By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
When Morgan Prybys was younger, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but didn’t believe she had the smarts or the necessary skills.
How wrong she was.
After working in security and as a paralegal, Prybys in 2023 finally achieved her goal of attending law school—and at Cooley Law School’s Honors Convocation in July, received the Cooley Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award.
“Receiving the award was incredibly meaningful because it felt like a recognition of my work in school law in addition to the effort and growth I experienced to get there,” she says. “I was incredibly grateful to be recognized because I’ve always strived to be someone who is willing to help others and contribute to the community around me. As someone who doubted they could ever even attend law school, it felt like a reflection of the countless hours of work and persistence that went into my legal education and involvement.”
Legal News
When Morgan Prybys was younger, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but didn’t believe she had the smarts or the necessary skills.
How wrong she was.
After working in security and as a paralegal, Prybys in 2023 finally achieved her goal of attending law school—and at Cooley Law School’s Honors Convocation in July, received the Cooley Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award.
“Receiving the award was incredibly meaningful because it felt like a recognition of my work in school law in addition to the effort and growth I experienced to get there,” she says. “I was incredibly grateful to be recognized because I’ve always strived to be someone who is willing to help others and contribute to the community around me. As someone who doubted they could ever even attend law school, it felt like a reflection of the countless hours of work and persistence that went into my legal education and involvement.”
She started along this path with an undergrad degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and a strong desire to help people.
“In weighing different options, I became incredibly interested in the criminal justice system. I wanted to understand what worked within the system and what needed improvements,” she says. “Studying criminal justice gave me the opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and consider what could be improved upon to be more effective for the people it serves.”
Prybys then pursued her master’s degree in criminology in Dublin, Ireland, an opportunity to broaden her perspective beyond the U.S. criminal justice system and her understanding of how another country approaches crime, justice, and rehabilitation.
“I wanted to expose myself to different legal systems and consider what could be learned by comparing the approaches,” she says. “Ireland was my top choice after having previously spent time there, and throughout Northern Ireland, as part of a study abroad program focused on the psychology of conflict, resolution, and reconciliation. I had also completed my undergraduate degree a year early and I knew I wanted more time to develop academically and personally before entering a profession.
“While living there, I was able to see both how small and how big the world can be,” Prybys says. “On my first day of orientation, I happened to make friends with some women who had been members of my sorority within another chapter back in the United States. This brought me comfort knowing that even though I was on another continent with no one I knew and starting an intimidating process, I could always find a connection for comfort.”
When she remained in Ireland to finish research for her dissertation, the COVID-19 pandemic hit —leaving her far from friends, family, or familiarity, and relying on friends within her student housing accommodations.
“Many students had to leave once the lockdowns began, so there was only a small group of us that remained, from a wide range of countries and cultures, but we found comfort and friendship with each other,” she says. “The cultural exposure is something I’m not sure I could replicate if I tried, and it helped me further understand our collective differences and similarities. We celebrated each other’s cultures by learning about home-life back in our respective countries, sharing recipes, and spending time together. One of my favorite experiences was learning how to make homemade Chinese dumplings from my roommates.”
Completing her master’s degree at a time when the pandemic made finding employment challenging, Prybys found work as a security officer with United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac.
“Even though it was a pivot from what I’d set out to do, I saw it as an opportunity to develop professional skills and experience,” she says. “I most enjoyed the interaction with people. The work put me in a position to constantly meet and communicate with different individuals employed among a variety of roles in the company. Those interactions helped me improve my communication, observation, and professionalism skills.”
Her transition into paralegal work with Simasko Law in Mt. Clemens was her first opportunity to move into a position directly connected with her long-term goal of helping people. With no prior legal experience, she came into the role with a lot to learn, working as a probate and trust administration paralegal, assisting with various stages of the administration process and seeing the practical impact of the work.
“Those who were seeking probate and trust administration services were often facing difficult and emotional times in their lives, so I greatly appreciated the opportunity to help guide them through the process,” she says. “I also really enjoyed learning about probate, trust administrations, and elder law. I gradually learned the steps of the process and became more confident in navigating legal matters. This role helped me gain confidence and played a significant role in my decision to pursue law school. I’d dreamed of being a lawyer when I was younger but doubted myself and dismissed the idea—working as a paralegal gave me the confidence to revisit that goal.
“Through my education and experiences, I kept coming back to that same interest,” she says. “I wanted to move beyond studying and understanding the legal system to become someone who can act as a guide for navigating it.”
Prybys has enjoyed her three years at Cooley Law, where she was involved in the Organization of Women Law Students (OWLS), the First-Generation Lawyers Association, and the American Constitution Society; and is particularly appreciative of her professors, the immense support they provided, and the relationships she was able to build with them.
“They were knowledgeable and approachable, making students feel supported throughout their efforts to succeed,” she says.
Serving as a teaching assistant for Administrative and Compliance Law Skills gave her the opportunity to connect with other students and help them build the skills and confidence they needed for the course.
“I especially enjoyed getting to know the Florida campus students since we don’t always have opportunities to interact with one another,” she says. “Being a TA gave me another opportunity to work with people, help them grow, and hopefully made the course a little easier for the students to approach.”
While her career goals are still evolving, Prybys is particularly interested in continuing in the areas of estate planning and elder law, gaining a strong appreciation for this area after working as a paralegal, and also serving in Cooley’s SixtyPlus ElderLaw Clinic.
“I especially enjoy that it provides the opportunity to help people and their families navigate important decisions during significant and/or difficult times in their lives,” she says.
Prybys also is interested in compliance, and earned a Certificate of Merit for achieving the highest score in Compliance & Regulations.
“Through my coursework I found I enjoy the complex legal and regulatory requirements involved in ensuring compliance,” she says. “Ultimately, I want to build a career where I can combine my legal knowledge with my interest in helping people—whether that’s through direct client interactions, or through compliance and advocacy.”
A native of the Macomb County city of Sterling Heights, where she currently makes her home, Prybys loves reading, has a “soft spot” for collecting Pokemon, and enjoys crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, painting, and model building.
“I really enjoy hobbies that make me slow down, work with my hands, and that require patience with an attention to detail,” she says. “They give me the chance to be creative and enjoy the process of making something.”
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