I came to law school knowing I wanted to be a public defender. I became involved with MDefenders, an organization for aspiring public defenders led by Professor Eve Primus, ’01. She prepared me for the challenges of working in public defense, and I got to know other like-minded students who became my closest friends and supporters.
I also was a student-attorney in the Unemployment Insurance Clinic, the Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic, and the Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic, which gave me the opportunity to represent clients. I can’t emphasize enough how great Michigan’s clinics are and how important it is for public service students to get practical legal experience.
Also integral to my success was the guidance I received from Alan Kahn, ’01, the Law School’s public interest director. He helped me build my resume, connected me with alumni, and prepared me for job interviews. I interned with the Legal Aid Society–Manhattan Criminal Defense Office and the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle during my 1L and 2L summers. I was incredibly fortunate to receive 1L summer funding and the Dean’s Public Service Fellowship from Michigan, which enabled me to live in two of the country’s most expensive cities. After graduation, I began my career as an assistant public defender in Baltimore before returning to Seattle as a public defender.
Michigan’s practical training and the support I received from the Office of Career Planning and the greater Law School community gave me the best possible start to my legal career.
