Victoria Ann Roberts, Retired Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, is a nationally respected mediator and arbitrator who serves as a neutral at JAMS following 25 years of distinguished service as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. During her judicial tenure, she presided over a wide range of complex matters and earned a strong reputation as an even-handed decision-maker with a deep commitment to settlement, negotiation, and practical dispute resolution. She is known for her hands-on approach; often she conducted settlement conferences before and after summary judgment motions were filed, in an effort to resolve matters before trial.

Throughout her legal career, Judge Roberts has blazed a trail for native Detroiters, women, African Americans, lawyers, judges and the public at large. She pioneered new initiatives within the federal courts and her community. From 2010 to 2012, she co-chaired a committee focused on improving the racial composition of federal juries. She also played a pivotal role in creating both a pro se prisoner mediation program and a pro se legal clinic both housed in the Detroit federal courthouse building. During her time on the federal bench, she taught at the University of Michigan Law School.

Renowned among her peers as fair, even-handed and attentive to the human elements underlying legal disputes, Judge Roberts views dispute resolution as an opportunity to serve the public in meaningful ways. Her work continues to reflect her commitment to helping parties find clarity, evaluate risk, and reach durable, efficient resolutions. 

Representative Matters Handled at JAMS

• Allocations
  • Allocated $40 million in damages among 132 survivors of sexual abuse as part of a multi-party settlement process.
• Business Commercial
  • Settled $650,000 farm equipment breach of contract case.
  • Arbitrated contractual dispute involving construction of an ice rink.
  • Settled multi-claim commercial dispute involving quiet title, breach of contract and promissory estoppel.
  • Settled a multi claim commercial dispute involving unauthorized trademark use.
  • Arbitrated matter involving breach of contract claims related to solar panel installation.
  • Facilitated settlement in an insurance coverage dispute involving interpretation of release language and policy exclusions.
  • Arbitrated consumer banking disputes: led to resolution of other cases.
• Civil Rights
  • Mediated $280,000 settlement in an excessive force and other constitutional violations case.
  • Attorney Fee Disputes:
    • Mediated $500,000 settlement
    • Mediated $700,000 settlement
    • Mediated $4,400,000 settlement
  • Mediated wrongful incarceration claim, resulting in a $7 million payment.
• Employment
  • Mediated multiple race, sex, age, sexual harassment, whistleblower and equal pay claims, including:
    • $4,000,000 settlement
    • $869,000 settlement
    • $400,000 settlement
    • $166,000 settlement
    • $150,000 settlement
    • $120,000 settlement
    • $250,000 settlement
• ERISA
  • Resolved claim for life insurance benefits brought under an employee welfare benefit plan governed by ERISA.
• Intellectual Property
  • Settled trademark infringement, dilution, unfair competition, false designation of origin, and common law fraud claims between retail sector parties.
  • Settled cross-border IP dispute involving breach of contract, trademark infringement, and tortious interference with contract and business relationships.
• Insurance
  • Settled $700,000 fee dispute between insurer and service provider.
• Government/Public Agency
  • Settled public nuisance litigation between the City of Detroit and a large-scale property owner involving over 150 properties.
  • Settled blight and illegal dumping involving the City of Detroit.
• Personal Injury
  • Mediated $3 million settlement in a catastrophic motor vehicle collision matter.
  • Mediated $600,000 settlement in personal injury protection (PIP) benefits dispute.
• Discovery Master/Facilitator: (complex litigation including business disputes, employment and insurance)
  • Appointed as Discovery Master by the court. Mediated and ruled on Discovery with the parties to move cases forward in an efficient and cost-effective way and to resolve discovery, privilege/work product protection and electronic discovery disputes.

