Melissa M. Salinas

Melissa M. Salinas serves as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, directing the Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic where second- and third-year students represent indigent clients in federal criminal and habeas corpus appeals.

Education

• University of Michigan, BA
• University of Michigan, JD

Research and Practice Focus

Her expertise centers on federal appellate practice, criminal justice reform, and indigent defense systems. With over 200 federal appeals litigated or supervised during her tenure as appellate director for the Office of the Federal Public Defender (Northern District of Ohio), she integrates hands-on litigation experience into clinical education. Her work emphasizes procedural justice in habeas corpus proceedings and federal sentencing challenges, reflecting deep engagement with systemic inequities in criminal appellate systems.

Scientific Awards

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

Advising and Professional Background

• Supervises law students in real-client federal appellate cases through the clinic
• Teaches Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic I & II
• Former clerk for Judge Eric L. Clay (U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit)
• Pre-legal career included bilingual elementary education in Denver and financial systems management for FedEx Latin America

Clinic Leadership

As director of the Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic, she oversees student attorneys handling live cases involving constitutional challenges, ineffective assistance of counsel claims, and post-conviction relief strategies within federal court frameworks.