Detroit Mercy Law 2L student Zaineb-Stalene Al-Dhalimi enjoys visiting different countries.
By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
From a young age, Zaineb-Stalene Al-Dhalimi heard Lady Justice calling her name.
“I watched attorneys make a positive impact on my community and more closely, on my father’s real estate business and knew, I wanted to be that impact for people as well,” she says. “I saw the law as the best way to shape the world around me. There’s so much versatility in being an attorney. Whether I was to be a litigator, business attorney, or any other practice area, law school was the best place to start my journey.
“I’m most passionate about the law because of its diversity in career opportunities. With a law degree, the world is full of endless possibilities. Whether you want to make a societal impact, challenge yourself intellectually, or safeguard creativity and innovation, the law provides a strong foundation to shape the world in countless ways.”
Al-Dhalimi built a strong foundation for law school by first earning a double major in criminology and criminal justice and political science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
“Political science helped me to have a strong understanding of government and law while enhancing my communication, writing and research skills,” she says. “Criminology and criminal justice catered to my own interests in the justice system and its operation. I’ve seen how the criminal justice system impacts the people around me and I wanted to understand how it could be improved.”
During undergrad, she worked as a front-desk clerk at AT Law Group in Dearborn, learning about the personal injury and general practice division along with supporting a variety of administrative tasks; and worked at LegalSolv, a startup in Dearborn, as the only legal assistant to four attorneys across many practice areas.
“My time at LegalSolv was invaluable for gaining experience across family, business, criminal, and real estate law, which deepened my understanding of where I want to focus my practice after law school,” she says.
Al-Dhalimi headed to Detroit Mercy Law last year, and is now a 2L student.
“I was drawn to UDM Law because of its strong commitment to fostering an inclusive community and its truly welcoming environment felt not only through faculty but from other students as well,” she says “I knew I could thrive at Detroit Mercy Law.”
At the end of her 1L year, she externed at Equity Alliance of Michigan.
“This externship was short but sweet,” she says. “It helped to build on my legal research skills as we created a legal guidebook for opening a nonprofit organization in Michigan which features a step-by-step guide. This opportunity also expanded my network with prominent members of the nonprofit community and small business owners.”
Now serving as 2L class president, she finds it rewarding to actively contribute to her classmates' law school experience and to advocate for their needs.
“I have the privilege of fostering a sense of unity and community, helping to build a supportive environment where students feel connected and valued,” she says. “I can bring their concerns and ideas to the administration, ensuring that their voices are heard on important matters such as academic policies, registration and exam process development, and faculty accessibility.
“Serving also allows me to expand my leadership skills, including organization, communication, and conflict resolution, which are all valuable as I prepare for a career in law.”
Serving as vice president of the Muslim Law Student Association provides perspectives on integrating faith with the demands of a legal career.
“The connections that I am forming in this group are helping me to understand how to manage challenges like balancing religious obligations with work commitments or addressing potential workplace biases,” she says. “Being the vice president is enabling me to grow as a leader, connect meaningfully with the Muslim legal community, and foster a sense of belonging for other students with similar values and aspirations.”
While Al-Dhalimi has not yet set herself on a specific practice area, she is particularly interested in, business/corporate, copyright/trademark, and sports/entertainment law.
“My career goal is to gain experience in various areas of corporate and business law, ultimately specializing in trademark and copyright law at an in-house firm within the fashion industry.,” she says.
The oldest daughter of seven siblings, Al-Dhalimi grew up in Arab-American communities in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights; she and Ahmed, her husband of four years, now live in Canton.
In her leisure time, she enjoys visiting different countries—"And witnessing the most beautiful destinations this world has to offer,” she says. “I also find joy in everything to do with fashion including personal styling of myself and close family members.”
Legal News
From a young age, Zaineb-Stalene Al-Dhalimi heard Lady Justice calling her name.
“I watched attorneys make a positive impact on my community and more closely, on my father’s real estate business and knew, I wanted to be that impact for people as well,” she says. “I saw the law as the best way to shape the world around me. There’s so much versatility in being an attorney. Whether I was to be a litigator, business attorney, or any other practice area, law school was the best place to start my journey.
“I’m most passionate about the law because of its diversity in career opportunities. With a law degree, the world is full of endless possibilities. Whether you want to make a societal impact, challenge yourself intellectually, or safeguard creativity and innovation, the law provides a strong foundation to shape the world in countless ways.”
Al-Dhalimi built a strong foundation for law school by first earning a double major in criminology and criminal justice and political science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
“Political science helped me to have a strong understanding of government and law while enhancing my communication, writing and research skills,” she says. “Criminology and criminal justice catered to my own interests in the justice system and its operation. I’ve seen how the criminal justice system impacts the people around me and I wanted to understand how it could be improved.”
During undergrad, she worked as a front-desk clerk at AT Law Group in Dearborn, learning about the personal injury and general practice division along with supporting a variety of administrative tasks; and worked at LegalSolv, a startup in Dearborn, as the only legal assistant to four attorneys across many practice areas.
“My time at LegalSolv was invaluable for gaining experience across family, business, criminal, and real estate law, which deepened my understanding of where I want to focus my practice after law school,” she says.
Al-Dhalimi headed to Detroit Mercy Law last year, and is now a 2L student.
“I was drawn to UDM Law because of its strong commitment to fostering an inclusive community and its truly welcoming environment felt not only through faculty but from other students as well,” she says “I knew I could thrive at Detroit Mercy Law.”
At the end of her 1L year, she externed at Equity Alliance of Michigan.
“This externship was short but sweet,” she says. “It helped to build on my legal research skills as we created a legal guidebook for opening a nonprofit organization in Michigan which features a step-by-step guide. This opportunity also expanded my network with prominent members of the nonprofit community and small business owners.”
Now serving as 2L class president, she finds it rewarding to actively contribute to her classmates' law school experience and to advocate for their needs.
“I have the privilege of fostering a sense of unity and community, helping to build a supportive environment where students feel connected and valued,” she says. “I can bring their concerns and ideas to the administration, ensuring that their voices are heard on important matters such as academic policies, registration and exam process development, and faculty accessibility.
“Serving also allows me to expand my leadership skills, including organization, communication, and conflict resolution, which are all valuable as I prepare for a career in law.”
Serving as vice president of the Muslim Law Student Association provides perspectives on integrating faith with the demands of a legal career.
“The connections that I am forming in this group are helping me to understand how to manage challenges like balancing religious obligations with work commitments or addressing potential workplace biases,” she says. “Being the vice president is enabling me to grow as a leader, connect meaningfully with the Muslim legal community, and foster a sense of belonging for other students with similar values and aspirations.”
While Al-Dhalimi has not yet set herself on a specific practice area, she is particularly interested in, business/corporate, copyright/trademark, and sports/entertainment law.
“My career goal is to gain experience in various areas of corporate and business law, ultimately specializing in trademark and copyright law at an in-house firm within the fashion industry.,” she says.
The oldest daughter of seven siblings, Al-Dhalimi grew up in Arab-American communities in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights; she and Ahmed, her husband of four years, now live in Canton.
In her leisure time, she enjoys visiting different countries—"And witnessing the most beautiful destinations this world has to offer,” she says. “I also find joy in everything to do with fashion including personal styling of myself and close family members.”
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