Margaret T. Debler

Margaret T. Debler is a firm shareholder, working out of the Farmington Hills office. She concentrates her practice in the areas of civil rights defense litigation, and the defense of state law claims against municipalities including police misconduct, defective sidewalks, roads, and public buildings, as well as suits filed alleging negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Margaret specializes in defending the actions taken by police officers and other law enforcement officials in pursuit of their official duties. She has successfully tried cases in defense of police officers, both in federal and state courts, obtaining no cause and directed verdicts.

Margaret has also continued to advocate her clients' interests in appellate courts, arguing in both the Michigan Court of Appeals and 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, obtaining the desired outcomes. She has been AV-rated Preeminent through the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Ratings System. She has been appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General. Before joining the firm in 1993, Margaret acquired experience defending school districts throughout the state, spoke at state and national conferences, and published on student search and seizure issues. She is now actively involved in her children's schools, both public and parochial.

Practice Areas

• Constitutional Law and Civil Rights
• Insurance Defense
• General Municipal Law

Experience / Expertise

• Legal liability in law enforcement and corrections
• Municipal property maintenance issues

Education

• University of Detroit, now University of Detroit Mercy, J.D., 1990
• University of Michigan, B.A., Political Science, 1987

Admitted to Practice

• Admitted to practice in the States of Illinois and Michigan
• United States District Court for the Eastern District
• United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Awards

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation-Municipal, 2021-2023
• "AV Preeminent" ranking with Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible peer review rating for attorneys, 2020
• Ranked in America's Most Honored Lawyers, Top 1% by the American Registry, 2020
• Selected to Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2013-2023
• Listed in dBusiness and Hour Magazine Top Lawyers in the area of Municipal Law, 2013-2017, 2019
• Top 50 Women Super Lawyers 2022
• Listed in MARTINDALE-HUBBEL AV Preeminent Attorney - Judicial Edition 2016-2023

Publications / Presentations

• Presenter, MMRMA Corrections Seminar on the topic "Deliberate Indifference and Use of Force: A Litigation Perspective," October 2018
• Presenter, MPCLA Winter Educational Conference
• Contributor to manual of Educational Risk Management
• Speaker at local and national conferences dealing with legal problems in education

Community Activities/Involvement

• Cabrini Athletic Boosters
• Gleaners Food Banks
  Youth Volunteer Activity Organizer
• Youth Soccer Coach
  Past volunteer
• Lindemann PTA
• Elevate Detroit and Cass Community Social Services
  Volunteer