Heather E. Sumner

Heather E. Sumner is an Associate Attorney whose practice focuses on municipal liability, civil rights defense, employment law, and appellate work. She is also well versed in providing general counsel to municipalities in a wide-variety of areas. Licensed in 2013, Heather began her career in medical malpractice defense before transitioning to municipal law in 2016, when she joined the City of Lansing. As Deputy City Attorney for the City of Lansing she was also the director of litigation, gaining extensive and valuable experience in all areas of municipal law. She has presented around the state on topics including municipal regulation of marijuana, ethics, and the ongoing opioid litigation.

Practice Areas

Constitutional Rights and Civil Rights
General Municipal Law
Appellate practice
Employment and Labor
Personal Injury

Education

• Michigan State University College, J.D., 2013
• Central Michigan University, B.S., Magna Cum Laude, 2010

Professional Memberships

• West Michigan Federal Bar Association
• State Bar of Michigan
  Young Lawyers Section
  Government Law Section
  Labor & Employment Law Section
• Ingham County Bar Association
  DEI Committee
  Bench Bar Committee
  Young Lawyers Section

Admitted to Practice

• All courts for the State of Michigan
• United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Publications/Presentations

Due Process Challenges to Municipal Licensing and Regulatory Decisions
Michigan Assoc. of Municipal Attorneys: Annual Conference, Oct. 2019

Municipal Management of Marihuana: Lessons from Lansing, Michigan
State Bar of Michigan: Winter Conference, Feb. 2020

Municipal Management of Marihuana, panel discussion
5th Annual Marijuana Law Conference, Oct. 2020

Reversing the Opioid Epidemic: Strategies to Save Lives and Communities
Michigan Assoc. of Municipal Attorneys: Mid-Winter Conf., Mar. 2018
Michigan Municipal League: Capital Conference, Mar. 2018
Michigan Assoc. of Mayors: Summer Workshop, Jul. 2018

Ethics Training for Boards & Commissions; An Overview of the Lansing Ethics Ordinance
Recorded Presentation, Jan. 2020

Lansing Police Department Ethics Training, Parts 1 and 2
Recorded Presentations, Summer 2020