Olivia Berryman is a second year law student. She is president of the Family Law Society, fundraising chair of the Student Bar Association, and project coordinator of the Kelley Institute of Ethics and the Legal Profession. She is from Milford, Michigan. Her 2025 summer externship placement is at the Advocate Family Law Group in Lexington, North Carolina. Here she talks about the importance of ethics in family law, which she plans to practice.
I have always loved being involved in leadership and extracurricular activities. One avenue that allowed me to do that in law school was helping the Kelley Institute of Ethics and the Legal Profession plan its events for this year’s campus-wide Ethics Week, Feb. 17- 21.
When I entered law school last year, I knew that ethical obligations in the legal field existed, but I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant or how I would experience it. Also, I have a massive passion for family law, a field that has many ethical challenges.
Family law involves trust. Your client must trust you enough to open up and reveal their most valuable and vulnerable personal information. Family law attorneys must make choices about how to use that information. I know when I practice family law, I will have ethical obligations that are heightened by the mere weight of my client’s circumstances.
When the opportunity arose for me to join the Kelley Institute team, I jumped at it. I was excited to learn how to merge my passion for family law with a desire to learn all I could about legal ethics. Last semester, I helped plan an event on white collar crime in which two criminal justice scholars spoke about the system’s ethical obligations and consequences when they are not followed.
For MSU Ethics Week, the Kelly Institute has planned several events aimed at various areas of the law and the importance of ethics surrounding them. I am proud to have been able to work with Professor Justin Simard and law student organizations to help bring these events to the College of Law.
I look forward to seeing how being involved with the Kelley Institute benefits my future career in family law.
The Frank J. Kelley Institute Ethics and Legal Profession at MSU Law, in partnership with other departments and programs, presents the following events this month:
- Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon Featuring the African American Perspectives Collection at the Library of Congress. Friday, Feb. 14, Noon–3 p.m., MSU Main Library. RSVP: https://bookings.lib.msu.edu/event/13822931
- Judicial Ethics and Journalism: Feb. 18, 12:15 -1:15 p.m.. MSU Law, Castle Board Room. Conversation between Professor of Law Justin Simard and Detroit Free Press Investigative Reporter, Dave Boucher, on judicial ethics in Michigan.
- Punishment and Protection: A Conversation on the Past and Future of Family Regulation: Feb. 20,12:15-1:15 p.m. MSU Law, Castle Board Room. Conversation between Professor of Law Laura Savarese and Natasha Chokhani.
- Ethics, Due Process, and U.S. Securities Regulation: Feb. 25, 12:15 - 1:15 p.m., Castle Board Room. Join the Business and Securities Law Institute, the Business and Law Association, and the Kelley Institute for a conversation with Tim Pagliara, CIO of CapWealth Advisors; and Nick Morgan, President of Investor Choice Advocates Network and former SEC Senior Trial Counsel.
- Event with Vice Chancellor Laster: March 10, 3 - 4 p.m.. MSU Law, Castle Board Room - J. Travis Laster is a Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery and the author of decisions shaping and defining the duties of corporate actors and the features of corporate governance under Delaware Law.