By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
After graduating magna cum laude from Albion College with a B.A. in English, MaryConnell Linton had dreams of continued education to eventually become a literature professor – but with student debt, rent and bills, needed a full time job before grad school.
“While I did complete some course work in a master’s program at Oakland University, I was no longer the same person who had walked out of college, fresh-faced and hopped up on Dead Poets Society fantasies,” she says. “Working full time while trying to earn a graduate degree is no easy task – however, I still wanted to use my literature and writing background, but combine it with my growing interest in the legal field.”
Fate stepped in, in the form of a family friend with her own, rapidly growing, legal courier business in Oakland County.
“Just when I was desperate for a job, she was desperate for some help,” Linton says. “What was meant to be a short term stint became an 8-year career and the contacts I made and information I gleaned about the legal field, particularly family law, proved to be both incredibly useful and fascinating.”
Fate once again smiled kindly on Linton when she wanted to move further into the legal field.
“I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason and at just the right time, a position opened up at Woll & Woll, P.C.,” she says.
Family law attorney Jessica Woll had been Linton’s No. 1 client in her courier work.
“I not only had great respect for Jessica, but a close working relationship to the rest of her staff,” Linton says. “She kindly set up an interview – and the rest is history.”
Linton joined the Birmingham firm in 2013, where she works in tandem with the attorneys and the other paralegals to assist in the case process. She also handles social media and community relations.
“Aside from my traditional education, all of my training has been hands on,” she says.” I learned a great deal from the court clerks, judge’s staff and attorneys while I couriered, which provided a strong foundation.
“Jessica has a distinctly, team-based environment, with regular case meetings and strategy discussions. The best training I could have is working closely with her on cases, from start to finish.”
Linton gets plenty of mileage from her degree by writing and editing on cases, as well as research. She directly assists Woll on cases throughout the process, and keeps in close contact with clients to ensure their needs are being met.
She also is the firm’s media and PR contact and typically assists Woll with her charitable work and other community projects.
“Having the opportunity to bridge the best of both worlds – my English background and interest in family law – is extremely gratifying,” Linton says. “While not the path I started down at 22, I couldn’t be happier with where life has led me and enjoy the diversity of projects that I’m given within this firm. It’s also a huge bonus that my co-workers – all women – are fantastic. There’s a lot of support and friendship, here.”
In her leisure time, Linton is an avid reader, and plays piano. She also enjoys travel, and has been to France, England, Ireland, and spent four months in Scotland during college.
“Being of Scottish descent, that experience was one of the best of my life and I remain in contact with several of the friends that I made there,” she says.
A native of Mt. Clemens, Linton moved to Plymouth several years ago.
“I absolutely love Plymouth and the surrounding area,” she says. “Having the benefit of a beautiful and lively small town, just outside of Detroit, with parks and forests on the other side, is idyllic.”
Her mother, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephews live within a five-mile radius, and Linton enjoys sporting events and family dinners with them; and also enjoys visiting her father and stepmother in California.
Linton enjoys the theater and the arts offered in the Motor City.
“I love to visit the DIA with my niece and try to see one play or musical per year,” she says. “The restaurant scene is every foodie’s dream and I love to watch the Tigers and Red Wings play, whenever I can.”
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