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The Litigation Files consist of materials concerning legal cases which either involved WMEAC directly or indirectly through the Michigan Environmental Protection Foundation. Court papers documenting the development of several lawsuits involving the WMEAC are complete, and reveal how the WMEAC either defended established statutes against industry and/or government's attempts to interpret these statutes in a manner which could result in potential damage to the environment; or how the WMEAC sued individuals, industry, and government when specific environmental statutes were being ignored or disobeyed. Important lawsuits here involve the Consumers Power Company (Big Rock Nuclear Plant in Charlevoix, Michigan); attempts by various oil companies and the state of Michigan to allow drilling within the Pigeon River State Forest; and the banning of the pesticide DDT.

The Michigan Environmental Protection Foundation's legal actions are concerned with specific lawsuits where it hoped to establish legal precedents on issues of environmental quality and protection. The records concern in part the development of property on Little Traverse Bay and Torch Lake; advertising on Grand Rapids city benches; the proper uses of nuclear power; and highway construction.