A sidebar with … Jessica Pelto

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Assistant Attorney General — and proud Yooper — Jessica Pelto has taken the helm of the Michigan Attorney General’s satellite office in Marquette, located on Northern Michigan University’s campus.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced plans late last year to expand services to residents in the Upper Peninsula. It’s the first time in more than a decade that the AG’s office has had a presence in the UP.

Pelto, originally from Rapid River, shared with Michigan Lawyers Weekly the career path that led her to her new role, and the challenges of practicing in the UP.

You’re assigned to the AG’s MDOC Division, and will primarily be handling the defense of the Department of Corrections and its employees. What plans do you have for the newly reopened office?

My goal is to establish a work ethic and productivity output in the Marquette office that ensures it will remain a full-time office in the Upper Peninsula for a long time. The workload generated in the UP alone is enough to keep many attorneys busy, and there is every reason to have an office right in Marquette. Even though the office has one attorney right now, I want to make sure we establish it in a way that it will remain open and active for a long time.

You’re from the Upper Peninsula. Was that part of the reason why you took the role?

Absolutely. The UP is home, and I would rather practice law there than anywhere! While there are a lot of opportunities for lawyers to work in the UP in general, particularly with the AG’s office that has not been an option in a while.

With the attorney general’s establishment of a full-time office in Marquette, it gave me the perfect opportunity to continue practicing in a place I love, doing work that is both challenging and rewarding. It was an opportunity I really could not pass up!

What challenges do you face working in the UP?

Beyond the challenge every Yooper faces of dealing with winter, my biggest challenge so far has been staying connected with the rest of my team in Lansing. Technology does help a lot, and having access to electronic court records and online case files makes it much easier. But, I still don’t have someone in an office down the hall to bounce a quick question off of or to help brainstorm ideas. Despite that, everyone in Lansing has been very open to questions and available if I need anything, and I appreciate that a lot!

You started practicing law in Escanaba before moving to Marquette. Tell me what prompted that decision.

I really have enjoyed the career I had in Escanaba, and I have been lucky to have great colleagues and friends all along the way. I really was not looking to leave, but the opportunity to work for the Department of Attorney General without having to leave the UP was too good to pass up. Marquette is a great town with so much to offer, so it was not hard to make the decision to move.

You had quite a successful career in Delta County. Can you share some highlights?

I started in private practice at what, at the time, was Butch, Quinn, Rosemurgy, Jardis, Burkhart, Lewandowski & Miller. Working for a general practice firm was a great introduction to the practice of law in the UP, and a good opportunity to get a taste of various practice areas, courts, and procedures.

Then I worked as the Friend of the Court attorney for several years, which gave me the opportunity to focus in on a particular area of law and develop more of an expertise. It also gave me a small taste of working with a state agency.

I then had the opportunity to work as the chief assistant prosecuting attorney in Delta County, where I focused on victim crimes, particularly sexual assault crimes. Professionally, I experienced my highest highs and lowest lows working with victims. Sharing their relief and watching the floodgates of emotion open after a successful resolution of a case was humbling and gratifying. On the other hand, seeing and feeling the devastation a victim experiences when they are not believed and the outcome is not positive could be overwhelming. It is impossible to do that work and not understand how intimately the law affects people’s lives, and I am thankful for the opportunity to experience that firsthand.

What advice do you have for new attorneys?

Nurture your curiosity. In law school, the facts are handed to you and you don’t really have the chance to develop or discover them yourself. I think it’s easy to just take things for face value and focus on your legal arguments, especially when you are starting out in practice. The legal arguments are obviously important, but there are so many details that can help your legal arguments if you dive into the facts. Ask questions and play out the scenarios in your head. The law is interesting, but when you really dive into the story of your case, it can get downright fascinating!

Tell me something your colleagues might not know about you.

I am a cowgirl at heart. If I could wear boots and jeans and ride horses all day, I definitely would!