A little bit of the general educational and professional experiences that have made me who I am today.  Nobody wants to read a novel here.  For more thorough written descriptions, please visit my LinkedIn page. 

Legal

Koussan Hamood PLC

I called this place my home for a little more than three years. It was my first post-law school dive into litigation.

Skills and knowledge obtained: Litigation and everything it entails, a knowledge of the Metro-Detroit court systems, a sense of humor, flexibility & balance . . .

Dean & Fulkerson, P.C.

For about a year, I was an associate with Dean & Fulkerson, P.C.  

Skills and knowledge obtained: Legal research, drafting, corporate transactions . . . 

Brooks Kushman, P.C.

For a year, after law school, I was employed by Brooks Kushman, P.C.  My employment there was part of a collaboration between the firm and MSU College of Law aimed to provide needed legal services to startups and entrepreneurs at Michigan State University.  

This collaboration was in connection to the overall LegalRnD program that the law school launched with the goal of teaching current and future attorneys how to improve the process of delivering legal services.  

Skills and knowledge obtained: Intellectual property, entity formation, startup environment, networking, high technology, simplicity, curiosity . . . 

United States Attorney's Office

I previously interned at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.  I enjoyed my time there.

Skills and knowledge obtained: Research and writing, depositions, administrative workings, trials, federal procedure . . . 

MSU Law Small Business & Nonprofit Law Clinic

During law school, I spent three semesters providing legal services to those who could not afford traditionally-priced law firms.

Skills and knowledge obtained: Time management, communication, societal awareness, drafting, tax law, Michigan business entity laws, autonomy . . . 

Academic

Trial Practice Institute

The Trial Practice Institute was a two-year commitment with a required courseload. 

Skills and knowledge obtained: Drafting litigation documents, research, oral arguments, analytical reasoning, teamwork, presentations, trials, advocacy, courtroom technology, decorum . . . 

The Journal of Business & Securities Law

No discussion of my past could be complete without mentioning the Journal of Business & Securities Law.  During my 3L year, I was the Journal's Executive Editor. 

Additionally, as the Executive Editor of the Journal, I spearheaded the organization of the Journal's 2014 Spring Symposium.

Skills and knowledge obtained: Legal research, general research, Bluebook citations, teamwork, time management, attention to detail, stress management, quick thinking, communication . . . 

Non-Legal and Non-Academic

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

I was previously a consultant with the MBDA in Detroit. The MBDA does many things, including helping to provide minority-owned businesses access to capital, markets, and opportunities.  It also helps minority-owned businesses apply for their MBE, WBE, 8(a), and HUBZone certifications.  

Skills and knowledge obtained: Business operations, certifications, societal awareness, automotive, government processes, networking . . . 

Food Industry

During my 10th grade Mid-Winter Break, my mother tossed a pair of khakis on my bed and announced that I would start working that day.  So it started.  Dairy Queen.  O'Charley's.  Olive Garden.  Buca di Beppo.  My first car was purchased with Dairy Queen money.  My college education was purchased with O'Charley's and Buca di Beppo money.

Skills and knowledge obtained: Teamwork, communication, stress management, organization, EQ, time sensitivity . . .