Family Law Attorney Provides Students with Some Food for Thought


Anastassia Kolosova (grey sweater) pictured talking to students about her experiences in family law

By Jake Jenkins

Mar. 8, 2023

The Public Interest Law Society, in collaboration with the Career Services Office (CSO) at Michigan State University College of Law, invited students to have lunch with Anastassia Kolosova, Family Law Project Staff Attorney at Legal Services of South Central Michigan, last Wednesday.

The Family Law Project assists survivors of intimate partner violence and maintains a caseload that includes both direct service and impact work primarily in family law and domestic violence.

“I wanted to do direct services law when I went to law school,” said Kolosova. “I wanted to help people who wouldn’t be able to effectively navigate the legal system. Survivors have so many needs when trying to get out of a bad situation.”

Students interested in this area of law were excited to sit down with someone who has experience in this field.

“I am currently considering family and public interest as my preferred area,” said Marissa Accardo, ’24. “Law schools mainly push big law and firm life for ways to make more money and neglect talking about helping those who don’t have the means to navigate the legal system. I feel like you must put yourself out there to learn more about this field.”

Renee Maring, ’23, president of the Public Interest Law Society, said Kolosova originally reached out to promote student employment opportunities that were available at the Family Law Project. Once Lavon Ammori, assistant director of Career Development in CSO reached out to collaborate on events, Maring started planning speakers to come and talk to students.

“As Lavon and I were trying to come up with events, we wanted to do a panel of public interest attorneys, but recent events lead to cancellations,” said Maring. “Anastassia agreed to do a more intimate event which was great because we had students who were interested in summer internships at public interest organizations.”