Rising 3L Wayne Law student Zach Ulewicz and his wife Holly were married last October after getting engaged at the Grand Canyon.
(Photo courtesy of Zach Ulewicz)
By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Zach Ulewicz started his career trajectory with an undergrad degree in business administration and management from Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business.
“I’ve always looked up to business leaders as pioneers in innovation and pillars for community growth and development,” he says. “I got involved in the Economics Club in high school and decided to pursue a business degree after graduation. I worked at a small business full-time while completing my undergraduate degree and it was exciting to have real-world applications for the material I was studying in school.”
A graduate of De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, Ulewicz was often told throughout his life that he would make a good lawyer, and the idea of law school was always a possibility in the back of his mind. However, it was a business law class in WSU undergrad that opened his eyes to the practice of law and how it actually works.
“My interest in law grew but I wasn’t sure that it would be a realistic possibility for me,” he says.
Then, when exploring post-grad options, he decided to take the LSAT to see what would happen.
Good choice.
“I ended up doing well enough to be awarded a scholarship to attend Wayne Law and the rest is history,” he says. “I love that Wayne Law is small enough the student body is able to interact and get to know each other on a regular basis. Professors are always willing to give additional attention to students where needed. I think it really comes down to the people at Wayne Law—everybody is very down-to-earth and approachable. In our community there’s not any air of law school superiority or intense competition—we’re all just trying to help each other succeed and become the best lawyers we can while setting a positive example and making an impact in the surrounding community.”
Interested in business law and corporate matters, the rising 3L is working as a summer associate in the corporate law department of Foley & Lardner. He also has an interest in working on appeals and criminal matters on a pro bono basis. In his final 2L semester this year, he enjoyed working at the school’s Appeal and Post-Conviction Advocacy Clinic.
“It was a great opportunity to explore criminal appeals while working with the State Appellate Defender Office,” he says. “The attorneys from SADO are excellent practitioners and I was able to learn a lot from them while getting practical legal experience. I also really enjoyed being able to connect with real clients, working on real matters that are going to hopefully make a difference in people’s lives.
“I love working with people and I think that service to others is an extremely important part of a meaningful and well-balanced, fulfilling life.”
He also spent the past 14 months clerking at Dobreff & Dobreff PC in Sterling Heights.
“Bill Dobreff is an incredible attorney and a true litigator who can go toe to toe with anyone in the legal field,” he says. “I was extremely fortunate to be able to work very closely with him for the last year on a lot of different matters. Bill and his brother run a boutique firm that handles a wide variety of matters from personal injury to contracts and corporate breakups. It was my first real experience working in the legal field and I really learned a lot, especially about true advocacy and finding a way to help your clients no matter how the odds may be stacked.”
This coming year, Ulewicz will serve as managing editor of the Wayne Law Review, and as director of communications for the Moot Court Program.
“I was a junior member of both of these programs this last year and I think they are both extremely helpful in developing the skills necessary to be an effective attorney,” he says. “This last year of virtual law school has been tough on all of us, but especially the 1L class that missed out on the opportunity to really get to know each other and build the lifelong friendships often forged in law school. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the younger members and create an enriching experience for them and help build that camaraderie and teamwork aspect of law school that has been missing the last year.”
Serving as a governor at large for the Student Board of Governors has been another good opportunity for him to get involved and serve the student body to provide a great law school experience.
“Our role this upcoming year is going to be very important in building morale and providing important social activities for the students to get to know each other and continue the inclusive culture of Wayne Law,” he says. “Through the SBG I also had the opportunity to attend faculty meetings and be involved in some of the other important programs and community service Wayne Law has to offer.”
Ulewicz is still open to where his legal studies will lead him.
“I try not to set hard and fast goals for myself and to stay open and flexible to the twists and opportunities that life often provides,” he says. “I think it’s important to focus on what’s in front of you and putting forth your best effort into doing what’s right for yourself and those around you while also staying present for life’s experiences.
“While I do maintain goals and aspirations and work towards them, I know wherever I end up is going to be exactly where I’m supposed to be at that time as long as I continue to do the next right thing and work hard.”
While remote studies have been an adjustment, Ulewicz maintained his daily routines as best he could and set aside an area specifically for work/study.
“Keeping yourself accountable and eliminating distractions in the working area is key,” he says. “Also, not to forget the importance of maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle. We have to intentionally focus on not only working and studying but also making time for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. For me sometimes that meant connecting with friends for virtual book clubs or watching parties and games, and my wife and I have also created an entire gym in our basement that has helped. I’m fortunate I’m married to a yoga teacher who helps me meditate and stay balanced.”
Ulewicz, who grew up in Warren, now makes his home in Clinton Township in Macomb County with his wife Holly; the two met in an English class at WSU. He also is close to his parents, who live in Gaylord, and he tries to make the trip up north to visit them whenever he gets the chance.
“They are great people that have always been a positive example,” he says. “My dad went back to school while I was in high school to get his bachelor’s degree, and eventually his master’s degree, and has always been an inspiration to me.
“I also got married last October, and even though we had to make many adjustments because of the pandemic, we made the best we could out of it. I’m very blessed.”
In his leisure time, Ulewicz enjoys working out and staying physically active by hiking, biking, and sometimes getting on the mats for wrestling/jiu jitsu.
He and Holly try to take a trip to the mountains at least every other year to explore national parks and do some hiking and connecting with nature.
“We actually got engaged at Havasupai campground in the bottom of the Grand Canyon and it was a beautiful and magical experience,” he says.
Ulewicz, who finds volunteering and serving the community is an important and enriching activity, has tried to stay involved in different ways, at soup kitchens or food banks, with Habitat for Humanity, and in juvenile detention centers.
“My wife works at a recovery center for those recovering from addiction and struggling with mental health issues and I’ve worked closely with the center in many ways and served on committees helping to create and host sober alternative events for young people in the area,” he says.
He relishes the community and culture of Detroit and has always been drawn to the Motor City.
“I think the work Wayne State and others do for the community is incredibly important and instrumental in the growth and success of the city,” he says. “I’ve lived all over the city at different times throughout my work and educational journey and just love the grit and action that permeates the air of the city.
“Detroiters are tough and driven and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to work downtown again at Foley & Lardner’s Detroit office this summer.”
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