Student Spotlight: Detroit student focused on criminal defense work and Innocence Project

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

Law student Macy Murasky has a particular passion for criminal defense and disability rights

“I think there needs to be system reform,” she says. “So many people are subject to the current biases within system. Public defenders are underpaid and overworked. I think there needs to be a systemic shift and I would like to be a part of that.

“Disability law is super important to me because I think there’s a lack of advocacy for their community within the law world.”

A 1L student at Detroit Mercy Law School, Murasky would love to start up an Innocence Project in Wayne County.

“There’s a high demand and need for that type of organization,” she says. “Innocence Projects are super important because they provide data to bring light to the issues within the current judicial system. They highlight racial bias and the issues with the lack of resources for public defenders.”

Interested in politics and the government since high school, she went on to earn her undergrad degree in political science from Ohio State University.

“When I took AP Government in high school, I always spent time outside of school researching laws and different organizations that we discussed, so it was a natural path,” she says.

Her undergraduate activities included the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity; CHAARG (Changing Health, Attitudes, and Actions to Recreate Girls); Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP); Propel Ohio; and the Buckeyethon, and she worked part-time for the athletics operations. She also continues to be involved as a grader in The Graide Network.

She is now enjoying her experience at Detroit Mercy Law, where she is a Dean’s Fellow, and is a member of the Women’s Law Caucus and the Business Law Society, and is in the process of applying for summer internships.

“I knew that law was the best way for me to make the differences that mattered to me,” she says. “I enjoy the support the school offers—they prepare us well to be successful on our own.

“Being a Dean’s Fellow has been very rewarding because they offer a unique support system—they’ve helped with mentors, adjusting to the first-year, and making connections.”

Studying remotely during the pandemic has presented challenges, she notes.

“Doing work from home can be very stressful because there isn’t the same support as being in person,” she says. “But I’ve been very fortunate to have met amazing friends that are 1Ls and we’ve been apply to support each other and study together.”

A native of Rochester in Oakland County, Murasky returned to Michigan after her undergrad years in Columbus, Ohio because she wanted to settle down in the Great Lakes State, where she enjoys skiing, golfing, cooking, and writing in her leisure time.

“Some of my family still lives in Rochester, so, it’s been nice being home and closer to them,” she says. “I love Detroit because it’s where I was born and raised. People who’ve never been here have a negative connotation surrounding the city. But, Detroit has so much to give. I love the food scene—mostly Detroit style pizza—the artwork and the DIA, and Detroit sports.”

 

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