By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Law student Rachel Selina, who inherited her passion for art and design from her father, earned her undergrad degree, magna cum laude, in art history from Kalamazoo College, including a six-month immersive study abroad program in Valparaíso, Chile.
“I took an art history class my freshman year and loved how we used history, politics, and sociological issues to talk about cultural movements and the built world,” she says.
Always interested in the study of law, in an academic sense, Selina found her internships and jobs in the legal field during and after college piqued her interest in practicing law.
Prior to law school, she worked as a case administration specialist at Hudson Legal in Ann Arbor, a firm largely handling employment immigration law.
“I became familiar with a diverse range of industries and disciplines,” she says. “What I enjoyed most was being in constant communication with our clients. I think working before law school showed me how important interpersonal skills are in any legal position.”
Selina is now a rising 3L at Detroit Mercy Law, where she enjoys being part of the mentorship program.
“I think practicing law requires an interesting mix of more studious work and more social, business-oriented work,” she says.” I think I’m well suited for that, and I knew the law would provide me with a challenging and exciting career.
“I think our professors are wonderful,” she adds. “How they conduct class and the knowledge they have to offer demonstrates a level of thoughtfulness and care for students I really appreciate. I’m also a big advocate of small colleges and universities, so I really love the small class sizes.”
While Selina is interested in many of the class topics, at this point she is most interested in estate planning and charitable trusts, and pictures a career in estate planning and management.
“I also think it’d be exciting to work in-house for a private foundation or a cultural institution,” she says. “Though, as I take different classes, I find many different practice areas fascinating.”
In 2019, she spent 8 months clerking at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote in Grosse Pointe Farms. “At DMC I got a lot of valuable exposure to the discovery process and litigation in general in both state and federal court,” she says.
Her internship earlier this year for Judge Arthur Tarnow at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan provided exposure to many different areas of law and she observed different court proceedings.
“I think this role really helped me hone my research and writing skills,” she says. “I also learned so much just from having discussions with Judge Tarnow, his clerks, and his staff about different legal issues.
With her internship at the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission moved from summer to this fall, she is interning for JD Advising, helping to research, write, and proofread bar prep materials and class supplements for current law students.
“I also contribute to JD Advising’s blog on various topics related to applying to law school and attending law school,” she says. “All of my co-workers are smart, hard-working, and supportive.”
Selina will be a junior member of Law Review this fall. “I know Law Review will be an intellectual challenge, so I’m excited for that,” she says.
She appreciates the fact that Detroit’s legal community consists largely of people from the Motor City area and who attended law school there.
“I think it makes for a group of professionals that’s very invested in the strength of its community,” she says.
She is disappointed the pandemic crisis has nixed students returning to campus this fall.
“I know it’s probably the safest choice for everyone, though,” she says. “Being on campus with my classmates isn’t really something that can be replicated, and I really missed that last spring. I’m just trying to stay motivated and actively engaged with my coursework, so I can get the most out of online classes.
“I don’t mind staying at home if it means keeping myself and my community safe. I’ve been reading more for fun and running more – just trying to make the most of a bit more free time.”
A native of Pinckney in Livingston County, Selina now makes her home in Royal Oak in Oakland County, where her hobbies include running, hot yoga, skiing, and cooking, and her interests includes modern art, and track and field; she herself ran cross country in college.
During this pandemic, she currently spends most of her time volunteering at the organic farm owned by her retired parents in Northern Michigan. “They grow, harvest, wash, and distribute organic produce throughout their community,” she says.
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