Judith Levy

Assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan.

     I am an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan. Let me start by telling you about my day at work today.? I spent it about 20 miles north of here at the Maxey Boys Training School, a juvenile detention facility that houses maximum security juveniles from across the State. As the Assistant U.S. Attorney charged with investigating civil rights cases, I was at the facility to investigate allegations that the civil rights of the youth were being violated. So there I was at the table with a handful of experts and we were all working toward improving the conditions and the lives of these juveniles. At one point, I sat back and reflected on how satisfying the work was that I thought, I'm actually getting paid to do this. I think I have one of the best legal jobs out there because I have a chance to put into place changes that protect the public and maintain our democratic principles.

     I am looking forward to engaging with you, the students, on issues of the law and, perhaps more importantly, on career questions that you may face. As Bo Cooper said in his talk, I would not have dreamed I would be doing what I am doing now back when I was in law school, but I am grateful for the choices and opportunities that I had and I want to share some of those experiences with you in order to help you think about your career path. I want to note that before coming to law school, I negotiated collective bargaining agreements with the University of Michigan on behalf of the service members union. That's a far cry from what I'm currently doing but it is an area of interest to me and one that I am also available to discuss for those of you interested in labor and employment issues.

     I urge you to come talk to me or email me with questions.  The Faculty Fellows program will only be successful if you engage, if you take the opportunity to talk to any one of us. I am really looking forward to working with you.

--Quote from speech given at the kick-off reception