By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
After watching a lot of crime-related TV shows in her pre-teen years, Jenia Thompson by the tender age of 13 had already made it her goal to become an attorney. She is on her way to achieving that goal as closed out her 1L year at the University of Detroit Mercy School of law.
“My insatiable desire to be an advocate for people during times of vulnerability is what draws me to study law,” she says.
Thompson earned her undergrad degree in political science and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University.
“The 2016 election was my first glimpse into the world of politics and how important it is to be civically engaged,” she says. “Though I was too young to vote, I knew I wanted to focus my studies on politics so I would have a solid foundation on the intricacies behind local and national politics.
“I decided to minor in criminal justice when I saw how often various policy arguments intersected with the justice system. I thought having both realms of knowledge would really help in my understanding of the law when I would go to law school.”
Throwing herself wholeheartedly into undergrad activities, Thompson served as a resident assistant, a member of several committees within Student Senate; and a participant in the Cook Leadership Academy.
“Being an active leader in the Grand Valley community has shaped me into the person I am today,” she says. “I’d like to say that Student Senate was the origin of my leadership journey and the Cook Leadership Academy was where I was given the tools to become a prosperous leader.
“Because of knowledge I gained from two organizations, I was granted the opportunity to be invited into administrative spaces so I could bring forth student grievances and offer potential solutions to the problems.”
Thoroughly enjoying her law school studies and overall experience, Thompson hopes to find a summer internship or clerkship so she can apply all the material she has been learning to good use.
“Detroit Mercy Law is not just a law school, it’s a tight-knit community of students and faculty who want you to excel and will provide you with any and all opportunities to do so,” she says. “What I enjoy most is that DML is the antithesis of the portrayal that law school is a cold, competitive environment of students who are unwilling to help one another. Every student I’ve encountered has amounted to great success and has been more than willing to help when they are able to.”
Thompson currently is interested in property law, medical malpractice, and criminal law.
“But I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself into anything just yet because I want to give myself the chance to gain different experiences before I settle on one area of law,” she says. “The legal profession is so vast and as a student who is only emerging into the legal field, I want to keep my options open to all of the potential sectors I can practice in.
“Like many, my ultimate career goal is to help people,” she adds. “Thankfully, the legal field is incredibly broad and offers help to those around us in many ways. My hope is I will work at a law firm with a diverse clientele so I can help people who look like me, and also those who have different backgrounds and life experiences than me.”
Thompson serves as 1L class president within the Student Bar Association and is a member of the Black Law Student Association.
“What I collectively enjoy the most about these organizations is the tenacity and patience they have,” she says. “Both organizations have been such a help to the 1L class by giving incredible advice, reassurance, and have put on amazing events.”
She is grateful to have been coping well with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Though, if you’d have asked me a year or so ago I would have had a completely different answer,” she says. “Remote learning has been extremely difficult but it’s taught me how to be more disciplined. I’m so blessed to have a compassionate support system that’s given me the space to be my authentic self, especially during our months of isolation in 2020.”
That includes the close support of her family.
“My mom, dad, and three sisters have always been my personal cheerleaders,” she says. “I’m very appreciative of the confidence they’ve instilled in me.”
A varsity bowler in high school, Thompson has picked up bowling as a hobby when she needs a break from the stresses of law school. Other interests include reading, listening to podcasts, and watching old seasons of the TV shows “Survivor” and “Big Brother.”
A native of Northville, Thompson is back on the east side of the state full time, and has been taking strides to plant her roots in the local area by joining legal associations and volunteering.
“I enjoy learning about the rich history of Detroit,” she says. “From Motown to the automotive industry, there are so many things Detroit has to offer!”
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