Allie Greenleaf Maldonado

Biography

Professional career

• Judge of the Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals, appointed in 2023 and serving until 2027, and is a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
• She was one of only 15 tribal citizens selected for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Honors Program and later served as a litigator in the DOJ’s Indian Resources Section

Education

Additional information

• Before joining the Court of Appeals, Maldonado held the role of Chief Judge of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Trial Court and as assistant general counsel for the tribe.
• Recognized as an expert on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), having worked with the State Court Administrative Office to bring Michigan into compliance with ICWA for the first time since the Act’s passage
• In interviews, Maldonado has emphasized the importance of thorough preparation in oral arguments, the value of adapting to judges’ questions, and the potential for changing minds during deliberations.