By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Before heading to Wayne Law School, Chelsea Kozar dipped her toe into the legal field by working at the German American Law Center PLC in Sanford, northwest of Midland.
“It was great to see the inner workings of a law firm,” she said. “It was where I first learned how vital and important having an analytical eye and critical thinking was in the legal field.”
Kozar, who majored in political science and international relations at Central Michigan University, was drawn to the law by the problem-solving aspect of a legal career.
“I like the idea of a person or business coming to me with a problem — whether it be about a contract or employment — and being able to lay out their options and allow them to make the best decision,” she said.
Kozar enjoys the camaraderie of Wayne Law.
“I enjoy how close everyone is with each other — I’ve become real friends with the people I go to school with, and the professors and staff really care about the students,” she said. “Wayne Law is like a little family, and I understand why it has such dedicated alumni.”
She selected the Program for International Legal Studies for its “once in a lifetime opportunity” to intern after her 2L year at WilmerHale in England, an international law firm with lawyers in the United States, Europe and Asia, working at the intersection of government, technology and business.
“WilmerHale is one of the best firms in the world, and I knew the matters I’d be working on would be thrilling and complex, especially since they were in the context of international commercial arbitration,” she said. “I knew I would gain a lot of experience in a short amount of time. It also didn’t hurt the arbitration department was stationed in London.”
Kozar relished the intensity of the internship, which was heavy on research and writing.
“I was on Westlaw researching almost every day. I did research on very high stake arbitration proceedings, and I researched a wide-range of topics from New York’s uniform commercial code to the legislative of history of the New York Convention,” she said. “It’s amazing how much you can learn in 3 months.” She also enjoyed living in the capital of the United Kingdom.
“London is an incredible city — it’s so diverse with people from around the world. There’s always something to do — biking around the city, visiting museums, eating all kinds of internationally inspired cuisines,” she said. “I rented a car with a friend and we went to Stonehenge and Bath. I also spent a week in Italy visiting family.”
During her 1L and 2L years, Kozar interned at the insurance defense firm of Mellon Pries in Troy, her first clerking experience.
“I learned an incredible amount about discovery and litigation,” she said. “It was amazing being able to apply what I learned in the classroom to real cases. The attorneys took me under their wing to show me how the law works on a day-to-day basis.”
After her 1L year, Kozar was eager to gain practical experience by participating in Mock Trial and Moot Court.
“Both programs trained me on how to advocate orally and to different types of audience — how to speak to a judge, a jury, and appellate panel,” she said. “Moot Court gave me the opportunity to write a brief completely independently in regards to research and organization.”
In her 2L year, Kozar was an article editor for The Journal of Law in Society.
“I had the opportunity to write an article of my own choice and to edit previously written articles,” she said. “My article will be published in January. This year for the Journal, I’m the reviewing editor, and my job was to read scholarly articles and make publication offers to those authors. I’m excited about the articles we’ve selected for our upcoming edition.”
President of the Italian American Law Student Association, Kozar also participates in Wayne Law’s Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic.
“It’s a great opportunity to work with my own clients and to help cancer patients who are really in need and going through a lot in their lives,” she said.
Her career goal is to secure a job that involves plenty of research and writing and in which she can continue to learn new things and deal with complex issues.
A native of Caro, in the heart of Michigan’s “Thumb,” Kozar now makes her home in Berkley, in Oakland County. She enjoys traveling in Europe and stateside, is learning Italian, and enjoys cooking — especially traditional Italian dishes such as risotto or pasta.
She also enjoys the history that comes with the Motor City.
“Detroit and the people of Detroit have gone through a lot with the rebellion of 1967 and the collapse of the auto industry, and they continue to persist,” she
said. “Detroit has a lot of fight.”
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