Graduate voice: Federal public service remains priority for Spartan lawyer

Bryan Concepcion, ‘12, is an attorney with HUD in Washington, D.C.

Ever since I was a kid in Brooklyn, I had dreams of becoming a lawyer. MSU Law made that dream a reality. Today, I am an attorney with the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

When I graduated in 2012, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to public service. And I have been fortunate enough to do that. I have worked in several federal agencies, including the U.S. Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

I also served as U.S. Presidential Management Council Fellow, drafting reports to Congress, providing training on federal appropriations issues and leading the resource, planning and operations division for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Today, I provide legal counsel for Ginnie Mae, a federal corporation that links the U.S. housing market to global capital markets, ensuring sustainability, affordability and liquidity for federal housing programs.

My practice areas include mortgage-backed securitization, real estate, litigation, bankruptcy and structured finance. I have provided legal representation that resulted in successful conclusions of high-stakes federal litigation across the country. I also have provided legal counsel that supported the creation of a securities pool that contributed to the stabilization of the mortgage finance industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is this one of my notable accomplishments in this role, but it is one of my proudest moments as an attorney.

My career in public service is based on my commitment to advocate for the most vulnerable people in our country, those left without a voice. The feeling of not being heard or seen resonated with me because I experienced this growing up in New York City.

Nonexistent housing options, limited educational resources and mistreatment by law enforcement were so common, yet overlooked or ignored. It became my personal mission to challenge anything that was not fair and just. This spirit to challenge the status quo was something my mother saw in me when I was in the second grade, then she planted the seed that would lead me to eventually become a Spartan lawyer.

The education and practical skills I received at MSU Law significantly contributed to my preparation for the legal profession. The MSU Law Housing Law Clinic provided me with the opportunity to explore housing law issues following the Housing Crisis of 2008. At the clinic, I developed litigation and negotiation skills representing clients facing foreclosure or eviction in Michigan district courts. These are skills that I continue to use today.

Also, I took the Housing Law and Public Interest course, which provided foundational knowledge about how loose mortgage lending standards and the boom in mortgage-backed securities, or MBS, contributed to the 2008 Housing Crisis. It is a full-circle moment to work directly with a client that has an MBS program that is critical to U.S. housing and mortgage finance. This course coupled with clinical experience gave me a unique perspective on housing law that has shaped me as a lawyer.

During my time at MSU Law, I fostered lifetime connections with classmates who have become family. One of my 1L section peers worked alongside me at the MSU Law Housing Law Clinic, as my moot court teammate and as my colleague at HUD-OGC.

My contributions to HUD and the Washington, D.C. legal community were recognized with the 2024 HUD Coin of Excellence Award. Additionally, I received the National Bar Association 2025 Centennial Top 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates Award for my contributions to the legal profession. The NBA also recognized my career in public service and bestowed me with the NBA Centennial Excellence in Service Award, which is given to one of the Top 5 attorneys. These awards not only reflect my professional journey, but they also encourage me to continue the fight like the Spartan Lawyer I am!

In 2021, I helped develop the HUD Office of General Counsel Legal Externship Program to give law students an opportunity to learn from amazing HUD attorneys. Some alumni of this program include recent MSU Law graduates. Being able to be a resource for new Spartan Lawyers in this program is priceless.

During a time when public service workers are subjected to false narratives about our work ethic and qualifications, it has become difficult to maintain a smile while performing work that I have always been passionate about.

Being recognized by legal peers is a reminder that the fight must go on and that my experience at MSU Law has fully equipped me to remain resilient and persevere.

As civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph said, “Justice is never given, it is exacted.”

This story originally appeared on the College of Law website.