By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Wayne Law student Dane Lepola was drawn to the law by its ever-changing landscape.
“You will always have different facts in each case, and a new challenge each day,” he says.
While earning his undergraduate degree in political theory and constitutional democracy from Michigan State University’s James Madison College, in 2014 Lepola had an internship in the Extraditions Unit of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office assisting with governor’s warrants, writs, and transportation orders.
“It provided experience in some aspects of the legal field and without a doubt solidified my decision to go to law school,” he says.
Now a rising 3L at Wayne Law, Lepola is enjoying his law school experience.
“I’ve made so many lifelong friends over the past two years,” he says.
As the new Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, his goal is to continue the great program built by his predecessors.
He has been involved in a number of other activities. Last winter he participated in the Gibbons Moot Court Competition at Seaton Hall Law School in New Jersey; and in his 1L and 2L years, served on the law school’s student board of governors.
“It allowed me to be involved in the school and be part of its progress,” he says.
He also appreciates the law school’s proximity to the Detroit legal market, where last summer he spent three months interning with U.S. District Court Judge Stephen J. Murphy.
“It was the best experience I’ve ever had,” he says. “The only reason I’m Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review is because of the writing skills I learned in Judge Murphy’s chambers.”
In January, Lepola started clerking at the Troy office of Secrest Wardle, a firm specializing in defense litigation and counsel for insurance, municipal, and commercial clients.
“The work allows for a very hands-on experience,” he says. “I have the ability to work on substantive projects and also observe attorneys actually practice, which is something I know will benefit me well into the future.”
He has set his sights on a career in litigation.
“I love the daily challenges litigators face and the fact that each case is different,” he says.
A Troy native and graduate of Troy High School—and son of two retired Troy police officers—Lepola currently makes his home in Marine City in St. Clair County, a perfect spot to pursue his passion for boating.
“If I’m not working and the weather is nice I’ll want to be on the boat,” he says.
He appreciates the history of the Detroit area, and the legacy of his family’s crane and trucking business—Laramie Enterprises—a Motor City fixture since it was founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1917.
“I will take great pride in having the opportunity to practice law in the city my family helped build,” he says.
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