Deborah Paruch

Deborah Paruch is a Professor of Law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where she has served on the faculty since 2000. She teaches Applied Legal Theory and Analysis, Evidence and Comparative Evidence, Children and the Law, and Family Law, integrating her dual expertise in law and business within a Jesuit social justice framework.

Her educational credentials include:

• J.D., University of Detroit (1992)
• M.B.A., University of Detroit (1977)
• B.A., University of Detroit (1974)

Professor Paruch's research centers on the intersection of family law, children's rights, and evidentiary standards, with particular emphasis on juvenile justice reform and constitutional protections for vulnerable populations. Her scholarship critically examines systemic failures in child welfare systems while advocating for evidence-based legal reforms that prioritize children's constitutional rights and psychological well-being.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a sustained focus on juvenile solitary confinement practices, confrontation clause applications in child abuse cases, and psychotherapist-patient privilege conflicts in family courts. Her comparative legal analyses spanning U.S., Canadian, and European jurisdictions demonstrate how evidentiary rules disproportionately impact child victims and non-offending parents in protection proceedings.

No notable scientific awards are documented in publicly available sources.

She advises the Juvenile Appellate Clinic where students engage in real-world advocacy, and serves as Treasurer of the Children’s Law Council while participating in Michigan Bar Association committees. Her community engagement extends to housing justice initiatives through past leadership roles with South Oakland Shelter and Spero Housing Group, which secured $13.5 million in tax credits for Coolidge Place - a 64-unit affordable housing development.

Professor Paruch maintains active involvement with the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (Program and Finance Committees) and Make a Wish Michigan (wish coordinator), demonstrating consistent commitment to vulnerable populations beyond her academic work. Her professional trajectory from CPA and business professor to legal scholar reflects unique interdisciplinary perspectives on systemic inequities within family and juvenile justice systems.