Vivek S. Sankaran

Vivek S. Sankaran is a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, directing the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and Child Welfare Appellate Clinic while co-directing the AI Law and Policy Clinic. His work centers on child welfare reform, family representation, and technology-law intersections.

Education:

• BA, College of William & Mary
• JD, University of Michigan

His research focuses on systemic child welfare transformation through preventive legal advocacy, multidisciplinary team models, and compassion-driven legal practice. He pioneers work at the AI-law-ethics nexus, developing frameworks for technology's role in justice systems while advocating for trauma-informed approaches to family preservation. His scholarship critically examines termination of parental rights proceedings and prenatal substance exposure policies.

Scientific Awards:

• John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award from State Bar of Michigan
• Michigan Law’s Teaching Award for Support of Student Community and Well-Being

Sankaran mentors students through experiential clinics handling real child welfare cases, training the next generation of family defense attorneys. His national collaborations with Casey Family Programs, American Bar Association, and National Center for State Courts drive systemic reforms, including his founding of Detroit Center for Family Advocacy—the nation's first multidisciplinary model preventing unnecessary foster care placements.

He leads compassion initiatives through Stanford-trained retreats for legal professionals and co-edited foundational texts including the third edition of Child Welfare Law and Practice, establishing national standards for family defense practice.