Natural-born: Lawyer decided career path in high school

After she got a taste of the legal profession in high school, Meagan Drewyor knew she wanted to be a lawyer.

“My high school (Livonia’s Churchill High School) had a career intern program that really helped me,” she recalls.

Drewyor’s intern experience included a semester with a corporate attorney and a second semester with a criminal defense attorney. 

“I was able to be with lawyers in the office and in court, witnessing what they did first hand. I loved it. I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to be a litigator.”

Drewyor is one of many women who have chosen careers in law in recent years. According to the American Bar Association Journal, women comprise 47 percent of first- and second-year associates at law firms.

Drewyor set her sights on law school and never looked back. She knew she had a long – and costly – academic journey ahead. She saved money and time by taking only three years to earn undergraduate degrees in history and sociology at the University of Michigan, graduating in 2010.

Drewyor was paying her own way so she bolstered her finances by working as an administrator at an employment law firm for a year before going to Wayne State University Law School. She received a merit-based full-tuition scholarship for all three years at Wayne State. She not only excelled academically and wrote for the school’s law review, Drewyor also got some practical experience.

“I worked at the Free Legal Aid Clinic (FLAC), which is totally run by students,” she says. “We dealt with clients and even made certain court appearances under the supervision of licensed attorneys. The experience reinforced my love of litigation.”

Drewyor and the other students worked primarily in elder advocacy and family law. They handled issues such as elder abuse (physical and financial) as well as family issues including paternity, child custody and child support.

Drewyor was eventually elected to the board of directors of the FLAC. She gained other practical experience as a student intern at Michigan Auto Law, a personal injury law firm that represents victims of vehicle accidents.

Drewyor graduated from law school last year and recently began working at Christensen Law. The firm handles personal injury cases and in its first year has tried five cases, a very large number for this type of firm. She balances her time between work in the office — taking statements and meeting with clients — and court appearances. Drewyor enjoys the challenge of litigation, which is still a male-dominated field.

“I love working with the clients, lawyers and judges,” Drewyor says. “I knew the job would be demanding, but I like the challenge. I recently took a deposition from a man with a closed head injury. He was so grateful because we were helping him with his insurance company so he could pay his medical bills. I enjoy being part of the legal system that helps people when they need it most.”

Drewyor also takes care of herself with running, yoga and figure skating, which she did competitively as a girl. She is also a volunteer at the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in honor of her grandmother and has participated in the various walks around Michigan for the disease.