Detroit Mercy Law 1L student Devin Lewis-Green also is passionate about creative writing, and is pictured reciting some of his poetry on stage.
Photo courtesy of Devin Lewis-Green
Photo courtesy of Devin Lewis-Green
By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Law student Devin Lewis-Green launched his academic trajectory with an undergrad degree in political science from Wayne State University, with a minor in creative writing.
“Growing up in a low-class, urban environment as an African American, many of the institutional, historical, internalized, and interpersonal levels of racism were actualized for me as an adolescent,” he says. “Being witness to the broken system that was built upon the backs of my ancestors strengthened an innate interest of mine in civics, government, and the overall structure of power in our society.
“I also found the legalities of our nation connects to my passion for creative writing, as it intertwines with the human experience and the ability to interpret and tell stories.”
Lewis-Green then headed to Detroit Mercy Law, starting his 1L year in August.
“The inequities of our society have always unnerved me, and I find law to be an essential tool for repairing our socio-political structure—I see it as a way to challenge the flawed structure my ancestors have fought against and my generation has been born into,” he says. “Law interests me as it illuminates the available paths that can be pursued to place a megaphone in front of the long-silenced voices.”
He is enjoying his experience as he settles into studies at Detroit Mercy Law.
“UDM Law specifically appealed to me because of its emphasis on practical application of the law, such as through the required clinicals, and its community aspect, as a result of our criterion-referenced assessment that is quite dissimilar to a traditional law school curve,” he says.
“I enjoy the community aspect, as there is less emphasis on equating our classmates merely to our competitors in terms of grades and assessments. Our faculty is amazing, comprised of people who genuinely want to see the students not just grasp the material, but be ready to apply it in practice later.”
Lewis-Green also has found community in the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).
“I appreciate having a space where I feel seen in relation to my background and experiences. It's an amazing feeling to feel a burden of cultural competency lifted off your shoulders,” he says. “I’m very eager to be a part of an organization that is actively challenging racial inequities, stereotypes, and injustice while healing generational scars.”
While the Detroit native does not yet have one specific legal focus, Entertainment and Real Estate law both interest him as potential areas of practice.
“I plan to use my JD degree as an attorney to actively push back against cultural inequities, stereotypes, and injustice, even if my practice field is not directly related to those areas,” he says. “I see my existence as proof that where you come from does not have to be where you remain. Therefore, even the smallest light—such as a young African American from a low-class community breaking through the barriers thrust upon him—can brighten the darkest cavern.”
An alumnus of Michigan Youth in Government, Lewis-Green prior to law school spent three months as a Communications Fellow at The Guerilla Politic, assisting in managing the social media presence of varying nonprofit organizations.
“I was able to learn so much about nonprofits and the effects of marketing on all types of agendas. I was able to shine a light on organizations comprised of passionate people, many of whom had agendas I personally aligned with,” he says. “This experience gave me a new long-term goal, which is starting my own non-profit organization for the Metro Detroit adolescent community. I’m extremely blessed and gifted to be where I am today, and I want to be able to give other young people those same chances to blossom.”
An early experience of volunteering was as a member of the National Honor Society at Cass Technical High School.
“Through fund-raising efforts, charity pursuits, and service activities, I was able to understand meteorologist Edward Lorenz's concept that a mere butterfly flapping its wings can somewhere cause a storm,” he says.
“Giving back in any shape or form can have such a tremendously positive effect on our society.”
Real estate has been an interest since a high school co-op experience with Project Destined, focused on commercial real estate development projects.
After undergrad, Lewis-Green became a registered real estate salesperson, and while not actively working as an agent, loves spotting spaces where real estate overlaps with his law school studies.
“I also love being a resource that people around me can engage with regarding real estate, be it about illegal actions of landlords or general conventions of the realm,” he says.
A winner of creative writing competitions as an undergrad, Lewis-Green interned as a fiction editor at Oyster River Pages, and has been a freelance writer and editor for several years—curating, maintaining and publishing stories of fiction, fantasy, YA, poetry, and nonfiction, interacting with community members through peer-editing and critiques, assisting clients with drafting, writing, and editing essays, speech outlines, presentation outlines, letters, and written creative works.
“Writing came to me as an avenue to open my internal floodgates and release any pent-up emotions,” he says. “Once I leaned into writing, it became more of a lifestyle practice than a hobby. Especially after learning the more conventional rules of creative writing, I've found it difficult to separate that part of me, that way of thinking, from not only other forms of writing but in life in general. Be that as it may, I love the art of storytelling, be it through written works such as poetry, fiction, and song, but also through cinema and music.
“In my free time, I love to tell stories, allow myself to be moved by music, dive into cinema, scour thrift stores for unique items with a story of their own, collect records, interact with animals, feeling the midday breeze at the top of the tallest rollercoaster I can find, or capture the simplest moments with my Nikon.”
