Donald P. DeNault Jr.

Shareholder

Location:

Sterling Heights, Michigan

Phone:

586-997-6489

Fax:

586-726-1560

E-mail:

ddenault@orlaw.com

Don DeNault is a lifelong resident of Macomb County and has been practicing law with the firm since his graduation from law school in 1996. Mr. DeNault is a shareholder who focuses his practice on all areas of municipal and school law, including Freedom of Information Act issues, Open Meetings Act issues, zoning, police issues, student discipline, bidding and purchasing, historic preservation, appeals, litigation defense, civil service, civil rights, governmental immunity, government contracts, ordinance drafting and policy preparation. He is also an experienced litigation and appellate attorney.

Mr. DeNault is also an accomplished author and speaker on municipal and school law topics, and he is a semi-regular host for the Macomb County Bar Association's award-winning cable television program "Legally Speaking."

In his free time, Mr. DeNault enjoys volunteering for a variety of educational programs, ranging from participating in the local Career Focus Luncheons to assisting with the development of annual mock depositions for local college students interested in future law enforcement careers.

Areas of Practice

Litigation
Zoning and Land Use Litigation
Appeals
Municipal Law and School Law
Municipal Law
School Law
Municipal and Police Defense

Bar Admissions

Michigan, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1996
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 1996

Education

Wayne State University Law School, Detroit, Michigan
- Juris Doctor - 1996
- Honors: Moot Court Program
- Honors: Student Government
Honors College, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) - 1993
- Honors: With Honors in Political Science
- Honors: Dean's List 7 Semesters
- Major: Political Science

Published Works

Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vol. I, #4, 1997
Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vo. I, #5, 1997
Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vol. I, #6, 1997
Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vol. II, #1, 1998
Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vol. II, #2, 1998
Smart Driving, The Legal Advocator, Vol. II, #4, 1998
To FOIA or Not to FOIA, Bar Briefs, January, 1999
When I was 7 Years Old, Bar Briefs, January, 2000
Top 10 Traffic Laws You've Never Heard Of, Bar Briefs, December, 2000
Stars, Stripes, Anthems, Two Beautiful Peninsulas, and Steel Bridges, Bar Briefs, January, 2002
The YLS Chairperson's Page, Bar Briefs, July 2002 - June 2003
Happy New Year: Now Brush Up on Your Fingerprint Laws, Bar Briefs, January, 2003
Michigan's Fingerprint Laws: What You Need to Know, Inter Alia, Spring, 2003
FOIA and Your Personal Information, Public Corporations Law Quarterly, Winter, 2004
FOIA and Your Personal Information, Bar Briefs, February, 2004
FOIA and Personal Information, Michigan Council of School Attorneys Newsletter, Spring, 2004
FOIA and OMA Annual Update, Public Corporations Law Quarterly, Spring, 2005
Choosing Between Rubbish, Garbage, Refuse, and Waste, Public Corporations Law Quarterly, Summer, 2005
Beck vs. City of Cleveland: Separating Fact from Fiction, Public Corporations Law Quarterly, Winter, 2006
Internet Threats, Michigan Council of School Attorneys Newsletter, Fall, 2006
Fingerprint Laws Revisited, Bar Briefs, October, 2007
Representing Students Part I: Mandatory Expulsion, Bar Briefs, November, 2007
Representing Students Part II: Due Process, Bar Briefs, December, 2007
Representing Students Part III: The Penalties, Bar Briefs, January, 2008
Student Discipline, Michigan Council of School Attorneys Newsletter, Spring, 2008
Portal to Portal, Michigan Council of School Attorneys Newsletter, Fall, 2008
Texting While Driving, Bar Briefs, July, 2010

Classes/Seminars

Search Warrant Presentation, Michigan Municipal League, 1999
Patriotic Laws, Host, Legally Speaking, 2002
School Law Issues, Presenter, Center Line Public Schools and Van Dyke Public School Administrators, 2002
Confidentiality in Schools, Presentation to Oakland University Counseling Masters Program Class, 2003
Freedom of Information Act & the Open Meetings Act, Presenter, Michigan Townships Association Conference, 2005
Freedom of Information Act & the Open Meetings Act, Presenter, Lorman Education Services Seminar, 2006
Freedom of Information Act & the Open Meetings Act, Presenter, Michigan Townships Association Conference, 2008
Student Discipline, Guest Panelist on Legally Speaking, 2008
Student Due Process Panel Discussion Moderator, Michigan Association of School Boards Spring Conference, 2009
Macomb County Charter, Presenter, Leadership Macomb XIV, 2010
Analyzing Michigan's Medical Marijuana Act, Guest Panelist on Legally Speaking, 2011

Honors and Awards

Recipient, Special Service Award for Michigan Youth in Government Project, 2004 - 2005
Award for Clear Legal Writing, State Bar of Michigan, 1999
Recipient, Certificate of Appreciation, Macomb County College Advanced Court Procedures

Professional Associations and Memberships

State Bar of Michigan, 1996 - Present
State Bar of Michigan, Young Lawyers Section Executive Council, 1998 - 2003
Macomb County Bar Association, 1996 - Present
Macomb County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section Board of Directors, 1998 - 2004
Macomb County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section Chairperson, 2002 - 2003
Michigan Council of School Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2003 - 2009
Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys
Michigan Municipal League
Macomb County Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2007 - Present
Leadership Macomb XII, Graduate, 2009
Michigan Council of School Attorneys, 2009 - Present

Pro Bono Activities

Youth Baseball Coach, Warren Village Athletic Club, 1995 - 1997
Youth Baseball Coach, Shelby Baseball & Softball Club, 1998 - 1999
Lawyer-Teacher Partnership Program, 1998 - 1999
Mock Deposition Coordinator and Attorney Volunteer, Macomb Community College, 2003 - Present
Fitzgerald High School Mock Trial Team, Attorney Advisor, 2003 - 2004
Volunteer Mock Trial Judge, Michigan Center for Civic Education, 2009