By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Sara Cipriano was drawn to the law from a young age, after a terrible family tragedy.
“Unfortunately, a member of my family became a victim to a horrible murder, while other members of my family were hurt along the way,” she says. “Because of this, I was exposed to the justice system very early in my life and began to recognize the importance of law, justice, and morality.
“During this time, many members of our community came forward to help my family, which has always stuck with me. Seeing justice first-hand and being supported by those around me, I became dedicated to my community, and I hope to one day be a leader and an advocate for justice.”
Cipriano headed into undergrad at the University of Michigan-Dearborn knowing she wanted to later attend law school, and dreaming of one day becoming a judge within the juvenile court system.
“Because I was involved in the criminal justice system at such a young age, I firmly believe in the importance of giving children a voice within the legal field—and I’m interested in criminal law and family law,” she says.
She started by studying political science as a way to focus on community values as well as understanding the politics behind a campaign. She later took up her major of criminology and criminal justice and fell in love with law all over again. Finally, she picked up her minor in sociology and was mainly interested in learning more about societal influence and communities.
During undergrad, she interned with Judge Annette Berry at the Wayne County Circuit Court.
“I loved interning with Judge Berry,” Cipriano says. “She was extremely knowledgeable and inspirational throughout my internship. She was a strong role model and leader for me to look up to for guidance and encouragement.
“I actually found out at the end of my internship that she was the same judge that came to my high school’s career day, five years prior, and inspired me to become a judge in the first place. I hope one day I can serve my community as much as she serves hers, with kindness and respect.”
While at U-M, Cipriano—who is a proud “University of Michigan Difference Maker,” an award given to students at the forefront of their fields and communities—enjoyed tutoring students from many different backgrounds.
“The students I worked with were incredibly nice, sociable, and would always be active in their learning,” she says. “Even if there were age differences, they would find something in common and would help one another inside and outside the classroom. Luckily, I built some very good friendships with those students, and have even hired them to work with me at the Union at Dearborn, as well as within the SI program at Dearborn.”
Now in her 1L year at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Cipriano is enjoying her law school experience.
“I love Detroit Mercy Law because of the people. Many of the students in my classes are like me, first-generation college students. They are all very motivated to join the legal field and make a difference in society,” she says. “In addition, the professors are incredible role models and are extremely encouraging.”
Cipriano is a member of the Women’s Law Association and the Criminal Law Society. During undergrad, she was director of recruitment for the Political Science Association, treasurer of Victors Move Dance Team, and a general body member of the Pre-Law Association; and also ran the social media accounts for the Political Science Association and Victors Move.
As someone who enjoys being in a classroom and working with her peers, Cipriano is not a fan of remote learning.
“To me, it’s easier to balance school and life when you’re able to get out of your house,” she says. “However, I did enjoy the convenience of being able to work from home, especially since I lived with my best friend and was able to make more memories with her. Learning remotely gave me a more flexible schedule, however, a hands-on experience from learning in-person is really not replaceable.”
In addition to her studies, Cipriano works as accounts administrator for UCC Management’s two apartment complexes in Dearborn and Detroit.
“I work each day after class and absolutely love working in housing, especially since all of our residents are students at Dearborn, Detroit Mercy, and Wayne State,” she says. “I’m able to live and work at this apartment complex and have gotten to know all of our 600 residents. Since my work is within student housing, we’re primarily focused on service, which includes student-based programs. This includes our
‘Union Buddies’ program, where older students, such as myself, are able to mentor young freshman during their first year.
“We also split up our floors by interest as a way for our residents to get to know each other and form connections with one another through networking. I’m the community leader of our floor which is known as ‘Navy Heights,’ which is our academic-focused hallway, including all graduate students and those looking to get into medical, engineering, and legal fields. As a way of bringing this community together, we will host networking events, resume workshops, and during finals time, we do ‘Breakfast on the Go’ for residents to have a good meal before they take their finals.
“Although we do many different events, my favorite way of getting involved with this community is through assisting students with financial independence. As a student-focused apartment complex, I’m allowed the flexibility within my job to help students manage their finances, walk them through financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and create a plan for their future expenses. It’s extremely rewarding in situations where a student is completely new to living on their own and don’t know where or how to start planning.”
Away from her legal studies, Cipriano loves to paint and draw; and enjoys dancing.
“Growing up I was a competitive dancer for 10 years, which is why when I went to college, I became involved in the UM-Dearborn dance team,” she says. “I loved choreographing for the students on the team, as well as learning different styles of dance from all over the world, since our team included individuals from all different backgrounds.”
Originally from the village of Milford in Oakland County, Cipriano has lived and worked in Dearborn for the past four years, and enjoys spending time in Detroit.
“I love the downtown atmosphere and being surrounded by different communities and histories—there’s always something new to discover,” she says.
“My parents are both originally from Detroit, and most of my extended family now lives in Dearborn. Since they aren’t very far from me, I’m able to see them often, which is extremely beneficial since they are very supportive and caring.”
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