He worked in the Michigan Attorney General office under Jennifer Granholm. His special interest there was “a unit dedicated to fighting Internet crime in Michigan.” Berg offered that, “When I was a prosecutor, I always enjoyed the fraud cases, because it was a more complicated investigation and you had to prove the person had the intent to commit a crime.” He thereafter returned to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan.[2]
During his confirmation, he was candid about his views on the judicial role.[C]
Federal judicial service
On April 25, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Berg to be a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, to the seat vacated by Judge Arthur J. Tarnow. His nomination was forwarded by the Senate Judiciary Committee to the full United States Senate on July 12, 2012.[7] The United States Senate voted to confirm Berg in a voice vote on December 6, 2012. He received his commission on December 7, 2012.[4]
Assault
On March 5, 2015 Judge Berg was shot in the leg during an attempted home robbery.[8][9] The FBI offered a $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting.[10][11] Berg's family immediately asked for calm due to the situation.[11] Berg underwent surgery to repair the damage to his leg.[12]
After a period of intense rehabilitation for his knee, Judge Berg returned to service. He has since been involved in charitable events.[13]
^"Berg has taught a Computer Crime Seminar and also Trial Practice as an adjunct professor for the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law from 1994-2012. He has also taught courses at the U.S. Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center, in Columbia, South Carolina, the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the Prosecuting Attorney's Associations of Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, and Utah. He has spoken at conferences sponsored by the National Association of Attorney's General, in Washington, D.C., the National White Collar Crime Center, in Fairmont, West Virginia, and the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law, at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi. He has also trained prosecutors in Bangkok, Thailand, Sofia, Bulgaria, and Cebu, Philippines. His writings have appeared in law reviews, state bar publications, and national magazines."[5]
^"My judicial philosophy is to adhere to the rule of law and act with integrity in all things. Integrity in this sense means being intellectually honest, open-minded and rigorous; applying the law fairly, impartially, and consistently; giving all parties a full opportunity to be heard; treating all who come before the court with dignity and courtesy;and having the courage to do the right thing. In our constitutional system, the role of the judge is to provide a neutral and open forum in which all sides will be heard, decisions will be rendered promptly, consistent with the rule of law, and narrowly tailored to address the case or controversy at issue. ... The most important elements of judicial temperament are to be fair, impartial, timely, diligent, hardworking, patient, calm, decisive and respectful of the equal dignity of all persons who appear before the court."[6]