Effective May 1, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, a University of Michigan alum, will join the Law School faculty as a professor of national security, criminal law and criminal procedure.
McQuade was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2010 as the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, which, according to the Detroit Free Press, covers 34 counties and 6 million residents. During her tenure, she oversaw over 1,000 cases and over 100 attorneys a year.
After resigning from her post following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, McQuade told the Law School she is excited to begin teaching here, especially given the circumstances of the times.
“I am honored to return to Michigan Law School to teach the next generation of law students at a critical moment in our nation’s history,” McQuade told the Law School. “Michigan’s unique learning environment opened a new world of ideas for me when I was a student there, and I am thrilled to join its great faculty. Helping students to develop a deep understanding of our laws, courts and legal system has never been more important.”
Law School Dean Mark West, the Nippon Life Professor of Law, said in the same statement, given McQuade’s work ethic and extensive legacy, she will bring experience and perspective to the classroom.
“Her legacy includes an impressive number of important convictions, and our students will benefit tremendously from the experience and perspective she brings to the classroom,” said West in a statement. “I am thrilled to welcome Barb home to Michigan Law as a member of our faculty.”
Shelley Rodgers, Chief Communications Officer of the Law School, said in an interview McQuade has a strong reputation as a mentor to students.
“As a Michigan Law graduate, Barbara McQuade has had a connection with the Law School since her days as a student,” Rodgers said. “She has a long and distinguished career in practice and teaching and can really make the law come alive for our students with practical legal training that is rooted in real world experience. She also has a strong reputation as a mentor and is dedicated to counseling students to become effective lawyers. We have been hoping to find ways to work to work with her for a while and the timing is right.”
Some of McQuade’s other accomplishments include convicting more than 30 public officials in Detroit on public corruption charges, including former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. She also was integral in convicting the Al-Qaeda operative who tried blowing up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009.
McQuade also has previous experience teaching, having taught criminal law at the University of Detroit Mercy from 2003 to 2009 as an adjunct professor.