United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade kicked-off the revival meeting of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Federal Bar Association Chapter on November 15, 2012. A large crowd of approximately 75 students came eager to hear about her career and federal practice. Ms. McQuade was introduced by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Michael Riordan, a 1990 graduate of UDM Law and former President of the FBA. Judge Riordan is also Vice President of the UDM Law Alumni Association. Ms. McQuade is the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and began serving on January 4, 2010.

Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Ms. McQuade served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit for 12 years. She was Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit, where she prosecuted cases involving terrorism financing, foreign agents, export violations, and threats. During her career as a federal prosecutor, she has also prosecuted cases involving violent crime, fraud, narcotics, racketeering, and cybercrime.

From 2003 to 2009, Ms. McQuade served as a law professor at UDM Law, teaching criminal law in the evenings.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, she practiced law at the firm of Butzel Long in Detroit and served as a law clerk to Hon. Bernard A. Friedman on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.