Legal News
Law student Devin Lewis-Green launched his academic trajectory with an undergrad degree in political science from Wayne State University, with a minor in creative writing.
“Growing up in a low-class, urban environment as an African American, many of the institutional, historical, internalized, and interpersonal levels of racism were actualized for me as an adolescent,” he says. “Being witness to the broken system that was built upon the backs of my ancestors strengthened an innate interest of mine in civics, government, and the overall structure of power in our society.
“I also found the legalities of our nation connects to my passion for creative writing, as it intertwines with the human experience and the ability to interpret and tell stories.”
Lewis-Green then headed to Detroit Mercy Law, starting his 1L year in August.
“The inequities of our society have always unnerved me, and I find law to be an essential tool for repairing our socio-political structure—I see it as a way to challenge the flawed structure my ancestors have fought against and my generation has been born into,” he says. “Law interests me as it illuminates the available paths that can be pursued to place a megaphone in front of the long-silenced voices.”
He is enjoying his experience as he settles into studies at Detroit Mercy Law.
“UDM Law specifically appealed to me because of its emphasis on practical application of the law, such as through the required clinicals, and its community aspect, as a result of our criterion-referenced assessment that is quite dissimilar to a traditional law school curve,” he says.
“I enjoy the community aspect, as there is less emphasis on equating our classmates merely to our competitors in terms of grades and assessments. Our faculty is amazing, comprised of people who genuinely want to see the students not just grasp the material, but be ready to apply it in practice later.”
Lewis-Green also has found community in the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).
“I appreciate having a space where I feel seen in relation to my background and experiences. It's an amazing feeling to feel a burden of cultural competency lifted off your shoulders,” he says. “I’m very eager to be a part of an organization that is actively challenging racial inequities, stereotypes, and injustice while healing generational scars.”
While the Detroit native does not yet have one specific legal focus, Entertainment and Real Estate law both interest him as potential areas of practice.
“I plan to use my JD degree as an attorney to actively push back against cultural inequities, stereotypes, and injustice, even if my practice field is not directly related to those areas,” he says. “I see my existence as proof that where you come from does not have to be where you remain. Therefore, even the smallest light—such as a young African American from a low-class community breaking through the barriers thrust upon him—can brighten the darkest cavern.”
An alumnus of Michigan Youth in Government, Lewis-Green prior to law school spent three months as a Communications Fellow at The Guerilla Politic, assisting in managing the social media presence of varying nonprofit organizations.
“I was able to learn so much about nonprofits and the effects of marketing on all types of agendas. I was able to shine a light on organizations comprised of passionate people, many of whom had agendas I personally aligned with,” he says. “This experience gave me a new long-term goal, which is starting my own non-profit organization for the Metro Detroit adolescent community. I’m extremely blessed and gifted to be where I am today, and I want to be able to give other young people those same chances to blossom.”
An early experience of volunteering was as a member of the National Honor Society at Cass Technical High School.
“Through fund-raising efforts, charity pursuits, and service activities, I was able to understand meteorologist Edward Lorenz's concept that a mere butterfly flapping its wings can somewhere cause a storm,” he says.
“Giving back in any shape or form can have such a tremendously positive effect on our society.”
Real estate has been an interest since a high school co-op experience with Project Destined, focused on commercial real estate development projects.
After undergrad, Lewis-Green became a registered real estate salesperson, and while not actively working as an agent, loves spotting spaces where real estate overlaps with his law school studies.
“I also love being a resource that people around me can engage with regarding real estate, be it about illegal actions of landlords or general conventions of the realm,” he says.
A winner of creative writing competitions as an undergrad, Lewis-Green interned as a fiction editor at Oyster River Pages, and has been a freelance writer and editor for several years—curating, maintaining and publishing stories of fiction, fantasy, YA, poetry, and nonfiction, interacting with community members through peer-editing and critiques, assisting clients with drafting, writing, and editing essays, speech outlines, presentation outlines, letters, and written creative works.
“Writing came to me as an avenue to open my internal floodgates and release any pent-up emotions,” he says. “Once I leaned into writing, it became more of a lifestyle practice than a hobby. Especially after learning the more conventional rules of creative writing, I've found it difficult to separate that part of me, that way of thinking, from not only other forms of writing but in life in general. Be that as it may, I love the art of storytelling, be it through written works such as poetry, fiction, and song, but also through cinema and music.
“In my free time, I love to tell stories, allow myself to be moved by music, dive into cinema, scour thrift stores for unique items with a story of their own, collect records, interact with animals, feeling the midday breeze at the top of the tallest rollercoaster I can find, or capture the simplest moments with my Nikon.”
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