During the weekend of April 24-25, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) held their 108^th Annual Meeting. Founded in 1919, WLAM was formed to promote the advancement of women in law and society. In that spirit, YLS was proud to sponsor two inspiring law students to attend the meeting this year.  Read on for a profile of our sponsorees.

Mariah Sammons, Graduate from University of Detroit Mercy Law School

Mariah Sammons was a 3L at University of Detroit Mercy Law School who just graduated (yay!) and was happy to attend the WLAM annual meeting this year. She thought the event was beautiful and it was an influential opportunity to hear other women’s stories and see how women have worked together in our field. As a survivor of domestic violence who runs a non-profit herself, Mariah was inspired by the women of WLAM and their stories. In addition to being a student and pursuing her law license, Mariah runs A Starr’s Initiative, a nonprofit focused on protecting, supporting and empowering survivors of domestic violence—especially women and those who identify as women—through shelter, advocacy, and community-centered care. She plans to pursue work representing victims of domestic violence and focus on family law and helping people heal and move forward into the next phase of their lives.

YLS is proud to have sponsored Mariah’s attendance at the WLAM Annual Meeting, and we wish her luck on the bar exam this summer!

Kristen Perez, 2L at University of Michigan Law School

Kristen enjoyed the meeting as well, stating that she felt the meeting was very curated and thoughtfully posed toward women entering the law and progressing in the field, as well as toward women within the community through its vendor selection and decor. She felt it was a very inclusive, welcoming event. Originally from Los Angeles, Kristen is the mother of a twenty-year-old son with a twenty-plus year career in sales and business development. She is embracing life in Michigan and her career plans include exploring work in corporate law or even potentially pursuing work as a prosecuting attorney. As a nontraditional student, Kristen has found much support in organizations such as WLAM and YLS and hopes to encourage stronger support for nontraditional students. When she’s not pursuing her goals in law school, she enjoys working out and being outside in nature, and you might find her out enjoying dancing and attending music festivals.

YLS is proud to have sponsored Kristen’s attendance at the WLAM Annual Meeting and can’t wait to see where she goes next!

Megan N. Mitchell is a YLS Representative for District III and an education rights attorney at Abdnour Weiker.

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