About Robert John
Robert John MacDonald built a steady legal career after studying at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1990, and then at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1996. He moved into practice the same year and has spent three decades in Michigan’s legal community. His education set a practical tone. He went straight to work.
He began his legal career at MacDonald FitzGerald & MacDonald PC in 1996. The listing of that firm marks his entry into private practice and the start of a long association with firms that carry his family name. In 2014 he became a managing member of MacDonald & MacDonald PLLC, a role he continues to hold. That step signaled a transition to leadership within his own firm and a shift into management alongside his legal duties.
MacDonald has been active in professional circles for many years. He served on the executive board of the Michigan Association for Justice beginning in 2009 and has been part of that organization’s Workers Compensation Committee for the same period. He chaired the Workers Compensation Committee from 2012 until 2019, and he held the presidency of the Michigan Association for Justice from 2019 to 2020. Since 2017 he has sat on the Board of Directors of the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group. Earlier, from 2004 to 2011, he served on the Flint Public Library Board of Trustees, including terms as treasurer and president. Those roles reflect a sustained engagement with professional governance and local civic institutions.
He is admitted to practice in Michigan and before the Sixth Circuit. Over the years he has balanced court work with the administrative aspects of running a firm. Colleagues and clients have seen him handle both litigation and case coordination inside the firm’s structure. He has combined courtroom experience with organizational responsibilities.
MacDonald’s career traces a clear line from law school graduate to law firm manager and association leader. He has maintained an active role in workers’ compensation organizations while overseeing his firm’s operations. He continues to practice in Michigan and before the Sixth Circuit. He currently concentrates his practice on workers’ compensation and related litigation.
