By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
During undergraduate studies at Western University in Ontario, Canada, Mikaela Heck found her passions lay in international relations and international law.
She went on to earn a master’s degree, then enthusiastically embarked on her law school experience.
“In my master’s, I knew those were areas I wanted to explore further, culminating in writing my thesis on the law — or lack thereof — surrounding lethal autonomous weapons systems and how liability could be attributed to the different parties involved,” she said. “Writing that thesis knowing I would be in law school just months later was really amazing, and truly digging into legal scholars’ work made me even more excited to start.”
Actively involved in music and theatre, Heck wanted a career that allowed her to still utilize those creative skills.
“I also enjoyed the more critical and analytical thinking required in political science, and I really love research and writing, so when I found law allows you to meld those two seemingly different skills, it was a done deal,” she said.
While an undergraduate student, Heck took more law-related classes and loved them.
“Learning how malleable the law is was intriguing — it was like solving puzzles all day,” she said.
Working closely with in-house legal counsel during a 2019 internship at the Royal Bank of Canada solidified her desire to pursue a career in law.
“Seeing the law in action when it came to copyright and disclosures, and seeing how creative you could still be while acting within the regulations and precedent, was really cool,” she said.
Heck is now in her 2L year in the Dual JD Program offered by Detroit Mercy Law School and the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, where in her 1L year she was a junior editor for the Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues.
Her family moved to the United States from Canada after she finished high school, and they achieved permanent residency four years ago. Heck stayed behind to pursue her undergraduate and master’s degrees.
“I knew I wanted to come to the U.S., but wasn’t quite ready to give up on Canada just yet — it was my home,” she said. “So, when I found out about the Dual JD Program, it seemed like the perfect fit for me, and it’s proven that thus far. I’ve really enjoyed being able to learn both laws concurrently and comparatively, and have reaped the benefits of having access to expertise and opportunities from two incredible institutions.”
This past summer, Heck completed a two-month externship at Oakland University, focused on NCAA compliance. The nonprofit National Collegiate Athletic Association regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
“I grew up as an elite alpine ski racer, my brother is a competitive tennis player and my family were avid supporters of both Alpine Canada and Tennis Canada, so sports have always been a big part of my life,” she said. “Coming from Canada, I didn’t truly know what an institution the NCAA and college sports in general were. When I learned about the opportunity to work in NCAA compliance as an externship, I thought it was a great chance to see what a career in sports law could look like.”
Heck currently serves as vice president of the Sports Law Society at Detroit Mercy Law.
“Getting the opportunity to hear from industry professionals and those working in the sports arena with a law degree has been invaluable, and the SLS has given me that opportunity and we plan to continue providing other students with that opportunity through our upcoming events,” she said.
Last March, Heck competed in the Tulane School of Law Basketball Negotiation Competition, and enjoyed meeting law students from across the country who all have a passion for sports and sports law.
“We also got the invaluable opportunity to meet industry professionals and learn from their experience,” she added.
A current legal interest is sports law as it relates to immigration.
“With the number of athletes that come from across the world to play in the U.S., whether to be a permanent member of a professional sports team, to be a NCAA athlete, or simply coming to participate in a tournament or match, immigration is a huge part of sports law,” she noted. “Additionally, U.S. athletes travel to compete all around the world, so assisting them in pursuing their dreams would be a great way to join these two areas of interest.”
While remote classes were rather isolating, Heck had a few in-person classes.
“I am one of few in the Dual JD program who lives in Detroit, with most living across the border in Windsor, which made last year particularly isolating since I wasn’t really able to interact with my classmates outside of class due to the border being so restricted,” she said. “Having an in-person learning environment, for me, was crucial, since I find I learn better being able to interact face-to-face with my professors and peers.”
With her background in competitive ski racing, Heck loves to hit the slopes whenever possible.
Music also has been a passion. Classically trained in piano for over Heck has been teaching herself new instruments, including guitar and electric bass, and enjoys writing music and singing.
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