Lisa Marie Neilson, a former Wayne County judge, is running for an open seat on Michigan’s 6th Circuit Court, which serves Oakland County, in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
She faces Victoria King in the nonpartisan contest for a six-year term, according to Oakland County Times’ election coverage.
This profile draws primarily on Neilson’s responses to The Royal Oak Record candidate questionnaire. Unless otherwise noted, the information and responses below come from that questionnaire.
Asked why she is running, Neilson emphasized public service and her experience in family law.
“To continue my commitment to public service,” she said. “The judge elected to this position will serve in the Oakland County Circuit Court's Family Division—the area of law that has defined my career.”
Candidate information
Education: Neilson reported earning a bachelor’s degree from Madonna University in 1998 and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2003.
After leaving the bench, she earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan in 2024. She described her concentration as interpersonal practice involving integrated health, mental health and substance use.
Family: Neilson said she is married, has children and has nine grandchildren. She raised her children in Oakland County and said she has lived there for much of her adult life.
She said her own experience with family court helped shape her career.
“Many years ago, as a young stay-at-home mother, I experienced the Oakland County Family Court during my divorce,” she said. “That experience inspired me to attend law school and focus my legal career on family law.”
Experience and public service
Neilson began working in the Oakland County court system as a judicial law clerk and later as a staff attorney to Judge Linda S. Hallmark, according to her questionnaire.
She then entered private practice, concentrating on family and probate law and representing both retained and court-appointed clients. Her work included positions at Zivian & Neilson and Dickinson Wright.
Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Neilson to the Wayne County Probate Court in 2012, according to the governor’s appointment announcement.
Neilson said she served by assignment in the Family Division of the 3rd Circuit Court. She reported winning election in 2014 to complete the remaining term and again in 2016 for a six-year term. She retired from the bench in May 2022.
Her campaign biography also describes subsequent work in family and probate law, mediation and arbitration.
On the issues
Public trust and access to justice: Neilson identified maintaining confidence in the courts and helping people participate meaningfully in their cases as major challenges.
“One of the greatest challenges facing courts is maintaining public trust while ensuring meaningful access to justice, especially as Family Court cases become more complex,” she said.
She said those concerns informed her work on the bench.
“I partnered with a legal aid clinic to create a specialized docket connecting self-represented litigants with supervised law students, helping them better understand the process and participate more meaningfully in their cases,” she said.
Her campaign website identifies that partner as the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic of The Salvation Army.
Experience and perspective: Neilson cited her previous judicial service as a central distinction in her background.
“My career also provides three different perspectives on the court system: working inside the Oakland County courts as a judicial law clerk and staff attorney, representing retained and court-appointed clients before the same court as a family law attorney, and serving on the bench as a Family Court Judge,” she said.
Endorsements and ratings
Neilson’s campaign endorsement page lists supporters including Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, the Michigan Association for Justice, the Police Officers Association of Michigan and the National Association of Social Workers’ Michigan Chapter political action committee.
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan lists an “Outstanding” judicial candidate rating for Neilson, issued in April 2026.
This profile draws primarily on Lisa Marie Neilson’s responses to The Royal Oak Record candidate questionnaire, with additional information from state appointment records, her campaign materials, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and published election reporting. Responses have been excerpted and paraphrased; direct quotations retain her wording.
