Vivek

S.

Sankaran

Sankaran directs both the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and the Child Welfare Appellate Clinic, where students represent clients in trial and appellate proceedings. He also is the co-director of Michigan Law’s AI Law and Policy Clinic, which equips students to tackle critical justice challenges at the intersection of emerging technology, law, and ethics.

Nationally recognized for both his teaching and advocacy, Sankaran is the recipient of the John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award from the State Bar of Michigan and Michigan Law’s Teaching Award for Support of Student Community and Well-Being. His writing—widely published—calls for deeper reflection on the values underlying legal systems, and his appellate litigation has helped shape Michigan law on the rights of families.

Beyond the courtroom and classroom, Sankaran is leading a national movement to bring compassion into legal practice. After completing the Applied Compassion Training at Stanford University, he now designs and facilitates compassion retreats across the country for the legal community, including judges, lawyers, and law students.

Sankaran began his legal career as a Skadden Fellow at the Children’s Law Center in Washington, DC. In 2009, he founded the Detroit Center for Family Advocacy, the first legal model in the nation to use multidisciplinary teams to prevent unnecessary foster care placements. He has worked closely with national organizations like the American Bar Association, Casey Family Programs, and the National Center for State Courts on initiatives to promote justice and family preservation.

He also is the co-editor of the first national book for family defense attorneys and of the third edition of Child Welfare Law and Practice, a leading reference for child welfare lawyers nationwide.