A candidate for the Supreme Court must be a qualified elector, licensed to practice law in Michigan, and at the time of election must be less than 70 years of age. The salary of the justices is fixed by the State Officers Compensation Commission and paid by the state. Judicial Function Sessions of the Supreme Court are held in Lansing. The Supreme Court receives annually approximately 2,400 to 3,000 applications for leave to appeal from litigants seeking review of decisions by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Each of the Supreme Court's seven justices is responsible for reviewing each case at a rate of 200 to 300 a month to determine which should be granted leave.
Justices analyze each case up to three times before a decision to grant leave to appeal is made.
The Supreme Court's authority to hear cases is discretionary. The Court grants leave to those cases of greatest complexity and public import where additional briefing and oral argument are essential to reaching a just outcome. The Court issues a decision in all cases filed with the Clerk's Office, which means some 2,400 to 3,000 decisions a year. Cases that are not accepted for oral argument may be decided by an order with or without an opinion. These orders may affirm or reverse the Michigan Court of Appeals, may remand a case to the trial court, or may adopt a correct Court of Appeals opinion.