Angela Baldwin

Attorney, Miller Law Firm, P.C.

2016 | Detroit, MI

Central Michigan University | Marketing & Logistics

“I see the skyline changing, I see more buildings, more businesses...so we can come forward to become the metropolitan, cosmopolitan of the Midwest. So many people are moving from the suburbs, young people are wanting to be in the city, businesses are developing. I only see that getting better.”

Angela Baldwin, ’16, grew up in the Detroit area and knew she would return home someday. Now, she serves the city of Detroit as an Assistant Corporation Counsel.

“I’m proud to be a part of the city of Detroit’s comeback and representing Detroit in a lot of their legal matters,” said Baldwin. “I have a wide variety of cases, I get people interaction, and I get a taste of the business world by doing all the extra-curricular things I am involved in.”

That myriad of cases span personal injury claims to contract disputes and even the federal bankruptcy report.

“The best thing about my job is the ability to represent the city of Detroit and its clients,” said Baldwin. “That’s everyone from the Detroit Police Department, Department of Transportation, Building Safety Department...even federal court.”

Hailing from Western International High School, Baldwin knew she wanted to come back to the city and serve as an inspiration for her fellow peers and future graduates.

“As the first in my family to go to college, I knew I wanted to go back and be a good example for the kids and where I grew up,” said Baldwin. “I wanted to let them know that there were other options for them to pursue, that there is more to life than what they are experiencing.”

Recently, while visiting Cass Tech for a Michigan Supreme Court oral argument, Baldwin ran into an old principal who praised her for her successes.

“She shook my hand and said ‘I’m so proud of you, it’s so great to see someone from our community doing great things,'” said Baldwin. “So I gave her my business card and said I would be more than happy to speak to students. Nobody looked like me when I was there, there were no women in attorney-type positions to answer my questions. So I want to be there for them.”

Baldwin first graduated with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Logistics from Central Michigan University as well as a minor in legal studies, working in supply chain management for 8 years in Florida. However, she always wanted to pursue law school.

“I received some advice, to go up to Michigan, get work experience, and then go to law school,” said Baldwin. “I would have rather lived my life going for it than always wondering.”

While at MSU Law, Baldwin particularly enjoyed mock trial, noting its usefulness in her current career today.

“Being a part of the moot court with Professor McNally coaching me one of the years, it was at first overwhelming,” said Baldwin. “You’re doing it on top of all the classes you’re taking, but it is genuinely a reflection of real life in regards to when you’re preparing for a trial, and it is highly competitive.”

Daily, Baldwin deals with cases from the likes of title actions, wrongful demolitions, no faults, and bankruptcies. She focuses depositions, opposing clients, going into court arguing motions and works in litigation practices and would love to seek opportunities to be a US attorney eventually and be a federal judge.

“I was just in federal bankruptcy court last week, and I was in front of the judge thinking ‘This is why I left Florida, this is why I went to law school,’” said Baldwin. “I felt good about my argument, representing her clients and doing what was best for the city. It was an affirmation.”

In Detroit, she sees a city that is only moving “forward from here on out”, being able to develop her career at home as extremely rewarding.

“It’s great because this is home, this is where I grew up,” said Baldwin. “At one point, Detroit was really struggling so it’s amazing to be apart of its comeback and to represent the city in its best interest.”