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Each year, University of Detroit Mercy’s Marketing & Communications department profiles members of the graduating class. Students chosen were nominated by staff and faculty for their contributions to the life of the University. Visit our Commencement webpage for more information about 2026 commencement exercises.

Andre Williams ’26 didn’t let a low LSAT score deter him from his law school dreams.

In fact, it helped propel him.

“I’ve never been a good test taker, which worried me because we take one of the hardest exams in the nation in the bar exam,” Williams said. “I didn’t retake the LSAT, I just said I’m going to apply and see what happens.”

º£½Ç´óÉñ School of Law is what happened next for Williams. As he graduates on May 8, he’s grateful for the experience and what it’s brought.

“Detroit Mercy was one of the few schools that took a shot on me and I’m always going to be grateful for that,” he said. “I worked hard, did my best and it paid off — I’m doing all of these great things and my trajectory is looking great.”

Williams interned with the Genesee County prosecutor’s office following his first year, threw himself into all things moot court at Detroit Mercy Law and made lifelong connections that helped impact his journey.

Through his hard work and long hours, Williams has already landed a job post-graduation, having accepted a position with Warner Norcross + Judd, a top Michigan law firm.

There were many points in Williams’ life that led him into the law profession: A high school dual-enrollment pre-law class gave him a first glimpse; interning with the Genesee County prosecutor’s office put him in the court room; Detroit Mercy Law’s moot court was where he honed his litigation skills.

“It was an accumulation of moments where I said I could see myself doing this,” he said. “I always knew there was a passion for public service.”

At the Genesee County prosecutor’s office, Williams was able to get real experience and exposure in the courtroom, doing everything from conducting preliminary examinations to negotiating plea deals to cross examining witnesses in front of judges.

“Getting that opportunity was like another moment where I said, ‘I can do this,’” he said. “Opposing counsel would come up and think I was a new prosecutor, but I was a 1L student. That’s when I kind of knew that I was built for being in the courtroom.”

Williams immersed himself in Detroit Mercy Law’s moot court following his oral argument as a 1L student. He received great feedback and decided to jump headfirst into the activity.

“I’m an all-in guy,” he said. “I didn’t know what moot court was, so I went to YouTube and just watched videos. I would pause and practice; I was trying to imitate exactly what they did.”

Practice made perfect as Williams competed in the junior competition as a 2L student, winning the best oral advocate award before competing nationally against top schools from across the country. He followed it up by serving as a co-director for Detroit Mercy’s moot court during his 3L year, as the executive director of external competitions.

He was proud to be part of a moot court that was highly successful in 2025-26, which included a team that won a national competition.

“Being part of that, starting out as a junior member and working my way up and seeing the progress by not only me, but in helping mentor and coach others, it was amazing,” he said. “Everyone succeeded and I think it was due to the culture, the mentorship. Everyone was committed.”

That mentorship and community at the University was something Williams saw from Day One at the Riverfront Campus. Williams said that º£½Ç´óÉñ not utilizing the grading curve at the Law School really helps create an environment of collaboration with colleagues.

“It felt more like, ‘We both can win,’ instead of traditional law schools, where it feels like only one of you can get the job,” Williams said. “That really fostered those relationships with your classmates, because I didn’t feel like we were competing. We were in it together.”

That togetherness was felt throughout the School, whether it was working with his moot court team, being involved with the Black Law Students Association or seeking advice from faculty and deans.

“You can literally walk into any professors’ office and their doors are always open,” he said. “There’s professors that I can go to for advice. I can see myself reaching out to the deans and professors here way past graduation.

“Coming from a family where no one is an attorney, I didn’t have a road map on how to do this or what to expect. While the curriculum was hard, having the faculty and friends here at Detroit Mercy made it much easier.”

Now, Williams has become the mentor. It’s something he’s passionate about following his education at the University. It was also something one of his mentors, Leo Bowman ’81, implored of him as he reached the end of his schooling.

“I think that’s why the legal profession is so important,” Williams said. “My heart is in public service. I just love helping others. Having this degree has definitely set me up, not only privately, but also in being in a position to be blessed and bless other people.”

It’s also given him an opportunity to tell others that your LSAT score doesn’t dictate your law school career.

“That part of my story, it humbled me, but it gave me a way to counsel and help others who are feeling that ‘maybe this isn’t for me,’” Williams said. “It’s helped me with others. The score is not the end of the world.

“You can still have a great future, it’s about the work you put in, the connections you make, the networking and going to a school like Detroit Mercy that gives you the support, resources and mentorship that you need to succeed.”

— By Adam Bouton. Follow Detroit Mercy on , ,  and . Have a story idea? Let us know by submitting your idea.