By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Ayat Nizam was initially drawn to business to help her father with his accounting firm. However, after her first undergrad semester at the University of Windsor—where she earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA in business—she began to value the importance of business in every industry.
“No matter what field I wanted to go into, I knew in order to succeed I needed to understand the business, inside and out,” she says.
Together with her interest in business, Nizam has been intrigued by the law since childhood.
“When my mother first arrived in Canada after fleeing her home because of war, her dream was to go to law school,” Nizam says. “However, after meeting my father in business school, getting married young and then having four children by the time she was 27, her dream remained just that, a dream. I wanted to fulfill my mother’s dream, but also fulfill my passion of combining both the legal field, with that of the business world.”
While earning her MBA, a job as a legal assistant at Farhat & Associates in Windsor was one of Nizam’s first real experiences in the legal world. Primarily working in real estate law, dealing with sale transactions, she also had the opportunity to work on different business related transactions.
“The team atmosphere was great and Rashid (Farhat) made a point of helping his workers in order to grow and learn, while maintaining a sense of autonomy,” she says.
A Windsor native who now lives in Dearborn, Nizam always had an idea of practicing law in the U.S.— and undertook the Dual JD Program offered by University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and the University of Windsor. She is enjoying her law school experiences on both sides of the border.
“I love just how much Detroit Mercy Law does for its students, while also caring about its community,” she says. “The law school plays such an important role connecting its students to the downtown core, ensuring we help the Detroit economy in every way possible.”
In 2019, Nizam did a summer internship for Judge Annette Berry in the Wayne County Circuit Court Civil Division, observing a variety of cases before the judge, researching on issues before the court and research memorandums for Berry.
“It was a wonderful experience being able to see how the decision-making process unfolds,” she says.
Her remote internship last summer at Anthony, Paulovich, & Worral Attorneys at Law in Detroit, entailed researching into Michigan’s No-Fault Act.
“Although the summer looked different than I had originally expected, it was truly a great learning experience,” she says. “I was able to conduct a lot of research, write corresponding memorandums and ultimately help the firm to best serve its clients.”
She also has interned since last June at Flat Rate Funding, primarily dealing with research, writing memorandums, contract review and contract drafting.
“It’s been a great learning experience,” she says. “I’m lucky enough to be able to go into work some days and it really uplifts your spirits to be able to work in such a family environment. What I enjoy most is my ability to combine both my background in business, with that of my knowledge of the law.”
Nizam, who previously served as vice chair of the ABA Law Student Division and is now national chair, describes her time with the ABA as a “one-of-a-kind experience.”
“I first joined the Law Student Division on a whim, however, the ABA had bigger plans for me,” she says. “Serving as vice chair, I was able to travel across the United States, attending meetings and conferences in order to truly make a difference for the everyday law student.
“Now, as chair, my council and I have been tasked with ensuring every law student in America is protected and attended to, from every aspect during, as well as after, the pandemic. Law students have lost family members, lost jobs and internships, and are dealing with managing their mental health and wellbeing, with that of maintaining their academics. It’s been difficult, but truly a privilege to work with incredible people for such an important cause.”
Nizam, who is working in the school’s Trademark and Entrepreneurship Clinic, also serves as 3L Dual JD class president, her third consecutive year in that role.
“I’m lucky enough to work as a liaison between the students and faculty,” she says. “I think now more than ever, my role has been important to facilitate conversation about student needs during the pandemic.”
Prior to the pandemic, she volunteered at Community Legal Aid in Windsor; and also was involved in various volunteer opportunities provided by Detroit Mercy Law. Her short-term goal is to work as an associate in a law firm in order to gain a well-rounded experience, preferably in corporate law.
“However, my long-term goal is to work as in-house counsel, in order to utilize my background in business with that of my passion for the law,” she says.
The pandemic has temporarily put a pause to her passion for travel and exploring all the world has to offer. She was in Victoria, British Columbia, for a Windsor Law Moot competition when the pandemic lockdown conversation began.
“My mom called in a panic for me to get home as soon as possible. Flying back home from that trip was like coming back into another world,” she says.
“I’m just thankful my family has been safe and healthy during this pandemic.”
As a stress relief, Nizam and two law school friends started a food page, “A Taste of Two Cities,” trying out new restaurants in and around Detroit. Since the closing of most of the restaurants, the trio has taken up baking.
The oldest of six, with four brothers and a sister, Nizam now has marriage plans, having gotten engaged in August.
“My fiancé is a new attorney, so dinner conversations are always interesting,” she says.
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