Law student aims for a career in environmental law

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
    
Growing up, Haley Marion loved to play in the dirt, catching frogs, snakes, and anything she could get her little hands on.

“I grew to understand the importance of nature to one’s sense of self, and how harmful it could be if those resources were stripped from us as humans,” she says.

She earned her undergrad degree from Albion College in environmental science.

“I loved getting to know Michigan native species throughout my undergraduate, but I wanted to find a career path where I could aid in creating systematic, environmental change,” she says.

“I knew I wanted to use my understanding of environmental issues to create something positive, and law ended up being the perfect pathway to do so. It’s important to me that I use my education to help those who are unequally affected by the climate crisis, and by studying law, I will have the tools to execute this goal.”

In her 1L year at Detroit Mercy Law, Marion looks forward to taking the Environmental Clinic.

She is the 1L representative of the Environmental Law Society and helped plan events such as the pledge-signing event for the Global Day of Action.

“I’m honored to be part of this group of strong-minded individuals who are working towards finding legal solutions to the climate crisis,” she says.

Her career goal is to become a environmentally focused attorney in Michigan.

“I aim to work in both the private and governmental spheres, but I’m still unsure of how I picture the timeline working out exactly,” she says.

Prior to law school, Marion found her passion for the legal sphere with a 2022 summer internship with Dykema Gossett PLLC, where she learned new skills in legal organization and writing.

Her father, Anthony Marion, is Director of Marketing Operations at Dykema Gossett PLLC. “My dad’s passion for his work has always inspired me, and he always encourages me to follow my dreams, even when it may be a difficult path,” she says.  

Inheriting a passion for music from her mother, Karen Marion, a retired elementary-level music teacher, Marion dabbled in various instruments, including woodwind, brass, and percussion, and played in the Albion College orchestra.

A graduate of Anchor Bay High School in Fair Haven, Marion grew up in Macomb County.

She now lives in downtown Detroit with her younger sister, Livingston Marion, who is studying art education.

“My sister inspires me to work hard and to give back to my community,” Marion says.

To that end, Marion currently is searching for volunteer opportunities to participate in over the summer, and is eager to help in clean-up projects around the city or to help raise funds for environmentally focused Detroit initiatives.

She also previously volunteered, in undergrad, with an organization that partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

“We worked to provide children in the foster care system with items and funds they may not otherwise have access to due to their housing conditions,” she says. “From making hygiene bags to raising funds through a kickball tournament, working with CASA through volunteer work has always been one of my favorite ways to help those in my community.”

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