Mike Van Huysse grew up in Rochester Hills where he graduated high school and subsequently attended Oakland University. He then moved to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University College of Law, where he became a big fan of the Spartans and regularly attended football and basketball games, and still does to this day.
During law school, he interned at the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office in Ann Arbor, and later clerked at White Law PLLC in Okemos.
Van Huysse graduated law school and passed the bar in 2009. After becoming licensed, he continued to work as an attorney at White Law PLLC. While there, he practiced criminal defense, family, civil, and bankruptcy law.
In September of 2015, Van Huysse started his own practice, MCV Law PLLC, where he continues to specialize in criminal defense, domestic relations law, bankruptcy and civil litigation.
He lives in Mason with his wife Jessica and dachshund Roxie. The couple is expecting a first child in October.
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Favorite local hangouts: Roadhouse Pub, The Taproom.
Favorite websites: Lansing State Journal, Red Cedar Message Board (MSU sports message board).
What is your most treasured material possession? My grandfather’s watch. He passed away a couple months after I was born, so it’s special to me.
What was always written on your grade school report card? My name. I think that was the only constant amongst my report cards.
What is your happiest childhood memory? I always enjoyed playing outside with friends in summer and playing little league baseball. We usually weren’t allowed inside during the day in the summer unless the weather was bad, but I was ok with that.
When you were considering law school, what was Plan B? I don’t think I had a backup plan. I just assumed I would go to law school and start a legal career. It’s a good thing I made it through or else I don’t know what I would be doing right now!
What do you wish someone would invent? A teleporter, like on Star Trek. I like travelling to different places but hate the hassle of flying or the time it takes to drive long distances. I would probably go on vacation a lot more if I could travel to a different country in an instant.
What has been your favorite year so far? 2009 – the year I graduated law school and passed the bar exam. I enjoyed the atmosphere of going to school at MSU, and, although I was studying for the bar, I was able to take time to relax. I met my wife that summer, so it was an all-around good year.
Do you prefer email, text, or a phone call? I like the ease and convenience of email, and the fact there is a written record, but some conversations are better to be had in person or over the phone. There’s something to be said for being able to speak to someone and hear the other person’s voice. Unfortunately, some things just can’t be communicated through written text.
When you look back into the past, what do you miss most? The time when most people didn’t carry around cell phones. Sure, they are a convenience and a great tool in the practice of law, but having a cell phone attached to you 24/7 is quite an annoyance sometimes.
What question do you most often ask yourself? “What do you need to get done today?”
What is your most typical mood? Probably feeling “rushed,” in the sense there is always work to be done, and I often have to appear in multiple courts in one day.
Who, living or dead, is on your guest list for the ideal dinner party? The Founding Fathers, so I could get their reaction on how the Constitution has been interpreted by the courts throughout the years.
If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? It would be interesting to be the President for a day, but only a day. I don’t think I could deal with the stress that comes with that job for any longer.
What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? A client who was charged with child abuse was interrogated by the police for hours late in the night, was eight months pregnant, hadn’t eaten for hours, and was threatened that her children would be taken away if she didn’t confess to hurting her child. She finally broke down and confessed. We filed a motion and were able to get the confession excluded. I was told that after we won our motion, the local police agencies circulated a memo instructing their detectives to not threaten interrogees that their children could be taken from them during questioning.
What word do you overuse? “Seriously!?”
What is one thing you would like to learn to do? Scuba dive.
What is something most people don’t know about you? I do everything left-handed except play golf.
What is the best advice you ever received? My supervising attorney for my first internship during law school said, “Even if you don’t know what you are doing, act like you know. Most people will believe you know what you’re doing.”
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