Search Warrants PowerPoint

pdf Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan - Current Issues with Search Warrants Material

pdf Mechanics of the Judicial Tenure Commission and Recent Activities Generating Complaints PowerPoint

pdf Mechanics of the Judicial Tenure Commission and Recent Activities Generating Complaints Material

This webinar will describe the major changes to the Michigan Child Support Formula, effective January 1, 2021.

pdf MJI/FOCB Webinar: 2021 Michigan Child Support Formula Update: A Formula for Better Customer Outcomes

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) could have a tremendous impact on the child support program.  The ARP included a third stimulus payment, an increase to the child tax credit, an increase to the child and dependent care tax credit, and unemployment benefit implication.  At this training, you will come away with the ability to better understand and implement how each of these issues from the ARP could affect child support in setting support and enforcement.

  pdf Webinar Material

This webinar will provide information that will help friend of the court staff and prosecutors in assisting parents in reaching custody and parenting time agreements.

pdf MJI/FOCB Webinar: Assisting Parents in Reaching Custody and Parenting Time Agreements

This webinar will provide an overview of the Jail Task Force Legislation impacting procedures related to appearance tickets, warrants, sentencings, driver’s license suspensions, reclassification of some misdemeanor offenses to civil infractions, and probation.

pdf Material for the District Court Probation Officers Webinar: Criminal Justice Reform: Implications of the 2020 Jail Task Force Legislation on Court Proceedings

This webinar provides technical information that will help friend of the court (FOC) staff meet the domestic violence screening requirements provided for in MCR 3.224 and State Court Administrative Office Policies.

pdf Material for Domestic Violence Screening for Friend of the Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Staff Webinar

This webinar discusses how to effectively conduct a facilitative information-gathering conference. The following topics are addressed: domestic violence, how to effectively work with family law attorneys, use of Zoom, and how to properly complete forms FOC 124, 125, and FOC 89.

pdf FOCB FIG Training PowerPoint, September 10, 2020

pdf FOCB Consent to Participate Form

The Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) is pleased to offer a webinar specifically designed for family division referees.  This webinar, presented by Mr. Lynn Helland, Executive Director and General Counsel, Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission (JTC), will provide an overview of the JTC and address common situations which result in complaints against jurists.  By the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to identify the role of the JTC and the types of jurist behaviors the JTC typically encounters that result in disciplinary action.  This webinar is password protected, please contact MJI at 517-373-7171, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the webinar link and password.

The Michigan Judicial Institute is pleased to offer these webinars designed for family division referees.  The purpose of this webinar is to enhance referees’ understanding of current issues that impact their role as jurists.

Juvenile Division Material and Webinars:

pdf Material for Statutory, Court Rule, and Caselaw Update (Juvenile Division)

pdf Material for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: What Jurists Need to Know

pdf Material for Updated Perspectives on Youth Marijuana Use

pdf Material for Medication Assisted Treatment and Child Welfare

Domestic Relations Division Material and Webinars:

pdf Material for Statutory, Court Rule, and Caselaw Update

pdf Additional Material for Statutory, Court Rule and Caselaw Update

pdf Material for Crafting Orders in Domestic Violence Cases

pdf Material for Child Support Issues

Sovereign citizens adhere to a view that the existing American governmental structure, including the courts, is illegitimate, and they, the sovereign citizens, retain an individual common-law identity exempting them from the authority of government institutions.  This session prepares participants to identify behaviors and characteristics of a “sovereign citizen,” and to better understand the nature and tactics of this group.  This webinar is password protected, please contact MJI at 517-373-7171 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the password.

Custody case law can provide clarity for certain circumstances and answer difficult custody questions.  This micro-training explores recent custody case law and how it can help you in your work. This training focuses on how to use this case law in the context of custody and parenting time services to help analyze issues and draft reports.

pdf Material for How to Use Custody Case Law to Your Advantage

Immigration status is an important factor in the lives of many who appear in state court proceedings.  A basic understanding of the U.S. immigration system, including an overview of U.S. immigration laws and the agencies that implement and enforce immigration law, can inform interactions with various legal systems. This session introduces key concepts and terms in U.S. immigration law, explain how the immigration process works, and provide general information on the various issues and concerns that arise for immigrants in different statuses.

pdf Material for the Interaction of Family Law Session I: Immigration Law Overview

Building on the overview from Session I, this session focuses on the ways in which issues of immigration law and status interact with family law.  In particular, this session examines ways in which interactions with family service and child protection systems create both opportunities and dangers for immigrant families and identifies principles for approaching the complex interaction of family and immigration law.

pdf Material for Interaction of Family Law Session II: Immigration Issues Affecting Families

Recent events have refocused attention on the militia movement and upon sovereign citizens. To help trial court staff better identify the nature and tactics of this group, the Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) is pleased to present this webinar.  This webinar is password protected, please contact MJI at 517-373-7171 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the password.

Teen Dating Violence

This presentation provides an overview of brain development during adolescence, including typical adolescent brain development; how brain development may be impeded by toxic stress and adversity; implications of brain development in how we understand and address teen dating violence; and, recommendations and promising practices for effective intervention in cases of teen dating violence.

pdf Material for the Teen Dating Violence Session

A Parent's Journey

Parents are the most important people in a young person's life and it is never too late to make a difference. Parents must be allies and partners when youth wander from society's norms.  Rick Miller provides tools that help parents and service providers maximize their own creativity, wisdom, and intuition in helping kids succeed.

Material for the A Parent's Journey Session

Bouncing Forward: Dealing with and Growing Through Stress

This session focuses on resilience and growth during current stressors; particularly with the backdrop of COVID-19.  The concept of Post Traumatic Growth is introduced, and participants have an opportunity to consider their own life experiences and how to move forward from difficult situations.

pdf Material for the Bouncing Forward: Dealing with and Growing Through Stress

This webinar is a lively discussion around the amendments to Michigan statutes that go into effect on October 1, 2021.  Learn about what these changes are and how your work is impacted.  Considerations will be shared (such as using SSR and MiCSES information to drive decisions) as well as a refresher on how to process license procedures given these new rules (MLIC and LCSP use).

License Suspensions and Impacts from Statutory Changes Material

This webinar is a presentation by Riyaz Kanji, lead counsel on brief and at argument for McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020), who successfully defended the legal validity of the Nation’s 1866 reservation boundaries before the US Supreme Court.

Link to McGirt v Oklahoma US SCT Decision

Topic highlights of this session include: Introduction and Background, Defining "Medically Fragile", Hearing Stages, Worker Expectations, Consents for Medical Treatment, Risk of Harm Considerations, and Secondary Trauma.

pdf Material for Medically Fragile Children in Foster Care

Federal OSHA regulations recently mandated COVID vaccinations in workplaces with over 100 employees.  While the regulations are subject to legal challenges and interpretation, the FOC offices will need to be prepared to address real-world issues that parties will experience.  This panel includes referees and FOC directors discussing how a potential mandate will affect decisions to enforce, how to enforce, when it may be proper to impute income, and custody decisions that arise because of mandates.  This webinar will help IV-D workers improve their skills to address the vaccination mandate.