Leonard M. Niehoff

Leonard M. Niehoff is a Clinical Professor at the University of Michigan's School of Law, where he teaches Civil Procedure, Ethics, Evidence, First Amendment, Media Law, and Law & Theology. He also practices law as of counsel to Honigman LLP, specializing in media law, higher education law, and trial/appellate litigation, with notable involvement in the University of Michigan's defense of affirmative action programs in Gratz and Grutter cases.

• Education:
  • BA, University of Michigan
  • JD, University of Michigan
  • Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit

Niehoff has published over 100 articles in law reviews, spanning constitutional law, evidence, litigation strategy, and ethics, and authored/co-authored several books, including Free Speech: From Core Values to Current Debates (2022). He has been recognized as a national authority in media law and litigation, contributing to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and serving on the editorial board of the ABA Litigation Journal.

His research focuses on constitutional law, legal ethics, and litigation, with recent work exploring the intersection of law and theology. Niehoff is a Life Fellow of the American and Michigan Bar Foundations and maintains active affiliations with the Law School’s Law and Ethics Program and the Michigan Innocence Clinic as an ethics advisor.