Representative Matters Handled on the Bench

• Bankruptcy
  • In re: City of Detroit (Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy). Primarily responsible for negotiating collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) between the city, its public safety unions and AFSCME, the largest union representing City employees in 2013-2014.  In 18 months, negotiated over 45 CBAs. This included CBAs involving the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department as the City of Detroit continued to bring closure to bankruptcy related issues in 2015.
  • Mediated the CBAs between the City and unions. These CBAs served as the CBAs for the newly established Great Lakes Water Authority, delivering water to nearly 40% of Michigan’s population.
• Business/Commercial
  • Settled multimillion dollar automotive suppliers matter involving allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets.
• Civil Rights
  • Class Action Doe, MC-1 v. University of Michigan (2020): Presiding judge in a case alleging a 30-year history of sexual assault and abuse by a doctor once employed by the  university’s health service; made key rulings that resulted in a facilitated settlement through an outside mediator of $490 million for the benefit of 1,000 victims.
  • Arab American Civil Rights League v. Trump. 399 F. Supp. 3d 717 (2019).  Presided over one of the first lawsuits filed in response to Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, labeled the Muslim Ban by President Trump and commonly known as such, or referred to as the Trump Travel Ban.  On February 3, 2017, Roberts ordered the U.S. government to halt enforcement of Trump’s 90-day restriction on travel by people from seven Muslim-minority countries if they are lawful, permanent residents of the United States. She also ordered the Trump administration to turn over a memorandum by adviser Rudy Giuliani, allegedly written to make the travel order appear that it was not specifically aimed at Muslims.
  • NILI 2011, LLC, et al., v. City of Warren (2015). Settled class action against City of Warren for $990,000, alleging due process violations and that the City failed to properly administer its Property Maintenance Ordinance.  
  • Presided over environmental tort class action lawsuit which developed when ATOFINA released chlorine and methylmercaptan during an explosion, causing a one-day emergency evacuation of 2000 residents in the cities of Wyandotte, Grosse Isle and Riverview, Michigan (2003).  Matter settled for $1.2M prior to verdict.
  • Tanya Marchwinski, et al., v. Nannette M. Bowler, et al. (2000), struck down a Michigan law requiring suspicion-less drug testing for welfare recipients, ruling that the State failed to prove that the testing was in response to a public safety issue.  
• Criminal Matters
  • United States of America v. David Stone, et al. (2012): Roberts was the presiding judge in a case against nine members of the self-styled Hutaree militia, which was charged with seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to kill law enforcement officers and conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction. The group was infiltrated by the FBI, which planted an informant and agent in 2008. In March 2012, Roberts granted acquittal on all charges against five of the Hutaree militia group, as well as on the most serious charges against the remaining two, finding that the government’s (largely circumstantial) evidence had not met its burden of proof.
  • US v. Timothy O’Reilly, et al. (2010): Only the third federal death penalty case tried since 1938 went before Roberts in 2010. While the defendant was found guilty of all death-eligible crimes charged, Roberts imposed a sentence of life without the possibility of parole following a jury determination that Mr. O’Reilly should not receive the death penalty.
  • US v. Aleksander Maksimenko, et al. (2005): Roberts presided over the prosecution of eight members of an international conspiracy to traffic Eastern European women into the United States for financial and sexual exploitation. All defendants pleaded guilty, receiving sentences ranging from two years of probation to 14 years in prison.
• ERISA
  • Hi-Lex Controls v. Blue Cross Blue Shield (2013) (upheld on appeal): A Detroit-area auto supplier, Hi-Lex Controls, accused Blue Cross of Michigan of charging hidden fees and inflating costs with charges that weren’t properly disclosed. In 2013, Roberts found that Blue Cross had engaged in “self-dealing” and violated labor law for years, resulting in a return of millions of dollars to automobile suppliers.
• Labor and Employment
  • Wadlowski v. Consumers Energy Company (2019): Settled disability discrimination case against major utility company for $175,000.
  • Allen Green, III v. FCA US L.L.C. (2019): Settled disability discrimination matter against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for $140,000.
  • United States v. Flint Neurology Centre, P.C., et al. (2022): Settled matter between the government and medical center for failure to provide auxiliary services under Title III (public accommodation) of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mediated $150,000 settlement and other non-monetary relief.
• Securities and Financial Fraud
  • Simon Property Group v. Taubman Centers (2008): Matter involved defendants’ attempt to block a hostile takeover by plaintiff. The question presented involved construction of the Michigan Control Share Acquisition Act. Judge Roberts issued an injunction holding that defendant had not obtained the consent of disinterested shareholders when it established a shareholder group to block the plaintiff’s offer, allowing the takeover to proceed. The decision was appealed to the Sixth Circuit while pending appeal; the Michigan Legislature enacted new legislation that resulted in the withdrawal of the tender offer.
  • Gordon v. Royal Palm Real Estate Investment Fund I, LLP (2009): A receiver appointed on behalf of a convicted Ponzi-schemer sought recovery of funds invested in an allegedly fraudulent investment scheme. Case settled for $23.5 million.

