Judge Charlene M. Elder currently serves in the Civil division of the 3rd Circuit Court handling civil cases with claims of more than $25,000. Prior to that, she served 17 years in the Family Division of the court, handling a variety of domestic relations cases involving divorce, paternity, custody, personal protection orders and more. Prior to her appointment in 2005, Elder served as a judicial magistrate in Dearborn’s 19th District Court. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, and her juris doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law. She currently serves on the board of ACCESS, and is a member of the Michigan Judges Association.