Vivek Sankaran

Vivek S. Sankaran, '01, is a clinical professor of law and directs both the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and the Detroit Center for Family Advocacy. His research and policy interests center on improving outcomes for children in child abuse and neglect cases by empowering parents and strengthening due process protections in the child welfare system. Prof. Sankaran sits on the steering committee of the American Bar Association's National Project to Improve Representation for Parents Involved in the Child Welfare System and works as a consultant for the National Center for State Court on Casey Family Programs' Judicial Engagement Project. He has litigated numerous cases on behalf of parents before the Michigan Supreme Court. He also has authored scholarly pieces and practical resource guides to assist professionals working with parents in the child welfare system and regularly conducts national and statewide training on these issues. He also was appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to the Child Abuse Prevention Board. Prof. Sankaran earned his BA, magna cum laude, from the College of William and Mary. He earned his JD, cum laude, from Michigan Law, where he was an associate editor of the Michigan Law Review. After law school, he joined the Children's Law Center (CLC) as a Skadden Fellow and became a permanent staff attorney with the CLC in September 2003.