Most people celebrate their 21st birthday by having their first legal drink (or two) at a bar.
Cindy Bellairs started law school.
This month the 23-year-old Oxford resident will receive her Juris Doctor (or Doctor of Jurisprudence) degree from Wayne State University Law School.
A 2000 graduate of Oxford High School, Bellairs made short work of her undergraduate years at Oakland University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in History in 2003.
Then it was off to law school.
‘I turned 21 on Friday and started law school on Monday,? said Bellairs, noting she told that story during orientation three years ago and classmates still bring it up when they run into her.
Bellairs said she chose to study law because ‘I’ve always like helping people.?
‘I always wanted to be a counselor or do some type of social work,? she said.
Perhaps that’s why she’s most interested in family law and criminal law, but has no taste for corporate law or tax law.
‘I really like working with people on an individual basis,? Bellairs said.
Currently, she works at WSU Law School’s Free Legal Aid Clinic in downtown Detroit where she deals with family law issues such as divorce, custody, support and visitation.
‘We’re called student attorneys,? Bellairs said. ‘We’re allowed to give legal advice. We go to court too.?
Under the Michigan Court Rules, students working at the clinic can practice law under the supervision of experienced attorneys.
‘It’s really rewarding,? Bellairs said. ‘Most of (the clients) are really grateful for the help.?
After one woman’s divorce was finalized she ‘clapped for us? and ‘gave us all a hug.?
‘She was so happy,? Bellairs said.
Bellairs developed an interest in the law while interning at the Oakland County Circuit Court as an undergraduate at OU. She divided her time between court administration and mediation.
In law school, she interned a second time at the circuit court, this time for Judge Fred M. Mester’s court, and at the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Last summer, she interned at the Troy office of the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Once she takes the state bar exam in July, Bellairs will be ready to practice law.
‘I wouldn’t mind being a clerk for a judge or working in the prosecutor’s office,? she said of her options.
Wherever she ends up working, Bellairs plans to stay right here in Oxford, the place where she was born and raised.
‘I like Oxford,? she said, noting she wants to stay close to her family. ‘I didn’t feel like I needed to get away.?
To Oxford High’s Class of 2006, Bellairs advises they can achieve anything they wish if ‘you put your mind to it and work really hard.?
She recalled that during her high school days as a freshman and sophomore she was ‘not that great of a student? and didn’t hang around with a good crowd.
But when her junior year rolled around and she started looking at college and scholarship opportunities, Bellairs realized it was time to buckle down.
‘I worked really hard and got all A’s my junior and senior years,? she said.
To learn more about Cindy Bellairs check out her website www.cindybellairs.com.
Once she takes the state bar exam in July, Bellairs will be ready to practice law.
‘I wouldn’t mind being a clerk for a judge or working in the prosecutor’s office,? she said of her options.
Wherever she ends up working, Bellairs plans to stay right here in Oxford, the place where she was born and raised.
‘I like Oxford,? she said, noting she wants to stay close to her family. ‘I didn’t feel like I needed to get away.?
To Oxford High’s Class of 2006, Bellairs advises they can achieve anything they wish if ‘you put your mind to it and work really hard.?
She recalled that during her high school days as a freshman and sophomore she was ‘not that great of a student? and didn’t hang around with a good crowd.
But when her junior year rolled around and she started looking at college and scholarship opportunities, Bellairs realized it was time to buckle down.
‘I worked really hard and got all A’s my junior and senior years,? she said.
To learn more about Cindy Bellair check out her website cindybellairs.com.