Hon. Brian S. Berger, Presiding Judge

Brian S. Berger was appointed to the Berrien County Trial Court by Governor Rick Snyder on November 13, 2015, and began serving the citizens of Berrien County as a Probate Judge on January 4, 2016. Judge Berger has since been elected to that position, and currently serves in the Family Division of the Berrien County Trial Court. 

Judge Berger is the Presiding Judge of the Family Division of the Berrien County Trial Court.

History

Judge Berger is a native of Detroit and graduated from Michigan State University (James Madison College) in 1979 and the University of Detroit School of Law in 1982. He has resided in Berrien County since February, 1983, when he began his legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office.

Upon leaving the Prosecutor’s Office in 1988, Judge Berger worked as an associate attorney for a St. Joseph law firm for several years before starting his own law practice, which focused primarily on family law and criminal defense cases. He also represented indigent clients in the Berrien County Drug Court for many years.

Experience

Judge Berger has extensive trial experience in many courts, and was also a trained mediator, serving as a court-appointed family law mediator in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties.

Family

Judge Berger resides in St. Joseph with his wife, Diana. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Berrien County Bar Association, Michigan Probate Judges Association, Southwest Michigan Probate Judges Association, Michigan State University Alumni Association, Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, and St. John’s-St. Bernard’s Catholic Parish.