Professor of Law, University of Detroit
1991
Citation:
Remembered for his outspoken advocacy for racial equality, and his expertise on juvenile and family law, William Downs spent his 70 years in Detroit working for the elimination of injustice through education and training. Having received his bachelor's degree and juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan, he was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1948. He served as Judge of Probate from 1958 to 1960 and in 1961 became Deputy Administrator of the Supreme Court of Michigan. In 1965, Mr. Downs was called to Washington, D.C. to be Director of the Training and Technical Assistance Program of the Office of Economic Opportunity where he administered such programs as Head Start and Job Training. Returning to Detroit in 1970, Mr. Downs became Director and Legal Counsel for the Inter-Faith Centers for Racial Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating injustice. At that time, this University was fortunate to have Professor Downs join the faculty where he taught constitutional law, family law and juvenile justice until his retirement in 1986. Considered an authority on these subjects, he served as a consultant to several national and state agencies and courts involved in juvenile and family law. He also wrote several books on juvenile law, most notably the two volumes of Juvenile Law and Practice in the Michigan Practice Series. Truly William T. Downs dedicated his life to the improvement of systems and practices dealing with those who found themselves disadvantaged. For this we honor him and praise his dedication to educating others and confer on him posthumously the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree. Commencement, University of Detroit Mercy, School of Law, May 12, 1991.