He served 3 months of active duty at Fort Eustis, Virginia in 1971, then went into the Reserves and was honorably discharged as a captain.

Durant co-founded and started Imprimis, a monthly speech digest with a 2010 circulation over 2 million, described by Salon.com as "the most influential conservative publication you've never heard of".

[3][4][5] He also served as the first director of Hillsdale's Center for Constructive Alternatives and established the Washington-Hillsdale Intern Program (WHIP).

[8] In 1995, the board passed a bold mission statement with a 7–1 vote, but which also drew criticism for using religious language, some drawn directly from the Michigan Constitution and Northwest Ordinance.

Former and current positions include: After attending law school at Notre Dame and working at Hillsdale College, Durant spent the first six years of his legal career defending low-income people who could not afford a lawyer in a variety of civil and criminal matters.

[20][21] In 1984, Durant was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the board of the Legal Services Corporation.

[25] In 1990, Durant ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, losing to former attorney general of Michigan, Bill Schuette.

[26] At the request of Governor John Engler, Durant ran for the Michigan Supreme Court, and later the State Board of Education.

[29] Durant was officially accepted into the Association of Churchill Fellows for 2018 during the organization's weekend activity at the Westminster College campus.