Representative Matters Handled Prior to Judicial Service

• United States and Roy Joseph Conover, et al. v. Parkwoods Apartments, et al. (1995). As an attorney for plaintiffs, achieved national attention for record settlement in housing discrimination matter.  Matter brought about changes in housing industry rental practices.  
• Jane Doe v. Carlos Lauchu, M.D. (1992) Mediated $1.4M settlement for a female psychiatric patient whose condition worsened after inappropriate therapy resulted in improper sexual conduct between plaintiff and her male psychiatrist.  
• Cady Eisenberg v. United States of America (1985). As an Assistant United States Attorney, mediated settlement for failure to diagnose lung cancer.
• Poletown Council v. City of Detroit, 410 Mich. 616 (Mich. 1981), 304 N.W.2d 455: As an advocate on behalf of the City of Detroit, established Michigan precedent related to the common law “instrumentality of commerce” exception to government takings of private property. On appeal, the Michigan Supreme Court paved the way for redevelopment in Detroit by allowing the city to condemn private property in favor of a General Motors plant.
   

• Member, Board of Directors, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, 2025-2026
• Creator, Pro Se Legal Assistance Clinic, Detroit Mercy School of Law, 2017: This clinic is housed in the federal courthouse in Michigan and operates in conjunction with Detroit Mercy School of Law.
• Creator, Early Mediation Program for Pro Se Prisoner Civil Rights Cases, 2018: This clinic is housed in the federal courthouse in Michigan and operates in conjunction with the Detroit Mercy School of Law.
• Founder, Judicial Extern Program (JEP), in cooperation with the Wolverine Bar Association, 2000: This program has placed more than 300 African American law students in summer clerkships with federal judges.
• Member of the Board, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, 1987–1991, 1995–1996
• Chair of the Board, Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit, 1986–1989
• Board Member, State Bar of Michigan Foundation
• Member: Pro Bono, Jury, Information Technology and Magistrate Judges Committees; United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 1998–2023
• Chairperson, Fellows of the Michigan State Bar Foundation, 2022-2026
• Member, Board of Directors, St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen, 2019–2025
• President, State Bar of Michigan, 1996–1997
• President, Wolverine Bar Association, 1986–1987

Selected Awards and Speaking Engagements

• Awards
  • Legacy Award, American Civil Liberties Union, 2023
  • Lifetime Judicial Achievement Award, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2023
  • Namesake, Victoria A. Roberts Scholarship, Wolverine Bar Association, f. 2020
  • Woman of the Year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2013
  • Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award, Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Foundation, 2012
  • Honorary Doctor of Laws, Northeastern University School of Law, 2004
  • Robert P. Hudson Award, State Bar of Michigan, 2001
  • Champion of Justice Award, State Bar of Michigan, 1999
  • Lawyer of the Year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 1997
• Speaking Engagements
  • International lectures on collaborating/cooperating witnesses in Nairobi, Kenya, 2009; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2016
  • Faculty Member, ASEAN Judicial Colloquium on Civil and Criminal Intellectual Property Infringement Cases, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018
  • Publishing Sponsor (as Wolverine Bar Association President), Black Lawyers, Law Practice and Bar Associations: 1844-1970 (Littlejohn, Edward), commonly known as the “Red Book,” an authoritative chronicle of the struggles of black lawyers in Michigan, 1987; the WBA contributed all Red Book profits to its foundation for the benefit of scholarships for BIPOC students

• United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), 1998–2023
• Faculty, University of Michigan Law School, 2008–2014
• Principal, Law Office of Victoria A. Roberts, specializing in personal injury and arbitration matters, 1998
• Attorney in Private Practice, 1988–1998, eventually serving as Managing Partner for Goodman, Eden, Millender & Bedrosian, the first racially integrated law firm in the United States
• General Counsel, Transition Team, Detroit Mayor-Elect Dennis Archer, 1993–1994
• Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan, 1985–1988
• Senior Litigation Attorney, American Motors Corporation, 1983–1985
• Attorney and Principal, Lewis, White & Clay, 1977–1983
• Teaching Fellow, Legal Research and Writing, Michigan State Detroit College of Law, 1977–1978
• Research Attorney, Michigan State Court of Appeals, 1976–1977
• Juris Doctor, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, 1976
• Bachelor of the Arts, Journalism and Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1973
• Valedictorian, St. Martin de Porres High School, Detroit, 1969