Kimberly Thomas is a clinical professor of law, and the director and co-founder of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Michigan Law. She also teaches in the Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic. She specializes in trial and appellate practice, youth justice, and criminal sentencing law.
Featured Scholarship
"Michigan's Youth Justice Reform: A Potholed But Sure Road To Change"
South Carolina Law Review
- Children and the Law
"Reconsidering Ross: The Interplay of AEDPA, Criminal Appeals, and The Right to Counsel"
The University of Memphis Law Review
- Criminal Law
Mich. Ruling Widens Sentencing Protections For Young Adults
- Criminal Law
- Children and the Law
"Voices from a Prison Pandemic: Lives Lost from COVID-19 at Lakeland Correctional"
Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law
- Criminal Law
Activities
Presented a Guest Fulbright Lecture on “Juvenile Justice in the U.S.: Current Trends and Challenges” at University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Gave a talk that examines post-Miller juvenile sentencing statutes in light of the Eighth Amendment at the South Carolina Law Review’s Sentencing Reform symposium.
Co-presented “Deciding Whether and Why to Teach the New and Pressing Legal Issues of Our Times,” Midwest Clinical Law Professor’s Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Presented “Legal and Practical Considerations Relating to MCL 769.25a,” Michigan Judicial Institute (training for Michigan trial court judges on post-Miller legislation), Lansing, Michigan.
Presented “Creative Motions in Juvenile Life Without Parole Cases,” Darrow-Baldus Defense College, University of Iowa.
Moderator, Rebellious Lawyering at 25: Clinical Law Review Symposium, Baltimore.
Developed and taught a training program for Turkish lawyers who are providing legal information sessions to Syrians living in Turkey, ABA-Rule of Law Initiative, Istanbul, Turkey.
Provided two-day training for faculty from Menoufia University Law School in development of their clinical program, ABA-Rule of Law Initiative, Cairo, Egypt.
Presented “Creative Motions and Issue Preservation in JLWOP Cases,” Darrow-Baldus Defense College, University of Iowa.
Presented a talk on the constitutional sentencing of juveniles, Elderwise, Ann Arbor.
Presented “Representing Clients and Educating Students Amid Risk Management, Background Checks, and Compliance Regimes,” AALS Clinical Conference, Rancho Mirage, California.
Presented “Miller, Apprendi, and Alleyne: Does the Sixth Amendment Require a Jury Determination and Finding Beyond a Reasonable Doubt at Miller Hearings?,” Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth National Convening, Washington, D.C.
Serves on the University of Michigan Sexual Misconduct Review Panel.
Serves on the Michigan State Planning Body for the Delivery of Legal Services.
