By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Always keen on math and science, Will Broman earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from George Washington University in the nation’s capital.
“It had a great program — and sailing team,” he said. “It didn’t hurt that they offered me a scholarship, so it was a good fit.”
After graduation, Broman worked for TransNav in New Baltimore, then in product development at Terumo Cardiovascular Group in Ann Arbor, where he received daily rewarding reminders that even the most mundane work was benefitting patients.
“There was a photo on the wall that had a child recovering from cardiac surgery and the caption was, ‘For lots of little reasons,’” he said. “I also had opportunities to be in the O.R. and seeing the heart-lung machine I was working on, support the life of a child.”
Intent on continuing his schooling, Broman mulled an advanced engineering degree or law school.
“Law has always been a family affair, especially Wayne Law, so law won out,” he said.
Broman’s mother graduated from Wayne Law in 1981. His grandfather was a 1954 graduate and a great-uncle and cousin are also Wayne Law alumni.
He started in Wayne Law’s evening program in 2017 while working full time for Terumo. In mid-2019, Broman made the leap to a law clerk position with Bejin Bieneman, a national intellectual property law firm based out of D.
“The whole firm is a family and every single person is dedicated to our client — it’s a great learning environment as a law student,” he said. “I spend most of my day drafting patent applications and helping with other client matters.
“Working remotely every day is a challenge, especially when you’re used to daily one-on-one interactions,” Broman said of the current plight surrounding the pandemic.
“We’re all adjusting and fortunately patent law is a space where remote work is common. I’m looking forward to getting back to the office with everyone.”
Broman, who aims to graduate next year, appreciates his Wayne Law experience.
“I really enjoy walking into class knowing you’ll be challenged and engaging professors in an argument,” he said.
His primary focus is patent law with a long-term focus on life sciences and medical devices.
“I’d love to work with innovators in that space to encourage advancements that can improve patient outcomes,” he said.” In addition to life sciences and medical devices, I hope to assist foreign clients — particularly in Sweden, where my family hails from — and clients in the equine industry.”
Broman has frequently drawn on his professional experience in class and appreciates the advantage of being a mature student.
“If I’d gone straight from undergrad, I think I might be burned out with the whole ‘school’ thing,” he said. “Cases can have a different context when you’ve had a few years in the real world.”
With in-person classes on hold due to the pandemic crisis, jumping into online lectures mid-semester is less than ideal, Broman said — “Especially with other resources being limited. There are some time management issues that come up, but if we have another full semester of online classes I think we’ll be able to handle it.”
This upcoming year will be his second year on Law Review, where he will serve as Symposium Editor.
“I most enjoy seeing a problem in the world and doing the research to figure out a solution,” he said. “My goal for the symposium is to have a little something for everyone and a good debate of ideas. Remote technology for our fall symposium is certainly something we will need to consider. As for the spring, we will have to be prepared for whatever is thrown at us.”
While it is hard, with a full time job, to participate in a Wayne Law clinic, Broman would love to do the “Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer” clinic when the pandemic crisis passes.
A big fan of horse racing, he hopes to get more involved in the industry after law school and aims to sit the Kentucky Bar Exam in 2022 after taking the Michigan exam in 2021.
“I don’t want to wait for reciprocity before I can build a practice down there in the equine and thoroughbred industry,” he said. “I’d love to eventually own a horse farm with stallions, broodmares, and a racing stable.”
Broman’s current plan is to stay in Michigan, but depending on post-pandemic economic conditions, that plan may change.
“I have a number of friends in Kentucky and I follow two churches down there, Northeast in Louisville and Southland in Lexington, so it wouldn’t be a complete shock if I did head down there for the first part of my career,” he said. “Lexington is also a major junction between Detroit and the east coast for drugs and gang activity, so my pro bono goals could be accomplished down there as well.”
Those pro bono goals include reducing gang crimes on the east side of Detroit.
“From my involvement with programs like Ceasefire and working on court-appointed gang-related cases with my mentor and defense attorney, James Howarth, I think gangs serve as a catalyst for crime,” Broman said.
“C.S. Lewis has written that ‘evil is a parasite, not an original thing.’ Young people who get wrapped up in gangs aren’t bad people, gang-life is a parasite, and I think if we can provide wholistic representation and resources to those involved in gangs or accused of gang-related crimes, we can help people leave that life behind,” he said. “I feel called to serve in that way.”
He also felt called to serve in the political arena, running in 2016 as a candidate for Michigan State House, District 1, encompassing Detroit, Grosse Pointe Woods/Shores and Harper Woods. He introduced six wide-ranging policy proposals to reduce poverty, improve safety, and generate economic growth in Detroit’s Eastside neighborhoods.
“The relationships I made during my campaign continue to this day, and it was a life-changing experience I wouldn’t trade for anything else,” he said. “However, running for office puts immense strain on family, friends, and other relationships. While I won’t eliminate the possibility of doing it again, I don’t think it’s on the horizon any time soon.”
In addition to horse racing, the Grosse Pointe native enjoys sailing, involvement in the Yorkshire Woods Community Organization, and spending time family and friends.
A varsity sailor at GW University, and now a member of the Art & Architecture Committee at the Detroit Athletic Club, Broman believes lessons learned in college athletics are invaluable in any industry.
“Right now, I lean most on the lessons of time management and adaptability,” he said. “There’s nothing like leaving school on a Friday crammed into a van for hours to go compete all weekend and still preparing for major exams the next Monday to learn you can get your work done under any circumstance ... like a pandemic.”
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