Professor Michelle Richards Receives the James T. Barnes Sr. Memorial Faculty Scholar Award

Professor Michelle Richards is the 2025 recipient of the James T. Barnes Sr. Memorial Faculty Scholar Award. Each year, a full-time faculty member is chosen to receive this award based on scholarship, teaching excellence, and public service.

Professor Richards area of scholarship centers around public health law and the intersection of public health topics, torts, and civil procedure. She teaches Civil Procedure, Torts, Public Health Law and Applied Legal Theory and Analysis. She also developed a course in the law school's law firm program ("LFP") called Pre-Trial Litigation Skills, in which students explore basic litigation skills in a problem-based context and has worked with her colleagues to develop an innovative Advanced Appellate Advocacy course.

“Her passion for the law and her unwavering presence, despite personal challenges, is commendable. She not only arrives but does so with purpose, and her skills continue to shine,” explained a student nominator. “She establishes expectations that are not only reasonable but also reflect the professional standards we all aspire to.”

Her scholarship has been cited by courts, including the Oklahoma Supreme Court, in landmark rulings in the area of public health.

Professor Richards joined the Detroit Mercy Law faculty in 2002 and was promoted to Professor of Law in 2024. Throughout her time at Detroit Mercy Law, she has served on countless committees, including the Rank and Tenure Committee and as chair of the Curriculum Committee.