Editor’s Note: Why These Two Stories Belong Together
- This article should be read alongside History Repeating, which documents how leadership changes inside Michigan’s judicial oversight system have historically coincided with moments of institutional stress and heightened scrutiny.
- The involuntary retirement of Lynn Helland occurred during a compressed window in January 2026 when the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission was actively escalating a disciplinary case against Attorney General Candidate Karen McDonald and a public hearing against Oakland County Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig, practicing on the bench with early onset dementia.
- Taken together, these pieces ask a single question: how does judicial oversight behave when accountability and political consequence collide?
Clutch Justice is both honored and deeply saddened to be the first outlet to report that Lynn Helland, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, is retiring effective January 31, 2026.
Helland’s departure follows a historically active year for the Commission, marked by a record number of public investigations and proceedings. His retirement comes just ahead of the scheduled public trial involving Kirsten Nielsen Hartig, a case that has drawn significant attention to the Commission’s work and authority.
A Career in Public Service
Lynn Helland became Executive Director and General Counsel of the Judicial Tenure Commission on February 6, 2017. Prior to joining the Commission, he served for 34 years as an Assistant United States Attorney. He has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1980.
Over the course of his tenure, Helland oversaw a period of increased visibility for the Commission, including more frequent public-facing disciplinary actions.
Reporting and Internal Context
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter have confirmed to Clutch Justice that Lynn Helland’s departure from the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission was not voluntary. According to those sources, the Commission voted in closed session in mid-January 2026 to remove Helland from his position, a decision that was later framed publicly as a retirement.
The Commission has not publicly disclosed the circumstances of that vote or the reasons for Helland’s removal. The timing of the decision, however, coincided with an unusually active disciplinary window and internal restructuring at the Commission.
Clutch Justice requested comment from Thomas Ryan regarding the circumstances of Helland’s removal and the Commission’s internal decision-making during that period. Ryan did not respond.
A Personal Note
From a personal standpoint, I found Lynn to be consistently helpful, professional, and genuinely pleasant to work with. As I transitioned into journalism and began relying on the Judicial Tenure Commission for records, procedural explanations, and clarification, Helland and his staff were accessible and respectful.
In the past, I have been openly critical of the Judicial Tenure Commission as an institution. That critique has never been about the professionalism or decency of its staff. My experience working with Helland reinforced a belief I hold strongly: the primary dysfunction of the JTC lies not with the people doing the work, but with the severely outdated statutory framework governing how that work is done, and the people intentionally protecting archaic policies.
Watching Lynn and the commission work through this year has been fascinating. It is their bravery in how they handled Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig’s investigation that led me to develop FitBench.
So Lynn, if you’re reading this: thank you.
Why This Matters
The laws that structure the Judicial Tenure Commission have not kept pace with public expectations for transparency, accountability, or modern oversight. Those limitations constrain even well-intentioned leadership.
And the blame for that falls entirely on Michigan’s Legislature for failing to realize it and act.
Helland’s departure marks more than a personnel change. It is a moment that underscores the need for legislative modernization of Michigan’s judicial accountability system. Structural reform, not quiet attrition, is what restores public confidence.
Everyone here at Clutch Justice wishes Lynn the very best in whatever comes next and I sincerely hope our paths cross again.
