Soccer player scores huge success in legal studies

A rising 3L at Detroit Mercy Law, George Zora recently received the Philip F. Greco Memorial Scholarship from the Macomb County Bar Association. Earlier this year, he received the State Bar of Michigan Law Practice Management & Legal Administrators Section Scholarship. Rebecca Simkins Nowak, UDM Law Assistant Dean for Experiential Education, and Section Chair presented the award.

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News


After graduating from Oakland University a semester early, with a degree in political science and a minor in international relations, George Zora interned for four months at the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office—an experience he describes as “wonderful.”

He assisted in creating judge assignments and creating files, and worked with appellate attorneys by writing case briefs and statements of facts. He also worked with the attorney in charge of the Conviction Integrity Unit, assisting in research. He was also regularly in courtrooms getting first-hand experience of jury selection, trials, pre-trials, and sentencing.

“I was given the opportunity to shadow attorneys in their day-to-day work, observe numerous court proceedings, but what benefited me most of all were the conversations Mr. Peter Lucido took to have with me and the other interns at the Prosecutor’s Office,” Zora says. “He loved to share advice with us and gave us numerous tips for doing well in law school and in the legal profession, tips I’ve carried with me until now.”

Interested in the law from childhood, Zora is now a rising 3L student at Detroit Mercy Law, drawn to UDM Law as an institution that aligned with his religious views. 

“As a devout Catholic, I knew Detroit Mercy would be a perfect fit when touring and learning the mission of the university and its Jesuit history,” he says. “I enjoy the community of UDM Law. UDM is a school where all the students and professors know each other, and this family feeling was what drew me to the school. This in addition to the Catholic and Jesuit values the school emphasizes, the school really allows me to feel at home.”

Zora has been clerking at Khamo Law in Troy for over a year, where he is also a notary public, and is learning about personal injury law, and about the operational side of a law firm. 

“I’ve seen how a law firm operates and is managed, and these are all things I want to remember and implement when I eventually own my own personal injury law firm,” he says.

Zora was honored to recently receive the State Bar of Michigan Law Practice Management & Legal Administrators Section Scholarship. Rebecca Simkins Nowak, Assistant Dean for Experiential Education, and Section Chair presented the award.

“It was amazing to be honored for such a rewarding scholarship, especially because I plan to own my own law firm and the connections made at this scholarship reception reaffirmed to me how to open and run a law firm,” he says.

A founding board member of the Chaldean American law Student Association, Zora notes this organization is a great way to build a strong network and to empower future Chaldean attorneys. 

“We’ve hosted numerous events bringing Chaldean law students together, and this was a great way to help us law students relax and balance our time from studying with enjoying time with our friends,” he says. “As a board member, I want to encourage the next generation of Chaldean attorneys. This year, board members mentored 1L Chaldean law students, giving them advice and tips to help them get through their first year of law school successfully.”

Zora has fond memories of his 2022 internship in the nation’s capital for Congresswoman Lisa McClain, when he saw national politics up close. 

“Working in Lisa McClain’s office allowed me to spend my summer in Washington, D.C., where I observed first-hand how our politicians work in Congress, and what goes into representing a district in the House of Representatives,” he says. “It was amazing to see how our politicians truly work for their constituents. An example was when a bill was proposed that the Congresswoman initially opposed, but after numerous calls from constituents in her district urging her to support it, she followed her constituents’ wishes and voted in favor of the bill. This example really showed me how seriously our politicians take their constituents concerns and work to help their communities.”

A lifelong resident of Romeo in Macomb County Zora is a 2019 graduate of Romeo High School.

A soccer player since high school, and a player and team manager/coach for the Oakland University champion team, Zora continues to play recreational soccer, including with his four younger siblings.

“It allows me to take a break from law school and relax,” he says. “We love to play and watch soccer together, and it’s a great way we spend our time together. My family is very important to me. We love to spend time together, playing soccer, and going up north to our cottage.”

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