About Leonard M.
Leonard M. Niehoff combines a practice life with a steady presence in legal education. He earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and later took his J.D. at Michigan State University College of Law. Those midwest schools anchored the start of a career spent largely in Michigan.
Niehoff moved into teaching while remaining active in practice. In 2010 he accepted a role as Professor from Practice at the University of Michigan Law School. The appointment placed him in front of law students, sharing courtroom habits and office routines alongside doctrinal lessons. A year later, in 2011, he joined Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP as Of Counsel. That title reflects a senior advisory role rather than a traditional partner slot, and it allowed him to balance client work with academic responsibilities.
His work has been centered in Michigan. He is licensed to practice in that jurisdiction and has long ties to the state's legal community. Records indicate professional association involvement dating back to 1984 and continuing to the present, though specific organizations are not itemized here. The combination of practice and teaching keeps him connected both to current legal trends and to the next generation of lawyers.
Students and colleagues describe a teacher who emphasizes practical skills as much as doctrine. His classroom approach draws on actual matters from practice, illustrating how statutes and opinions play out in real disputes. He also spends time advising clients through his of-counsel role, bringing a lawyer’s perspective to commercial and regulatory questions. The dual roles inform one another: classroom examples spring from client problems, and client advice benefits from a habit of explaining difficult ideas clearly.
Throughout his career Niehoff has labored in familiar terrain. He stayed close to the institutions that shaped him. That continuity has produced a steady professional rhythm: litigation and counseling on one side, and deliberate, practice-oriented instruction on the other. He remains active in both spheres.
He currently divides his time between his of-counsel position at Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP and his teaching duties at the University of Michigan Law School, maintaining a practice centered in Michigan.
