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Laurie Mikva went to law school to become a criminal defense attorney, and began her legal career as a public defender, mustering arguments before juries. But an encounter with a civil legal aid attorney transformed her career.
Ms. Mikva was taking a break from the courtroom, teaching legal writing at the University of Illinois College of Law and taking journalism classes. For an article for her journalism class, she interviewed Valerie McWilliams, Directing Attorney of the Champaign office of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation. "We hit it off," Ms. Mikva recalled, and when the office had an opening for a staff attorney, Ms. McWilliams called and quipped, "Are you willing to give up journalism?"
Ms. Mikva said yes, and worked for 15 years at Land of Lincoln, the legal aid provider for central and southern Illinois. "I had not seen myself as a civil litigator or a family law attorney, but that is where there is a huge need in the indigent community, and I felt I could have a large impact on the lives of my clients."
President Obama nominated Ms. Mikva to the Board of Directors for the Legal Services Corporation and she was confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 2009. She currently serves as a staff attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
At the Land of Lincoln Foundation, Ms. Mikva specialized in domestic violence, divorce, child custody and child support cases. She learned that having legal help to obtain an order of protection and child support can be pivotal for a mother trying to get away from an abusive situation. "Once she is safe and the children are supported, the mother has a chance to pull the family out of poverty. I've had clients do that, and that is wonderful."
She recalled one case, involving a woman who suffered mental and sexual abuse from her husband. He wielded power over her because she was undocumented, and was fearful of his threats to have her sent home to Mexico. After her husband moved out to live with a girlfriend, he hired a lawyer to obtain a divorce and to gain custody of their child. The case was tied up in court for months, ending when the husband was laid off from his job and decided he could no longer afford his lawyer and fight for custody. The mother won custody of her child. "That was a good ending for my client," Ms. Mikva said. "She wouldn't have had a prayer without an attorney. She didn't speak English, and she didn't understand the system. Her husband had an aggressive lawyer."
Ms. Mikva is especially proud of helping establish the Domestic Violence Clinic, a Land of Lincoln partnership with the University of Illinois College of Law. "It was a success on a lot of fronts." Besides helping many domestic violence victims, "it was a way to teach students about some of the legal issues facing poor people. A few students went from there into public interest jobs. For the others, it helped inspire a commitment to equal justice, and many are very involved in pro bono activities," she said.
Prior to joining Land of Lincoln, Ms. Mikva worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Urbana, Illinois, and in the Appellate Division of the Maryland Public Defender's Office.
In addition to Ms. McWilliams, her father, former federal judge and law professor Abner Mikva, and her sister, Mary Mikva, Illinois Circuit Court Judge, "have been role models of devoted public servants for me," Ms. Mikva said.
"I have found that there are lots of ways for me to work towards equal justice - being a public defender, being a legal aid attorney, serving on the LSC Board, and doing pro bono work. I have found all of the work very gratifying. I want to encourage every lawyer to find a way to make his or her own contribution to the cause, for the community and for themselves."
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