Michelle L. Richards

Michelle L. Richards is a Professor of Law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where she has been a faculty member since 2002. She was promoted to full professor in 2024. Prior to academia, she spent over a decade in private practice as a civil defense litigator and appellate attorney, followed by roles as Director of Regulatory Affairs at Comcast and Of Counsel to a Livonia-based law firm. She holds a J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (1994) and a B.A. from Michigan State University (1991).

Her teaching focuses on Civil Procedure, Torts, Public Health Law, and Applied Legal Theory and Analysis. She pioneered courses like Pre-Trial Litigation Skills and co-developed an Advanced Appellate Advocacy course. Her research explores intersections between public health law, torts, and civil procedure, with landmark contributions such as her 2020 article on public nuisance cited by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in opioid litigation. She frequently comments on legal strategies in public health crises, including opioid litigation and pandemic-related liability.

Her scholarship spans pandemic response frameworks, legal education reform, and pharmaceutical liability. Notable works include critiques of premature civil liability in pandemic contexts and analyses of procedural challenges in opioid litigation. She actively participates in academic discussions on health law and legal writing, presenting at national conferences like SEALS and the Legal Writing Institute.