2L Michael Fussell grateful for opportunities afforded by Schuck Family Scholarship

By: James Grega, Jr.

Ohio State Law student Michael Fussell did not take the traditional path to law school.

A former news reporter and anchor, Fussell spent the better part of a decade in news after graduating from American University in 2014 with a degree in broadcast journalism. However, after working as a journalist in Alaska, Georgia, and Kentucky, Fussell decided he wanted to make an impact in a more direct way.

“I would do a lot of stories as a reporter where I was working alongside attorneys,” Fussell said. “But I still felt limited in comparison to how lawyers were able to help people out. That had always been on my mind.”

A Cleveland-area native, the well-traveled Fussell decided to attend law school closer to home. A first-generation college and law student, Fussell earned the first Schuck Family Endowed Scholarship, which was approved by the University Board of Trustees in May of 2021. It was endowed by Ohio State Law alumnus Henry Schuck, ’09, who is the CEO and Founder of ZoomInfo.

Fussell said the scholarship has afforded him with opportunities he might not have otherwise been exposed to.

“I am a first-generation college and law student. Having this scholarship has been very helpful in that regard because it has allowed me to have more security and do things that I probably would not have been able to do otherwise,” Fussell said. “I am very grateful, and it has been a very positive experience.

“I have been able to explore areas of the law that would be difficult to explore if you had to worry about the financial aspects of what you’re doing,” he added. “It has opened doors to give me the time to explore areas of law that interest me and will make me a better lawyer.”

During his 1L summer, Fussell worked as a Capital Habeas Unit Legal Extern for the Federal Public Defender in Columbus. Currently, Fussell is a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. in the Southern District of Ohio. This summer, Fussell will serve as a summer associate at Squire Patton Boggs.

Fussell said he hopes to pursue a career in litigation once he graduates from Ohio State Law.

“I have done a lot of work that has been drawn to that area through my classes and externships,” he said.  “I would like to be in a litigation role where I get to advocate for others, think creatively, and write.”

Fussell added his current work for Judge Sargus has been “eye-opening,” exposing him to new ways of viewing the legal process.

“Being the person on the other side of the briefs, where you have to read and make sense of them to come to your own conclusions has really shaped my writing abilities and what I look for,” he said. “Everyone in the office makes an effort to talk to you and listen to your opinion. It has been very rewarding.”