2 hours ago
5
By Jordyn Davis | For the Birmingham Times
After eight years of service in the Marine Corps, earning a real estate license, practicing real estate law, and running for Shelby County Tax Commissioner, Demus Copeland is now finishing his 17th degree and beginning medical school.
As a man of many interests, Copeland keeps advocacy at the forefront of everything he does — whether it be supporting his clients in real estate or standing up for his fellow veterans.
Born and raised in the Woodlawn community, Copeland saw early on the need for advocacy in his community. After two years at Birmingham Southern College, he knew his life needed direction and discipline. He decided to enlist in the Marine Corps.
“Being in the military was a culture shock for me, but it taught me a lot of things,” Copeland told the Birmingham Times. “During my deployment in Djibouti, which was a non-combat deployment, we focused on community and building relationships with a foreign country. During this time, it opened my eyes to seeing the military as more than just fighting wars.”
But his time in the military also showed him the devastating impact war can have on some.
“We had a couple of service members take their own lives,” Copeland shared. “I wanted to know why this happened and it was a huge reason why I pursued a bachelor’s in psychology in 2021.”
Accidental advocacy
In 2008, while Copeland was in the Marine Corps Reserves and participating in drill weekend, his vehicle slid off an icy highway and threw his crew off an embankment. Copeland distinctly remembers “people flying everywhere.” One of Copeland’s close friends died during this incident, which gave Copeland an entirely new perspective on life. From then on, he knew his calling was to speak up for those who don’t have the privilege of standing up for themselves.
“It’s probably one of the biggest blessings in my life,” Copeland said. “I was thrown out of the vehicle, and some of my friends didn’t make it or were paralyzed, but I literally got up and walked away from this incident. That incident changed my trajectory and my thinking about life. It just brought to my attention that you can die any day. After that accident, there was a huge class action lawsuit, which paved the way for my interest in law.”
Copeland saw firsthand how unaware people are of their rights and how they can use the law to support themselves. He remembers educating his friends after the incident on what kind of claims they would be entitled to. Today, he thinks he can do the same for millions of veterans who simply aren’t aware of their benefits.
“I always wanted to be a lawyer,” Copeland said. “When I received my bachelor’s in political science, I felt like law was the natural thing. I took the bar last year and opened my own practice. While finishing law school, my cousin, who is a pediatrician, was finishing her residency and telling me all about her process, and that really interested me.”
After a career in the military and years of college, Demus Copeland is beginning medical school. (Provided)Law and medicine: an unlikely duo
For Copeland, beginning his education in medicine is about so much more than getting another degree — it’s about doing what he already does as a lawyer in a different arena: putting people first and giving them vital information that could change their lives. That’s why Copeland believes law and medicine go hand in hand.
“When you’re doing medical malpractice, obviously you can help in both the legal and medical fields, but I also think I have the power to change some common misconceptions,” Copeland said. “I know sometimes people think that all veterans are crazy or all veterans who go to war come back with crazy thoughts in their mind. I would say veterans are just regular people like everyone else. We don’t really make the policies; we just do what we’re told to do.”
Copeland believes there are more resources for veterans than ever before, and he wants to be at the forefront of providing them.
“There are so many benefits from the VA,” Copeland said. “They pay for your education, they help if you want to change your career, they’ll help you start up a law practice. There are mental health services you can receive…learning all of this while I have been out of the military has been such a blessing because now I can share it with others,” Copeland said.
Copeland is set to begin medical school at the University of Antigua College of Medicine, where he has been awarded a $55,000 scholarship to continue his advocacy through medicine. Although medical school will require years of discipline and training, Copeland is built for it, drawing on his experiences in psychology, law, and estate.
Learn more at copelandlawofficellc.com.
