Grad pursues path to law school

Coveted trips with his father to Las Vegas would ultimately help shape Nick Morello’s career path. The criminology and criminal justice major will be receiving his bachelor’s degree this week and plans to pursue law school with an eye on gambling and gaming law.

Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, Morello came to Arizona with his family shortly after graduating from high school in 2011.

“I had never really considered Arizona schools,” he said. “I was interested in becoming a firefighter, and one of my lacrosse coaches who is a firefighter told me that the best match is a degree in criminology. ASU has a highly ranked criminology and criminal justice program.”

“We have some of the best teachers,” he said. “Professor Danielle Wallace is one of the funniest professors I've had. Justin Ready is downright inspiring.  But Professor Kevin Wright has been the biggest influence on me, as he's been a role model to me, in that he really seemed like the guy who was in my shoes when he was younger, and achieved a lot in his life.”

It was in Wright’s class that Morello found another chance to grow: an internship with The Washington Center. The Washington Center pairs college students with opportunities to work in the Washington D.C. area.

“Going in to my junior year, I thought I wanted to be a detective,” he said. “I was paired with a public defender’s office in Maryland, and that internship really made me think about the LSAT, and becoming a lawyer.”

He notes that he was able to see first-hand what lawyers do—from watching police interrogations, to interviewing people involved in cases, to going to court to observe a trial.

“Probably one of the biggest cases for me was a family whose son was accused of stealing a car,” he said. “The turning point was when I had to deliver a subpoena to his parents. Normally people are not happy about receiving a subpoena. It can mean missing paid time at work, and sitting through several boring days of trial. But this time was different. They were actually eager the subpoena, as it meant knowing the date their son’s fate would be decided.”

“It was a very motivating moment. I came to realize this was someone’s son we were defending – and that we were representing someone who could spend 25 years away from his family,” he said.

While he says that he admired the lawyers at the Montgomery County Public Defenders’ Office, he found criminal law to be too adversarial.

That is when he found inspiration from annual trips that he and his father took to Las Vegas.

“He works a lot – but has always made time for the PAC-12 basketball tournament in Vegas. Those times were really important, as it meant spending some time with my old man. It's also what made me consider gambling and gaming law,” he said.

“I want to make a career off of something people enjoy, not off of people who are in trouble,” he said.

After graduation, Morello will be preparing for the LSAT and applying to law school. He will also be pulling in even more experience as an intern for the Pima County Attorney’s office.