At his graduation from University of Michigan Dearborn, Gilbert Morrison (center) was congratulated by his brother Justin (left) and his father Albert (right).
By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Growing up, Gilbert Morrison was often told, "You like to argue, you should be a lawyer."
But the main influence on a career in law first came in high school, when he shadowed the legal team from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
"After spending the day with them, my wheels started to turn a bit," he says.
Then while earning an associate's degree from Oakland Community College, he took a class, "Topics in History," centering on the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The class conducted a mock trial, based on what might have transpired had the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, later gunned down by nightclub owner Jack Ruby, lived and gone to trial.
"I was able to perform a direct examination and a cross examination," Morrison says. "I really felt I was in my element, and I think it showed."
After the class, Morrison was approached by a woman who asked if he was interested in going to law school and becoming a lawyer.
"I told her it had crossed my mind in the past. And she said, 'Well I think you should do it my brother is a judge and I think you have what it takes.' And so from then on, I think it finally cemented in my brain that studying law was what I should be doing," he says.
Morrison earned his undergrad degree in political science and government from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, drawn to this major by the unique field of study, touching on many different subfields such as history, philosophy, and psychology.
"In my view, political science is a cross-section of all of these subjects so, it was great being able to experience and study them all," he says.
Currently a 3L in his final semester at University of Detroit Mercy School of Lawl, Morrison says administrators, professors, and classmates are invested in seeing everyone succeed both in the classroom as well as post-graduation.
"I think Detroit Mercy Law does a great job of fostering an environment in which everyone encourages one another and lends a hand if needed," he says.
He thoroughly enjoys serving as executive director on the Moot Court Board of Advocates.
"I was over the moon when I found out I could now give back to the program that had given me so much," he says. "As a junior member, the program not only allowed me to connect with my colleagues but it also gave me practical experience. It taught me how to be a better legal writer as well as a better oralist. It also helped me to speak in front of others more confidently. I hope to make other Moot member's experiences just as positive as my own."
Last year, Morrison spent seven months clerking at the Troy-based firm of Vandeveer Garzia, where some of his duties entailed conducting legal research and drafting motions.
"I truly am thankful for the time I spent there," he says. "They were the first firm to give me a shot in the legal realm. It taught me how to thrive in a legal environment I wasn't necessarily familiar with."
He also is proud to have been a member of the inaugural class of the law school's Conviction Integrity Clinic.
"What I enjoyed the most was that every time I worked on something, I knew I was helping someone," he says. "Our clinic director, Wayne County prosecutor Val Newman, was wonderful and made an impact on myself and my colleagues alike."
Currently interning at Rudoi Law, a criminal defense firm in Royal Oak-and with similar experience during undergrad while interning at Hilgendorf Law Firm PLLC in Troy-Morrison has set his sights on working in criminal defense.
"There is never a dull moment on the criminal side of things and I firmly believe it's where I'm meant to be," he says.
"My true career goal is to be the best lawyer I can be. I want to be the best advocate for any client I take on. I think it's safe to say that most of the time individuals are dealing with the legal system, it's not necessarily a high point in their life. So to be able to not only help them navigate something that may be unfamiliar or perhaps frightening, while being an advocate at their side, means the most to me."
Morrison admits his studies during the COVID-19 pandemic were a challenge.
"It was certainly stressful at times," he says. "I believe my class has had a unique experience going from law school completely in-person, to completely online, and then back to in-person.
"Two things have helped me through it-my family and my friends. Without their support-not only through remote learning during the pandemic but through this entire law school journey-I wouldn't have made it this far.
"I'm blessed with an amazing support system. My mother and father, as well as my girlfriend of almost 12 years, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my two nephews have been by my side every step of the way. I have friends I consider to be family who have also been extremely pivotal to this journey."
While law studies do not leave much in the way of free time, Morrison's main hobby is collecting vinyl records.
"It's helped me relieve some of the unwanted stress," he says. "To get lost in an album helps me cope with the sometimes stressful and demanding environment of law school."
A native of Madison Heights, where he still resides, Morrison has enjoyed witnessing the revival of Metro Detroit.
"I firmly believe that while retaining its grit and determination, it's a welcoming environment to young professionals-an environment where people can achieve and do great things," he says.
