Mr. Archer earned a law degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1970 and entered private practice. He was elected president of the Wolverine Bar Association in 1978 and later presided over both the National Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan.
He was a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1986 to 1990, when he stepped down to return to private practice.
He was named "Most Respected Judge in Michigan" in 1990.