Judge Enslen attended WMU in the mid 1950s. He received a bachelor's degree in law from Wayne State University and a master's degree from the University of Virginia.
During his career he was in private practice, was director of the Peace Corps in Costa Rica and was a district judge in Michigan.
In 1979 he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the U.S. District Judge for the western district of Michigan. He is the author and co-author of several books and articles.