By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Zeinab Bajjey’s father always wanted to become an attorney, but never had the chance.
Now his daughter is taking up that torch.
“My father never finished school because he worked extremely long hours to take care of his family,” says Bajjey, a third generation Lebanese Muslim American and the first in her family to graduate from college and to attend professional school.
“In a way, his dedication inspired me to fulfill not only my dream of helping individuals but also his dream. My dad and I are very much alike and I knew he had the potential to be an amazing attorney. Now it’s my turn to take that potential and manifest it into reality.”
Always interested in people, how they think and what can impact their reactions to day-to-day obstacles and tragedies, Bajjey earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Wayne State University before heading to law school.
Now a 3L student at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and heading for graduation in a few months, she particularly appreciates the school’s location in the heart of Detroit, within walking distance to courts, major law firms and some of Detroit’s “must visit locations.”
“The one thing that I love most about Detroit Mercy is the feeling of home,” she says. “The professors, faculty, administration and students are beyond supportive and want to see us succeed. Without the constant care, open door policies and just overall positive attitude, I wouldn’t have advanced this much in my law school journey.”
While Bajjey started law school with no particular field of law in mind, she has been drawn to family law, landlord/tenant work, and personal Injury law.
“I just knew I wanted to practice and help individuals in need,” she says. “My work in family law and in landlord tenant law was with organizations—Access and the United Community Housing Coalition—aimed to help those in need.”
An Advocacy Award winner for Patrick A. Keenan Appellate Advocacy Competition Bajjey will represent Detroit Mercy Law at the 28th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition this semester along with fellow Moot Court Board members Amanda and John Brithinee.
She enjoys serving as an Executive Director on the school’s Moot Court Board of Advocates and helping fellow students reach their goals.
“I love to watch them improve in their oral advocacy skills,” she says. “It’s such an honor to witness the smiles, laughs, and proud expressions of our Moot Court members.”
“We implemented a new Junior Member competition for our new members this year and it was a great success. I’m so excited to pass the baton on to new hopefuls and see how they keep Moot Court’s legacy alive.”
From the end of her 2L year until last November, Bajjey worked at Access – Community Health and Research Center, as a case manager in the Victims of Crime Act program.
“I enjoyed helping survivors change their life—whether getting away from their abuser, becoming more financially independent, or allowing them to view life in a more positive light,” she says.
She has been clerking at Whiting Law in Southfield since last November.
“It’s been a great learning experience and wonderful environment,” she says. “I’m surrounded by such talented individuals who have a passion for what they do and zealously represent their clients.”
Bajjey would like to work as an in-house counsel for a company.
“At the moment I enjoy the No-Fault/Personal Injury work I’m doing, but always welcome new opportunities that bring growth, more knowledge and improve my overall skills needed for this growing field of law,” she says.
She also is a member of the Middle Eastern Law Student Association and of the Business Law Society.
“I enjoy being surrounded by passionate and driven individuals who share a common interest,” she says.
As a student representative on the Faculty Recruitment Committee, she was able to see the inner workings of the hiring process.
“However, I truly enjoyed how important student feedback was for the Faculty Recruitment Committee,” she says. “I orchestrated student panels that met with prospective professors. During these panels we would ask the candidate questions about their academic history, experience, teaching style and overall passion. We care about who will teach the future generations of lawyers and our voices were definitely heard by our faculty and administration when it came to taking a vote.”
A Dearborn native who now lives in Dearborn Heights, Bajjey in her leisure time is an avid reader, and also enjoys bowling—”Even though I’m not that great at it,” she says.
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