By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
When Morgan Prybys was younger, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but didn’t believe she had the smarts or the necessary skills.
How wrong she was.
After working in security and as a paralegal, Prybys in 2023 finally achieved her goal of attending law school—and at Cooley Law School’s Honors Convocation in July, received the Cooley Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award.
“Receiving the award was incredibly meaningful because it felt like a recognition of my work in school law in addition to the effort and growth I experienced to get there,” she says. “I was incredibly grateful to be recognized because I’ve always strived to be someone who is willing to help others and contribute to the community around me. As someone who doubted they could ever even attend law school, it felt like a reflection of the countless hours of work and persistence that went into my legal education and involvement.”
She started along this path with an undergrad degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University.
“Studying criminal justice gave me the opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and consider what could be improved upon to be more effective for the people it serves,” she says.
Prybys then pursued her master’s degree in criminology in Dublin, Ireland, an opportunity to broaden her perspective beyond the U.S. criminal justice system.
When she remained in Ireland to finish research for her dissertation, the COVID-19 pandemic hit —leaving her far from friends, family, or familiarity, and relying on friends within her student housing accommodations.
Completing her master’s degree at a time when the pandemic made finding employment challenging., Prybys found work as a security officer with United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac.
“Even though it was a pivot from what I’d set out to do, I saw it as an opportunity to develop professional skills and experience,” she says. “I most enjoyed the interaction with people. The work put me in a position to constantly meet and communicate with different individuals employed among a variety of roles in the company. Those interactions helped me improve my communication, observation, and professionalism skills.”
Her transition into paralegal work with Simasko Law in Mt. Clemens was her first opportunity to move into a position directly connected with her long-term goal of helping people. With no prior legal experience, she came into the role with a lot to learn, working as a probate and trust administration paralegal, assisting with various stages of the administration process and seeing the practical impact of the work.
“Those who were seeking probate and trust administration services were often facing difficult and emotional times in their lives, so I greatly appreciated the opportunity to help guide them through the process,” she says. “I also really enjoyed learning about probate, trust administrations, and elder law. I gradually learned the steps of the process and became more confident in navigating legal matters.
This role helped me gain confidence and played a significant role in my decision to pursue law school. I’d dreamed of being a lawyer when I was younger but doubted myself and dismissed the idea—working as a paralegal gave me the confidence to revisit that goal.”
Prybys has enjoyed her three years at Cooley Law, where she was involved in the Organization of Women Law Students (OWLS), the First-Generation Lawyers Association, and the American Constitution Society; and is particularly appreciative of her professors, the immense support they provided, and the relationships she was able to build with them.
“They were knowledgeable and approachable, making students feel supported throughout their efforts to succeed,” she says.
Serving as a teaching assistant for Administrative and Compliance Law Skills gave her the opportunity to connect with other students and help them build the skills and confidence they needed for the course.
Prybys is particularly interested in the areas of estate planning and elder law, after working as a paralegal, and also serving in Cooley’s SixtyPlus ElderLaw Clinic.
“I especially enjoy that it provides the opportunity to help people and their families navigate important decisions during significant and/or difficult times in their lives,” she says.
Prybys also is interested in compliance, and earned a Certificate of Merit for achieving the highest score in Compliance & Regulations.
“Ultimately, I want to build a career where I can combine my legal knowledge with my interest in helping people—whether that’s through direct client interactions, or through compliance and advocacy,” she says.
Legal News
When Morgan Prybys was younger, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but didn’t believe she had the smarts or the necessary skills.
How wrong she was.
After working in security and as a paralegal, Prybys in 2023 finally achieved her goal of attending law school—and at Cooley Law School’s Honors Convocation in July, received the Cooley Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award.
“Receiving the award was incredibly meaningful because it felt like a recognition of my work in school law in addition to the effort and growth I experienced to get there,” she says. “I was incredibly grateful to be recognized because I’ve always strived to be someone who is willing to help others and contribute to the community around me. As someone who doubted they could ever even attend law school, it felt like a reflection of the countless hours of work and persistence that went into my legal education and involvement.”
She started along this path with an undergrad degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University.
“Studying criminal justice gave me the opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and consider what could be improved upon to be more effective for the people it serves,” she says.
Prybys then pursued her master’s degree in criminology in Dublin, Ireland, an opportunity to broaden her perspective beyond the U.S. criminal justice system.
When she remained in Ireland to finish research for her dissertation, the COVID-19 pandemic hit —leaving her far from friends, family, or familiarity, and relying on friends within her student housing accommodations.
Completing her master’s degree at a time when the pandemic made finding employment challenging., Prybys found work as a security officer with United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac.
“Even though it was a pivot from what I’d set out to do, I saw it as an opportunity to develop professional skills and experience,” she says. “I most enjoyed the interaction with people. The work put me in a position to constantly meet and communicate with different individuals employed among a variety of roles in the company. Those interactions helped me improve my communication, observation, and professionalism skills.”
Her transition into paralegal work with Simasko Law in Mt. Clemens was her first opportunity to move into a position directly connected with her long-term goal of helping people. With no prior legal experience, she came into the role with a lot to learn, working as a probate and trust administration paralegal, assisting with various stages of the administration process and seeing the practical impact of the work.
“Those who were seeking probate and trust administration services were often facing difficult and emotional times in their lives, so I greatly appreciated the opportunity to help guide them through the process,” she says. “I also really enjoyed learning about probate, trust administrations, and elder law. I gradually learned the steps of the process and became more confident in navigating legal matters.
This role helped me gain confidence and played a significant role in my decision to pursue law school. I’d dreamed of being a lawyer when I was younger but doubted myself and dismissed the idea—working as a paralegal gave me the confidence to revisit that goal.”
Prybys has enjoyed her three years at Cooley Law, where she was involved in the Organization of Women Law Students (OWLS), the First-Generation Lawyers Association, and the American Constitution Society; and is particularly appreciative of her professors, the immense support they provided, and the relationships she was able to build with them.
“They were knowledgeable and approachable, making students feel supported throughout their efforts to succeed,” she says.
Serving as a teaching assistant for Administrative and Compliance Law Skills gave her the opportunity to connect with other students and help them build the skills and confidence they needed for the course.
Prybys is particularly interested in the areas of estate planning and elder law, after working as a paralegal, and also serving in Cooley’s SixtyPlus ElderLaw Clinic.
“I especially enjoy that it provides the opportunity to help people and their families navigate important decisions during significant and/or difficult times in their lives,” she says.
Prybys also is interested in compliance, and earned a Certificate of Merit for achieving the highest score in Compliance & Regulations.
“Ultimately, I want to build a career where I can combine my legal knowledge with my interest in helping people—whether that’s through direct client interactions, or through compliance and advocacy,” she says.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
