Monday Profile: Alison Carruthers

Alison Carruthers works at Dykema Gossett in the firm's Ann Arbor office. As a litigator, her primary focus is products liability, class action defense, and complex litigation in both state and federal court. Carruthers grew up in Grosse Pointe Shores and attended Michigan State University, earning an undergraduate degree in finance. She worked as a financial analyst at Electronic Data Systems and Hewlett Packard until deciding to attend law school. She then earned her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2013, where she was editor in chief of the school's Law Review. By Jo Mathis Legal News Residence: Grass Lake. What advice do you have for someone considering law school? Be informed about your career outlook. Seek out at least one person in each major sector of law (public, small and large firm, in-house, etc.) and ask questions! What is your happiest childhood memory? Michigan summers. What would surprise people about your job? I balance commercial litigation with some moonlighting as an advocate for battered women in need of various legal resources. Why did you become a lawyer? Sounds clichéd, but because this is my second career, I was looking for a career where I could be challenged more every day. The legal profession provides no shortage of challenges; keeps you on your toes. It is true that being an attorney can be stressful at times, but for me it has been a kind of stress that matches my "work personality" and so I thrive better now. I'm very happy with my decision to become a lawyer. If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? Pope Francis. What did you do last weekend? Celebrated the holidays with family in the Saginaw Bay area. What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? Seeing tears of joy from some of my clients. What do you do to relax? Listen to music. How would you describe your home? Modern day country. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? I have just two - both of my grandfathers, both of whom passed before seeing me become an attorney. One was an attorney himself, and now that I've chosen that path I am curious about what he would say to me now. The other lived well into his 90s and was a rock for our family. I would love to still have his stories and advice at the ready. What is the best advice you ever received? "Never look down." If you can help it, where will you never return? School. What do you drive? Ford Fusion. What would you drive if money were no object? Fully loaded Lincoln sedan. Favorite place to spend money: Von Maur What is your motto? You can usually laugh about it later, so don't sweat it now. What would you like carved onto your tombstone? "Somebody you could always count on." Published: Mon, Jan 05, 2015