Celebrating Women’s History: Rita Soka ’22

Rita Soka '22 remembers the day her daughter’s words inspired her to pursue law school. “Mom, you know, you can be a really good lawyer, and I can see you doing it.”

Her daughter, Sabrina, a current first-year student and Dean’s Fellow at Detroit Mercy Law, was a high schooler at the time and completed a research paper on how to become a lawyer. “My response was that I couldn’t because I had a medical background. And she told me, I was wrong—I didn’t need a different bachelor’s degree, I only needed to take the LSAT.”

Despite already balancing a successful career in healthcare and continued family commitments, Soka decided to take the LSAT. “I studied for a month, took the LSAT, and did poorly. So, I thought to myself, let me try it one more time. And I took it very seriously. I took a class. I studied for three months, took it again, and with my new score I received admission to every law school I applied.”

Ultimately, Soka accepted a Dean’s Fellowship at Detroit Mercy Law, where she excelled as a law student, served as an executive member of the Women’s Law Caucus, and remains connected as an alumna.

“I said to myself, I know, I can do it. I will never regret that decision. I had to remind myself that I had made big decisions before this, like the decision moving to the United States from Baghdad, Iraq and the decision going to school for my bachelor’s with three children.”

Soka, an active member of the legal community, is involved with various bar associations, including the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. As the founder and managing attorney at Soka Law, PLLC, she specializes in healthcare law, criminal law, and family law. Learn more about her practice here: https://sokalawgroup.com.