By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
When Dylan Stec was a University of Michigan undergrad, he dealt with a less than reputable landlord who refused to honor his security deposit and accused Stec and his roommate of destruction of property and other unsubstantiated accusations. After arguing for a month to no avail, Stec contacted an attorney.
“My problem was resolved after one phone call which impressed me enough that I looked into the law,” he says.
Fast forward to the present day, where Stec – the first in his immediate family to choose law as a career – is a 3L student at Wayne State University Law School, and a student attorney/litigation supervisor at the Detroit Free Legal Aid Clinic Inc.
“We handle primarily family law and elder law issues, so lots of divorces, landlord-tenant disputes – which I always enjoy litigating because of my own issues with them – estate planning, and bill disputes, he says. “It’s a great opportunity, not only because it’s given me a crash course in litigation and allows me to handle cases from their inception to their end – and lets me appear on the record in court – but I get the satisfaction of helping people who really have nowhere else to go.
“Several of my clients have been women trying to get divorces from severely abusive and/or controlling husbands. But my favorite cases are those that allow me to confront less than reputable landlords and put them in their place for harassing, or in many instances, breaking the law with respect to their tenants.”
Stec has spent the past few months as a clerk in one of Liberty Mutual’s field legal offices.
“These handle litigation of claims, specifically those that may be less than truthful,” he says. “My primary jobs include research, as we deal with unique claim events all the time, and trial prep, including motions, witness and exhibit lists, and orders.”
Earlier this year, he worked at Mellon Pries in Troy, an insurance defense and medical malpractice firm hired by hospitals to defend doctors, or by insurance carriers to litigate non-meritorious insurance claims. The job involved a fair amount of record analysis and trial prep. Stec particularly enjoyed doing research on opposing parties and their experts.
“I discovered it wasn’t for me though when I was asked to review a file and found a picture of a dead, naked body, post-autopsy.”
From January to May he clerked in the office of corporate counsel for GKN Driveline North America an international automotive supplier in Auburn Hills.
“We were the gatekeepers for the company’s problems so in a normal day we could handle labor disputes in Illinois, product liability cases in California, international contracts with our European suppliers, the list goes on,” he says. “I did a lot of contract review and got to sit in on negotiations and meetings with outside counsel from around the world.”
Stec gained a lot of experience as a member of the Wayne Law Mock Trial team.
“While arduous, mock trial taught me a ton regarding trial procedure and helped me get over my fear of public speaking,” he says. “The fact I get to stand up in a room full of people and they all have to listen to what I say is fun and empowering.
“It also helped me to hone my litigation skills which has translated well to my work with FLAC making me more confident and more knowledgeable. The best part was probably working with actual practicing attorneys who would stop us mid-argument to explain the finer details of what plays well with a jury, or how to present your facts in the best possible way.”
A member of the law school’s Mentor Program, Stec helps 1Ls figure out the ins and outs of law school.
“Having been terrified and anxiety ridden throughout my first year gives me an insight into what they’re going through,” he says. “I regretted not taking advantage of the program myself because I could have benefited from it immensely, but now getting to help the incoming classes acclimate makes me feel accomplished.”
Stec got a taste of the legal world as a U-M undergrad, when he spent the summer between his junior and senior years interning in the Canadian House of Commons in Ottawa, for MP Ben Lobb, mostly doing research and policy analysis.
“Because of my unique position as an American in a Canadian governmental body, I was tasked with a lot of America-centric issues, mainly the automotive industry as Mr. Lobb was the chair of the Auto Caucus,” he says.
The experience fanned his interest in the automotive industry. He also met several members of Parliament, including the recently elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“He shook my hand, although I was one in a group of 50 so I imagine he doesn’t remember it as clearly as I do,” he says.
Before law school, the Farmington Hills native spent seven months as a horticultural assistant at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, helping the department maintain their collections, planning and running volunteer activities, and doing some research projects.
“If money wasn’t an issue I could easily see myself working there forever,” he says. “I got to play with plants all day and learned a lot about plant care, as well as beautification projects. I was even able to plan and implement my own erosion prevention project, which, as I understand it, is still ongoing three years later.”
Stec, who enjoys reading, football, and ultimate Frisbee, maintains his passion for gardening at his West Bloomfield home.
“I have a vegetable garden I grow every summer and have my own rosemary plant – that I’ve named Stewart – that’s been traveling with me for the last 6 years through undergrad and law school,” he says.
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