By Jeanine Matlow
Legal News
Sometimes a sudden career shift can lead to a positive outcome. That seems to be the case for Nathan Inks, an attorney with Bloom Sluggett in Detroit and Grand Rapids, who specializes in planning and zoning law and telecommunications and energy and utilities.
Inks originally planned to pursue a completely different career path when he earned a BS in Meteorology from Central Michigan University.
“I had a math minor and a science background, so this was definitely a pivot,” he says about his law career. “I had planned on working for the National Weather Service or the Air Force that has a dedicated meteorology division. But the job market was a bit saturated with meteorologists when I was getting ready to graduate, so I decided to go to law school. In addition to meteorology, law had always appealed to me. From a young age, I was always interested in law and politics.”
Inks earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. His undergrad education has also been helpful when he reads scholarly journals or expert reports.
“They are easy to digest, which has helped my legal career,” he says. “There was certainly not much of an overlap, but it was beneficial.”
When asked about the biggest challenge that comes with his work, Inks mentions the breadth of issues the firm handles.
“From property law and labor and employment law to zoning and planning, we do so much,” he says. “There are a lot of different legal issues to cover.”
Still, he feels equipped to handle multiple specialties.
“I clerked for the Michigan Supreme Court for five years and I was a senior clerk for the last year and a half,” says Inks. “The experience there set me up for success in my career. I saw all kinds of law and I had to be prepared to work on new issues I had never seen before.”
In his current role, he finds one aspect especially rewarding.
“I work for a private law firm, but the large majority of work we do for municipalities I view as an act of public service,” Inks explains. “We are helping communities navigate their policies and handle other tricky issues. We have helped to advocate for lower rates for electric utilities and improve coordination between utilities and municipalities.”
In his spare time, Inks also serves the public on the Sterling Heights Planning Commission, where he has been involved for the past six years.
“We went through a process to update the master plan for the next 20 to 30 years to see what land use will look like for the city,” he says. “The next step is the Lakeside Mall redevelopment. The property will soon be demolished and turned into a larger mixed-use development.”
He also serves on the Sterling Heights Sustainability Commission where he was one of the first members to draft a sustainability plan. Aspects of the plan included decreasing carbon emissions and increasing the number of electric vehicles in the city’s fleet.
Inks also enjoys his involvement with the Michigan Association of Planning.
“Planning and zoning is something I find really fun,” he says. “I like to help municipalities.”
His passion for his role at the firm and his role as a city planning commissioner is evident as both allow him to help others.
“My interest in planning is why I became involved in the community in Sterling Heights. That is where my wife and I have lived since we were married and where our son was born and where we hope to stay for years to come,” says Inks. “To help shape the future makes it more rewarding when you have that personal connection. It’s fun to see things I had a hand in shaping come to fruition in the community.”
Legal News
Sometimes a sudden career shift can lead to a positive outcome. That seems to be the case for Nathan Inks, an attorney with Bloom Sluggett in Detroit and Grand Rapids, who specializes in planning and zoning law and telecommunications and energy and utilities.
Inks originally planned to pursue a completely different career path when he earned a BS in Meteorology from Central Michigan University.
“I had a math minor and a science background, so this was definitely a pivot,” he says about his law career. “I had planned on working for the National Weather Service or the Air Force that has a dedicated meteorology division. But the job market was a bit saturated with meteorologists when I was getting ready to graduate, so I decided to go to law school. In addition to meteorology, law had always appealed to me. From a young age, I was always interested in law and politics.”
Inks earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. His undergrad education has also been helpful when he reads scholarly journals or expert reports.
“They are easy to digest, which has helped my legal career,” he says. “There was certainly not much of an overlap, but it was beneficial.”
When asked about the biggest challenge that comes with his work, Inks mentions the breadth of issues the firm handles.
“From property law and labor and employment law to zoning and planning, we do so much,” he says. “There are a lot of different legal issues to cover.”
Still, he feels equipped to handle multiple specialties.
“I clerked for the Michigan Supreme Court for five years and I was a senior clerk for the last year and a half,” says Inks. “The experience there set me up for success in my career. I saw all kinds of law and I had to be prepared to work on new issues I had never seen before.”
In his current role, he finds one aspect especially rewarding.
“I work for a private law firm, but the large majority of work we do for municipalities I view as an act of public service,” Inks explains. “We are helping communities navigate their policies and handle other tricky issues. We have helped to advocate for lower rates for electric utilities and improve coordination between utilities and municipalities.”
In his spare time, Inks also serves the public on the Sterling Heights Planning Commission, where he has been involved for the past six years.
“We went through a process to update the master plan for the next 20 to 30 years to see what land use will look like for the city,” he says. “The next step is the Lakeside Mall redevelopment. The property will soon be demolished and turned into a larger mixed-use development.”
He also serves on the Sterling Heights Sustainability Commission where he was one of the first members to draft a sustainability plan. Aspects of the plan included decreasing carbon emissions and increasing the number of electric vehicles in the city’s fleet.
Inks also enjoys his involvement with the Michigan Association of Planning.
“Planning and zoning is something I find really fun,” he says. “I like to help municipalities.”
His passion for his role at the firm and his role as a city planning commissioner is evident as both allow him to help others.
“My interest in planning is why I became involved in the community in Sterling Heights. That is where my wife and I have lived since we were married and where our son was born and where we hope to stay for years to come,” says Inks. “To help shape the future makes it more rewarding when you have that personal connection. It’s fun to see things I had a hand in shaping come to fruition in the community.”
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