Matthew J. Zalewski

Matthew J. Zalewski is a shareholder at the firm, providing general counsel and litigation services to municipalities, and specializing in land use, zoning, construction, and constitutional law. He has spent his entire legal career in municipal law, having previously served as a law clerk and Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Dearborn. He currently serves as general counsel or assistant general counsel to multiple communities, and defends litigation for municipalities throughout the state of Michigan.

Matt has handled litigation and appeals in state and federal courts on subjects including takings, ordinance validity, sign regulations, permit and inspection procedures, nuisances, code enforcement, dangerous building demolition, long-term and short-term rentals, moratoria, inland lake levels, riparian rights, municipal service fees, development contracts, speech, religion, equal protection, due process, election law, marijuana facilities, flooding, consent judgment enforcement, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, police conduct, negligence, procurement, and personal injury. He is experienced in handling matters in the Michigan Tax Tribunal and State Construction Code Commission, defending municipal interests in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and prosecuting code enforcement cases.

In his general counsel capacity, Matt has advised communities on matters including zoning, development, building codes, nuisance abatement, condemnation, property taxation, administrative searches, First Amendment policies, special assessment districts, wetlands, land transactions, contracts, library law, procurement, insurance coverage, the FLSA, and compliance with the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts. He has substantial experience working with municipal boards and commissions, defending their actions, and designing rules of procedure to guide their activities. He is skilled at drafting ordinances and policies that are compatible with substantive law and that comply with due process requirements.

Matt has a history of carrying his involvement into the community and the classroom. He served nearly 10 years on the Dearborn Planning Commission and served a term representing the general public on the Michigan Residential Builders’ and Maintenance and Alteration Contractors’ Board. He has also taught courses on constitutional and administrative law at Michigan State and Eastern Michigan Universities, including a course he designed on law for public administrators.

Practice Areas

• General Municipal Law
• Constitutional Law and Civil Rights
• Zoning and Land Use
• Real Estate and Construction
• Taxes and Assessing
• Insurance Defense
• Appellate Advocacy

Education

• Michigan State University (Political Science), M.A., 2015
• Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 2008
• Oakland University (History & Political Science), B.A., 2004

Professional Activities/Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan
  Government Law Section
• Oakland County Bar Association, Municipal Law Committee
• Eastern District of Michigan Bar Association/Federal Bar Association
• Michigan State University Department of Political Science
  Fixed-Term Professor, 2012-2022
• Eastern Michigan University Department of Political Science
  Part-Time Lecturer, 2015-2018

Admitted to Practice

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

Publications/Presentations

• “Let’s Get this Party Started (or Not): The Long-Term Headache of Short-Term Rentals.” Presentation to the Michigan Townships Association 2025 Educational Conference, Grand Rapids, MI April 2, 2025.
• “The Dog Ate My Notice! Protecting Yourself Against Challenges to Public Notice Requirements.” Presentation to Michigan Townships Association 2025 Educational Conference, Grand Rapids, MI April 1, 2025.
• “Highs and Lows: A Blunt Assessment of Legal Issues Surrounding Marijuana Licensing in Michigan.” Panel participant for Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority Risk Management Conference, February 27, 2025.
• “Solving All the Section’s Problems – A Rousing Roundtable.” Panel participant for 2025 Government Law Section Winter Educational Seminar, February 21, 2025.
• “Wine, Weddings, and Song – Zoning Uncorked: Legal Perspectives on Winery Challenges and Other Issues in Navigating Modern Use Regulations. Panel participant for State Bar Real Property Law Section Summer Conference, Traverse City, MI, July 18, 2024.
• “So, You Think You’re Special: Evaluating Claims to ‘Aggrieved Party’ Status and ‘Standing’ in Circuit Court Zoning Actions.” Oakland County Bar Association LACHES, April 2024, p. 16-18.
• “The King Can Do No Wrong; Or Can He?: Lessons in Governmental/Municipal Litigation for the Novice Lawyer,” Presentation to the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, August 25, 2021.
• “Cutting Through the Haze: Local Marijuana Regulation Issues,” Panel participant for State Bar Government Law Section Winter Seminar, February 12, 2021.
• “Land Use Update 2020, Part 1 and Part 2.” Panel participant for Institute of Continuing Legal Education On-Demand Seminar, February 24, 2020 and March 9, 2020.
• “Takings Claims after Knick v. Township of Scott.” Presentation to the Oakland County Bar Association Municipal Law Committee, November 20, 2019.
• “Municipal Law Report.” Michigan Defense Quarterly 36(1): 26-28 (with Lisa Anderson), 2019.
• “Public Notice Requirements.” Presentation to the Michigan Townships Association Clerk’s Professional Development Retreat, Bellaire, MI, July 18, 2019.
• “City Assessments and Local Policy Preferences: The Relative Roles of Demographics, Ideology, and Civic Culture.” Journal of Urban Affairs (with Laura Reese), 2018.
• “Campaigning for the State High Court Bench.” Ch. 4 in Judicial Elections in the 21st Century, ed. Chris Bonneau and Melinda Gann Hall. New York: Routledge (with Melinda Hall), 2017.
• “Substantive and Procedural Tolerance: Are Diverse Communities Really More Tolerant?” Urban Affairs Review, 51(6): 781-818 (with Laura Reese), 2015.
• “Random Strikes or Targeted Hits? Attack Advertising in State Supreme Court Elections,” Presentation to the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA, September 4, 2016.
• “Political Activism or Active Representation? The Nature of State Interests Represented by State Attorneys General in Federal Affordable Care Act Litigation.” Presentation to the Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 18, 2015.
• “Home Rule or Judge Rule? State Supreme Court Behavior in Local Government Regulation Cases.” Presentation to the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, LA, January 17, 2015.

Community Activities / Involvement

• Dearborn Planning Commission
  Vice Chairperson, 2012-2022
• Michigan Residential Builders’ and Maintenance and Alteration Contractors’ Board
  Public Member, 2018-2020
• Madison Heights Library Advisory Board
  2000-2006
• Madison Heights Historical Commission
  2000-2006
• Madison Heights Youth Assistance Board of Directors
  Past Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary, 1998-2004