By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Detroit Mercy Law student Hans Leisman, who holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Calvin University, continued along a similar academic path while earning a master’s of Environment and Sustainability in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan.
While at the U-M, Leisman was a member of Master’s Project team working for the Anishinaabek Caucus on studying the impacts of Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline, helping draft a policy memorandum detailing the environmental, economic, and indigenous rights impacts of the pipeline.
The team was awarded the U-M SEAS Environmental Justice Award for Outstanding Scholarship.
Now a rising 2L at Detroit Mercy Law School, Leisman continues his interest in environmental law, while also considering a possible career in criminal law after shadowing prosecutors and defense attorneys during an internship.
“I'm passionate about the law because of the impact it has on people's lives,” he said. “It truly shapes the world we live in. I chose law school because I enjoy reading and writing and because I have an interest in shaping the law, and in doing so influencing the world around me.
“I chose UDM Law because, from my first visit, I felt a strong sense of community. In addition to greeting me warmly, students seemed to care for and help each other. It’s the sense of community I enjoy the most.”
Leisman is excited to be a junior member of the Moot Court program this upcoming school year.
“It will be cool to have a chance to work on my public speaking and advocacy skills,” he said.
Before law school, Leisman got a good feel for his future career by spending three years interning at Mika Meyers PLC in Grand Rapids where his father, Ross Leisman, is a lawyer who focuses primarily on municipal government work.
“While my work mainly entailed digitizing case files, we had opportunities to network with lawyers in the firm and observe how they approached their work,” Leisman said. “What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to network and observe how a law firm operates.”
Leisman currently is a judicial extern to Judge Michael Gerou at the 35th District Court in Plymouth and enjoys seeing the law in action.
“After spending a year studying the law, it’s rewarding to witness jury trials, hearings, motions, and examinations,” he said. “Part of the work has been observing court proceedings and shadowing defense attorneys, judges, and prosecutors. But we’ve also had opportunities to conduct legal research and write memorandums, briefs, and even a written opinion for Judge Gerou.”
Leisman has dipped a few toes in political waters, beginning as an undergraduate student when he spent a summer campaigning for State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks.
In 2019, he was a legislative intern for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, relishing the experience of being on Capitol Hil l— giving tours of the Capitol and watching votes and proceedings on the Senate floor.
He then spent close to five years as a staff assistant/IRS caseworker for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, in Grand Rapids.
“I enjoyed the impact we were able to have on people's lives,” Leisman said. “I helped manage the office's IRS casework, working with constituents to communicate their concerns to the Taxpayer Advocate Service. I helped over 100 constituents recover over $800,000 from the IRS.”
He said his office was able “to help countless people struggling with the Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and United States Citizen and Immigration Services, among other federal government agencies.”
Originally from Ada near Grand Rapids, Leisman now makes his home in Royal Oak.
The youngest of four siblings, Leisman is following in the footsteps of his lawyer father as well as his sister, Hannah, who practices family law in Denver.
His sister Dorthea does environmental research in Ann Arbor, while brother Luke is starting a business in Chicago.
Leisman’s mother is an artist and a former chaplain, holding a master of divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary.
Leisman’s wife, Maggie, is a school social worker at West Bloomfield Middle School.
Legal News
Detroit Mercy Law student Hans Leisman, who holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Calvin University, continued along a similar academic path while earning a master’s of Environment and Sustainability in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan.
While at the U-M, Leisman was a member of Master’s Project team working for the Anishinaabek Caucus on studying the impacts of Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline, helping draft a policy memorandum detailing the environmental, economic, and indigenous rights impacts of the pipeline.
The team was awarded the U-M SEAS Environmental Justice Award for Outstanding Scholarship.
Now a rising 2L at Detroit Mercy Law School, Leisman continues his interest in environmental law, while also considering a possible career in criminal law after shadowing prosecutors and defense attorneys during an internship.
“I'm passionate about the law because of the impact it has on people's lives,” he said. “It truly shapes the world we live in. I chose law school because I enjoy reading and writing and because I have an interest in shaping the law, and in doing so influencing the world around me.
“I chose UDM Law because, from my first visit, I felt a strong sense of community. In addition to greeting me warmly, students seemed to care for and help each other. It’s the sense of community I enjoy the most.”
Leisman is excited to be a junior member of the Moot Court program this upcoming school year.
“It will be cool to have a chance to work on my public speaking and advocacy skills,” he said.
Before law school, Leisman got a good feel for his future career by spending three years interning at Mika Meyers PLC in Grand Rapids where his father, Ross Leisman, is a lawyer who focuses primarily on municipal government work.
“While my work mainly entailed digitizing case files, we had opportunities to network with lawyers in the firm and observe how they approached their work,” Leisman said. “What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to network and observe how a law firm operates.”
Leisman currently is a judicial extern to Judge Michael Gerou at the 35th District Court in Plymouth and enjoys seeing the law in action.
“After spending a year studying the law, it’s rewarding to witness jury trials, hearings, motions, and examinations,” he said. “Part of the work has been observing court proceedings and shadowing defense attorneys, judges, and prosecutors. But we’ve also had opportunities to conduct legal research and write memorandums, briefs, and even a written opinion for Judge Gerou.”
Leisman has dipped a few toes in political waters, beginning as an undergraduate student when he spent a summer campaigning for State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks.
In 2019, he was a legislative intern for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, relishing the experience of being on Capitol Hil l— giving tours of the Capitol and watching votes and proceedings on the Senate floor.
He then spent close to five years as a staff assistant/IRS caseworker for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, in Grand Rapids.
“I enjoyed the impact we were able to have on people's lives,” Leisman said. “I helped manage the office's IRS casework, working with constituents to communicate their concerns to the Taxpayer Advocate Service. I helped over 100 constituents recover over $800,000 from the IRS.”
He said his office was able “to help countless people struggling with the Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and United States Citizen and Immigration Services, among other federal government agencies.”
Originally from Ada near Grand Rapids, Leisman now makes his home in Royal Oak.
The youngest of four siblings, Leisman is following in the footsteps of his lawyer father as well as his sister, Hannah, who practices family law in Denver.
His sister Dorthea does environmental research in Ann Arbor, while brother Luke is starting a business in Chicago.
Leisman’s mother is an artist and a former chaplain, holding a master of divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary.
Leisman’s wife, Maggie, is a school social worker at West Bloomfield Middle School.
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