I remember when I decided I wanted to be an attorney. My father had just enrolled in law school, and he came home and set his law school books on the kitchen table. I was young, and my father was starting law school “late.” He was retired from the military and owned his own construction company. It was a family business and we all worked together.
But I remember the day I opened his books and became enthralled with the language in the textbooks. I remember reading his torts book and his criminal law book. Everything in it was foreign to me. Some things I had heard about, event at my young age, but most things I hadn’t. Discovering all of this new information sparked a passion in me that I had yet to discover. But I remember thinking that I was going to go to law school and make a difference in someone’s life.
I continued in school and finally made my way to college with my dream of becoming a lawyer still as big as ever. Once I graduated from college, I buckled down and prepared to take the LSAT. I already knew what law school I wanted to go to and that was Cooley Law School. This is the school that my father had gone to, and it was the school that my brother was enrolled in as well. I took the LSAT, sent in my application, jumped through a million law school hoops and finally got my acceptance. I excelled in law school and graduated in just about 2.5 years.
I finished my last class in December of 2018, walked in graduation in January of 2019, took the bar exam in February of 2019 and passed on the first try. I was sworn in as an attorney in May of 2019. I was extremely proud of what I had accomplished up until this point and I was proud of where I went to law school. I would say I had a little bit of chip on my shoulder about my law school, and I was proud to prove everyone wrong about their preconceived opinions.
I joined my father’s practice as soon as I was sworn in. I hit the ground running and started practicing criminal defense. By the end of 2019 I had my hands in probate cases, estate planning, personal injury and family law cases. In early 2020 my father, brother, and I opened up our Firm, Bogard Law, LLC in Riverview, Michigan. I have continued to grow my practice and build our brand.
After practicing law for two years, I was appointed to be a Magistrate by the Hon. Elisabeth Mullins of the 28th District Court. I continue to work hard and dedicated myself to my clients and also work to balance the scales of justice as a magistrate. I continue to fight for those who don’t have a voice, or for those who do not know how to make their voice heard.
I wanted to share my story because I often hear how law school is difficult, or it's impossible to balance your life as an attorney, or about how becoming an attorney is an impossible task. I wanted to encourage those new students, old students, or yet to be law school students that if they have a dream to be an attorney and they want it, they should chase it, believe in it, do it. Being an attorney is a rewarding career and can open the door to many different avenues that a person probably hasn’t thought of before. I remember reading stories like this as a student and it really made me believe in my dream and I hope I can do that for someone else.
Respectfully, Cooley graduate Christopher Bogard (2019)
Bogard Law
Riverview, Michigan
