Getting to Know: Angela Medley

Angela M. Medley, nominated by Super Lawyers two years in a row as a Rising Star, is a family law attorney and a partner with Polizzi & Medley Law in Mt. Clemens.

The former district court prosecutor aids clients in a variety of matters, including conflict resolution through negotiation, mediation, and trial. She is primarily focused on family law, including cases regarding divorce, child
custody, enforcement and modification of support obligations, and post-judgment actions.

Medley is on the board of directors for the Macomb County Bar Association and the Macomb County Bar Foundation; is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) Macomb Region and is a representative for the 16th Circuit in the State Bar Association Representative Assembly.

Medley graduated summa cum laude from Baker College of Clinton Township where she earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. She graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2014.

By Jo Mathis
Legal News

How are you handling things during this coronavirus shutdown? We are working remotely and appearing in court in person only when absolutely necessary. Zoom has become a great resource!

Have you learned anything about yourself during these last few weeks? I already knew I was resourceful, but I didn’t realize how much of my social interaction revolved around my work. I have had to sharpen my technological skills to stay connnected with my family, colleagues and clients.

What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? Becoming a lawyer! I went to law school at 41. It was a difficult transition. I worked for the first two years. I was/am a single mother and I have three children. It was an incredible amount of work, like nothing I had ever experienced. I was thrilled to learn I passed the bar on November 6, 2014.

What was always written on your grade school report card? I always received positive remarks about how quiet and/or well behaved I was in class. I guess I saved my attitude for outside the classroom.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? A past employer told me he knew that whatever he gave me would get done and he wouldn’t have to hold my hand or worry about it.

When you were considering law school, what was Plan B? There is no plan B when you are in law school, at least not for me. It’s a one-way street. Once you commit to it, you have to see it through. The student loans help to keep you focused on the finish line. It’s too much of an investment to risk failure.

What would surprise people about your job? Lawyers don’t know everything about everything. My friends and family think they can ask me a question regarding areas of the law that I do not practice. I wish I knew it all, but I don’t

What do you wish someone would invent? A cure for COVID-19 would be nice right about now.

When you look back into the past, what do you miss most? My mother. She died before I finished law school.

What is your most treasured material possession? My dog. Second to her, it would have to be my cell phone. It connects to me the world.

If you could have witnessed any event in history, what would it be? I would have liked to witness Martin Luther King Jr. speak in person.

What were you doing in your last selfie? A CrossFit workout.

What is the best advice you ever received? To remember I can only make decisions based upon the information available to me at that time. When and if new information becomes available, then I make another decision. It’s that easy.

What question do you most often ask yourself? Have I done everything I can in this situation?

If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? My mother. I’ve always wondered what it was like to be her.

What’s the most awe-inspiring place you’ve ever been? I visited Washington, D.C. with the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan last year. I observed an oral argument in the United States Supreme Court. It was very inspiring!

What’s something you changed your mind about recently? Whether to order carryout or just cook. I hate cooking, but with the current COVID situation, it may be the smarter decision.

What is one thing you would like to learn to do? Ride a hoverboard or a motorcycle. The hoverboard is probably easier to obtain.

What is something most people don't know about you? I am expecting my second grandchild this fall.