Biography
Donald N. Duquette's book, Advocating for the Child in Protection Proceedings, formed the conceptual framework for the first national evaluation of child representation as mandated by the U.S. Congress (National Study of Guardian ad Litem Effectiveness, by CSR Inc). His most recent book, Child Welfare Law and Practice: Representing Children, Parents and State Agencies in Abuse, Neglect and Dependency Proceedings (Bradford Legal Publishers, May 2005), defines the scope and duties of a brand new legal specialty in child welfare law and prepares experienced lawyers for a national certifying examination. Professor Duquette is co-editor and an author of the book and co-director of the National Association of Counsel for Children's national project to certify lawyers as specialists in child welfare law. The NACC child welfare specialty gained American Bar Association accreditation in February 2004. In October 2009 the U.S. Children’s Bureau made a $5 million grant to Michigan Law to serve as the National Quality Improvement Center for Child Representation in Child Welfare Cases with Professor Duquette as Director. As a clinical professor of law and the director of the Law School's Child Advocacy Law Clinic, he has developed one of the most respected and influential child advocacy law programs in the country. The CALC is the oldest such clinic in the U.S. and celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year.

Professor Duquette is a graduate of Michigan State University and was a social worker specializing in child protection and foster care prior to earning his J.D. at U-M. Before joining the clinical law faculty in 1976, he served as an assistant professor of pediatrics and human development at Michigan State University. His research and teaching interests are clinical law and interdisciplinary approaches to child welfare law and policy. During a leave from the Law School, he managed an expert work group for the U.S. Children's Bureau and drafted Permanency for Children: Guidelines for Public Policy and State Legislation as part of President Clinton's Adoption 2002 Initiative on Adoption and Foster Care. Duquette also manages the Law School's Bergstrom Child Welfare Law Summer Fellowship Program and in winter 2004 started the Law School's first mediation clinic.

See also Professor Duquette's resume.