معرفی
Michael J. Steinberg serves as Professor from Practice and Director of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School, where he mentors future public interest lawyers through high-impact civil rights litigation.
His educational background includes:
- BA with honors from Wesleyan University
- JD cum laude from Wayne State University (Order of the Coif)
Steinberg's research and practice focus on civil rights, constitutional law, and public interest litigation, spanning racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, police misconduct, voting rights, immigrant rights, and religious freedom. He has litigated dozens of high-profile cases, including six decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, emphasizing systemic change through strategic courtroom advocacy.
His accolades include:
- Harvard Law School’s Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowship
- Wayne State University Law School’s Treasure of Detroit Award
- Detroit NAACP and Arab Civil Rights League’s Justice Award
As founding director of Michigan Law's Civil Rights Litigation Initiative, Steinberg supervises student attorneys in active cases involving police reform, voting access, and discrimination. Previously, he led the ACLU of Michigan's litigation for 22 years and founded Wayne State University's Civil Rights Clinic. His career also includes seven years in private practice handling civil rights appeals and community organizing roles with the National Lawyers Guild and Michigan Coalition on Human Rights.
The Civil Rights Litigation Initiative operates as his primary academic lab, recently achieving landmark victories like establishing the nation's strongest police facial recognition policy through student-litigated cases.
