Civil Rights Litigation Initiative

05/28/2026

From the CRLI Graduation Party for CRLI grads, family, and partners. Go forth, do good, and Go Blue!

05/21/2026

“A secret police force is a sign of an authoritarian government, not a democracy,” said David Seaman, a student attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative. “The Michigan legislature passed FOIA to ensure that the government remains transparent and accountable, not to allow the government to hide something so basic as the names of its employees.”

A Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled that state policing regulators can keep secret the names and employment histories of current and former officers throughout the state, but Metro Times and Invisible Institute plan to appeal the decision. Judge Christopher P. Yates decided Friday that Michigan S...

05/16/2026

After many years of litigation, the "K*K Flag Case" we filed on behalf of a Black mom and her daughter against their neighbor is finally settled. Here's the story from Channel 7.

“Je Donna and India Dinges are true heroes,” said CRLI Student Attorney Ku’Juana Quinn. “They bravely stepped forward and fought for justice not just for themselves but for everyone in Michigan.”

A metro Detroit mother is speaking out after settling a federal civil rights lawsuit against her former neighbor, saying what her family experienced is still painful to relive.

05/09/2026

CRLI congratulates not just one, but two, CRLI Student Attorneys for winning MLaw’s coveted Jane Mixer Award, which is presented to graduating students “who have made the greatest contribution to activities designed to advance social justice.” We’re so proud of you, Nithya Arun and David Seaman!!!

05/05/2026

The 2026 Michigan basketball team is not the only championship team on campus. Please say hello to the champions from 2026 Civil Rights Litigation Initiative team! Thank you all for your amazing work to advance justice this semester.

TEAM PHOTO. Front row): Ku’Juana Quinn, Laura Greer, Sophia Grant, Meredith Folensbee; Middle row: Edward Madrigal, Aanvi Jhaveri, Lily Chavez, Kal Muraco; Back Row: David Seaman, Coach Mike Steinberg, Dana Chen, Ashton Smith

04/23/2026

Kal Muraco is a student attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative and a 2L at the University of Michigan Law School. He is originally from San Jose, California, and holds a BS in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

At Michigan Law, Kal serves as Community Outreach Chair for the National Lawyers Guild chapter, volunteers with the Sentence Commutation Project, and is an Associate Editor for the Michigan Journal of Race & Law. He spent his 1L summer at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and will work at the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle for his 2L summer.

Kal is particularly passionate about work related to immigrant rights, racial justice, trans rights, and anti-surveillance. In his free time, Kal enjoys hiking, weightlifting, and playing board games.

04/17/2026

Aanvi Jhaveri is a a student attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative and a 3L at the University of Michigan Law School. Aanvi is from Southern California and received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to law school, she served as an Americorps Fellow at a nonprofit focused on increasing access to education for low-income students.

At Michigan Law, Aanvi is a Notes Editor for the Michigan Journal of Law Reform, a Senior Judge for Professor Timothy Pinto, and was formerly the Vice President of RSL: Women of Color Coalition. She spent her 1L summer at Bet Tzedek Legal Services and her 2L summer at the National Consumer Law Center. In her free time, she enjoys visiting coffee shops and reading.

04/14/2026

We are thrilled to announce that the first Clinical Teaching Fellow in the history of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative will be . . .

DAVID FEGLEY!!!

David was a student attorney in the inaugural CRLI class in 2020. After graduating cm laude from MLaw, he clerked two years for Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormick (a former MLaw clinical professor). He then worked for 3-1/2 years at the prestigious Michigan civil rights firm of Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter. He has litigated a wide range of civil rights cases including employment discrimination, special education, First Amendment retaliation, prisoner rights, and housing discrimination. When he was a CRLI student, he helped found Justice InDeed, the project addressing racially restrictive covenants in Washtenaw County.

David will start his fellowship this summer and will be co-teaching with CRLI Director Mike Steinberg in the fall. Thanks to David, the number of students in CRLI will double over the next year from eight students to sixteen.

Please welcome David back to CRLI!

04/03/2026

CRLI student attorneys David Seaman and Kal Muraco yesterday in the “Million Dollar Courtroom” at the federal court building in Detroit. Kal did an amazing job arguing a habeas petition to release our wrongly detained client from immigration detention!

04/01/2026

Dana Chen is a student attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative and a 2L at the University of Michigan Law School. Dana is from Queens, NY and received a BA in Philosophy and Government from Smith College. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal at the DOJ Antitrust Division in Washington, DC.

At Michigan Law, Dana is an Executive Online Editor for the Michigan Law Review, a Senior Judge for Professor Hannon’s legal practice class, the Public Interest Chair of APALSA, and a volunteer for the Sentence Commutation Project. She spent her 1L summer at the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, a labor union for journalists and nonprofit workers, and will spend her 2L summer at O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue, a union-side law firm in DC. Dana is passionate about workers’ rights, immigrant rights, and racial justice, and hopes to dedicate her career to litigating on behalf of labor unions and civil rights plaintiffs. During her free time, Dana enjoys doing crossword puzzles and yoga.

12/31/2025

McKenna, MLaw '50, and the entire CRLI family, wish you and yours a justice-filled and happy new year!