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 said. “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.”
Prybys started along this path with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and a strong desire to help people.
“In weighing different options, I became incredibly interested in the criminal justice system. I wanted to understand what worked within the system and what needed improvements,” she said. “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.”
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 and her understanding of how another country approaches crime, justice, and rehabilitation.
“I wanted to expose myself to different legal systems and consider what could be learned by comparing the approaches,” she said.
Since she had completed her undergraduate work a year early, Prybys knew she wanted more time to develop academically and personally before entering a profession.
“While living there, I was able to see both how small and how big the world can be,” Prybys said. “On my first day of orientation, I happened to make friends with some women who had been members of my sorority within another chapter back in the United States.
“This brought me comfort knowing that even though I was on another continent with no one I knew and starting an intimidating process, I could always find a connection for comfort.”
When she remained in Ireland to finish research for her dissertation, the COVID-19 pandemic hit — leaving Prybys far from friends, family, or familiarity and relying on friends within her student housing accommodations.
She said only a small group remained, from a wide range of countries and cultures, “but we found comfort and friendship with each other.
“The cultural exposure is something I’m not sure I could replicate if I tried,” Prybys said, “and it helped me further understand our collective differences and similarities.”
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 said. “I most enjoyed the interaction with people. 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, Prybys 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 said. “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.
While her career goals are still evolving, Prybys is particularly interested in continuing in the areas of estate planning and elder law, gaining a strong appreciation for this area 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 said.
Prybys also is interested in compliance, and earned a Certificate of Merit for achieving the highest score in Compliance & Regulations.
A native of the Macomb County city of Sterling Heights, where she currently makes her home, Prybys loves reading, has a “soft spot” for collecting Pokemon, and enjoys crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, painting and model building.
“I really enjoy hobbies that make me slow down, work with my hands, and that require patience with an attention to detail,” she said. “They give me the chance to be creative and enjoy the process of making something.”
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 said. “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.”
Prybys started along this path with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and a strong desire to help people.
“In weighing different options, I became incredibly interested in the criminal justice system. I wanted to understand what worked within the system and what needed improvements,” she said. “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.”
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 and her understanding of how another country approaches crime, justice, and rehabilitation.
“I wanted to expose myself to different legal systems and consider what could be learned by comparing the approaches,” she said.
Since she had completed her undergraduate work a year early, Prybys knew she wanted more time to develop academically and personally before entering a profession.
“While living there, I was able to see both how small and how big the world can be,” Prybys said. “On my first day of orientation, I happened to make friends with some women who had been members of my sorority within another chapter back in the United States.
“This brought me comfort knowing that even though I was on another continent with no one I knew and starting an intimidating process, I could always find a connection for comfort.”
When she remained in Ireland to finish research for her dissertation, the COVID-19 pandemic hit — leaving Prybys far from friends, family, or familiarity and relying on friends within her student housing accommodations.
She said only a small group remained, from a wide range of countries and cultures, “but we found comfort and friendship with each other.
“The cultural exposure is something I’m not sure I could replicate if I tried,” Prybys said, “and it helped me further understand our collective differences and similarities.”
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 said. “I most enjoyed the interaction with people. 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, Prybys 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 said. “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.
While her career goals are still evolving, Prybys is particularly interested in continuing in the areas of estate planning and elder law, gaining a strong appreciation for this area 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 said.
Prybys also is interested in compliance, and earned a Certificate of Merit for achieving the highest score in Compliance & Regulations.
A native of the Macomb County city of Sterling Heights, where she currently makes her home, Prybys loves reading, has a “soft spot” for collecting Pokemon, and enjoys crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, painting and model building.
“I really enjoy hobbies that make me slow down, work with my hands, and that require patience with an attention to detail,” she said. “They give me the chance to be creative and enjoy the process of making something.”
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