Monday Profile: Nicholas Draugelis

Nicholas Draugelis was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in metro Detroit. He joined the Marine Corps in 2004 and spent 2006-2007 deployed in Fallujah. After his return from Iraq, he resumed his undergraduate studies in political science at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. After graduating in 2009, he returned to Detroit and Wayne State University Law School.

Draugelis graduated from law school in the winter of 2011 and began practicing in May 2012 at Garan Lucow Miller, where his practice focuses on negligence, including premises liability, liquor liability, and first and third party auto cases. 

He was surrounded by the law from an early age. His father, Ed, is a retired lawyer and his mother, Diane, is a court reporter. 

He was recently married, and his new wife Sam is also an attorney. 

By Jo Mathis

Legal News
 
 
Residence:  Detroit.
 
What’s your most typical mood? Content.
 
What was your role in the wedding preparation? My crowning achievement was picking out our wedding cake from a magazine. I have been more of the Tonto to Sam’s Lone Ranger.
 
You’re just two and a half years out of law school. What surprises you most about actually working as an attorney? I’m surprised by how well lawyers get along. There are certainly disagreements or dust-ups from time to time but by and large people tend to be friendly.
 
What is your happiest childhood memory? Playing touch football on Thanksgiving.
 
Are your parents relieved you found a job? Sort of.  Despite what I understand the legal job market to be, my experience is that there are plenty of jobs available. My parents are definitely relieved that I found the job I did because Garan Lucow has been a great place to learn this craft.
 
What has been your favorite year so far? 2014. I got married, I tried my first case and hope to become a father-to-be before it’s over.
 
If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? A charter fishing captain who was busy—but not too busy—working on the Gulf Coast.
 
What do you wish someone would invent? A new day between Saturday and Sunday which would be considered part of the weekend.
 
What’s your proudest moment as a lawyer? Getting the chance to work alongside my dad on a case for one of his long-standing clients.
 
Favorite joke: The Aristrocrats.
 
What do you to relax? Listen to either Dan Dickerson or Vin Scully call a baseball game. 
 
What word do you overuse? Probably “like” or any on George Carlin’s list.
 
What’s one thing you would like to learn to do? Scuba dive.
What is something most people don't know about you? I almost severed my left pinky finger in a tragic table-waiting accident. (It involved a broken Corona bottle, bad timing, and worse luck…)
 
If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? A passenger on MH-370, someone who initially investigated the Roswell incident, and my paternal grandfather.
 
Can’t-live-without technology: GPS.
 
What’s the best advice you ever received? If you’re going to *screw* up, *screw* up gloriously (I have changed the word to protect the innocent but the advice meant to make mistakes of action rather than inaction.)
 
If you can help it, where will you never return? The Middle East.
 
What do you drive? A Chrysler 200.
 
Favorite place to spend money:  Travelocity. 
 
What is your motto? “It’ll buff out.”
 
Where would you like to be when you're 90? Above the ground.

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