Veterans Law Clinic Leadership
Professor Holly Christian
Veterans Law Clinic Director
Assistant Professor of Law
Professor Christian is an accomplished attorney and educator. She joined Detroit Mercy Law in 2021 as the inaugural Toni A. Wisne Foundation Veterans Clinic Fellow and was promoted to her current position in 2022. She is VA-accredited, licensed to practice law in Michigan and Illinois, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Military and Veterans Law Section.
Professor Christian is a trained facilitator for intergroup dialogue and teaches her student clinicians to focus on understanding in place of judgment. Her scholarly work focuses on remedies for discriminatory military discharges affecting members of protected classes. She is also involved with the National Law School Veterans Group Council.
During her time at Detroit Mercy Law, she expanded the clinic’s services to address a broader range of veterans' legal needs through discharge upgrades. The clinic achieved its first fully honorable discharge upgrade for a U.S. Navy veteran in 2024.
“Veterans have sacrificed so much, yet unfortunately, they remain an underserved population. We honor their service by standing with them and advocating for them to receive what they’ve been promised and rightfully earned for their sacrifice.”
Daniel Bernhard '25
Toni A. Wisne Foundation Veterans Clinic Fellow
Army Reserve Officer
Bernhard is the second Toni A. Wisne Foundation Veterans Clinic Fellow to serve at Detroit Mercy Law. During law school, he completed a semester in the Veterans Law Clinic. As a Fellow, he will work under the guidance of Professor Christian and provide additional lawyering support to the clinic—ensuring more veterans receive the help they need and fewer are turned away.
“As a veteran myself, I am humbled by the opportunity to use my legal education to improve the quality of life for my fellow veterans and beyond grateful to the Toni A. Wisne Foundation for making this possible.”