Members Who Inspire

Going Green: Oday Salim works with Michigan Law students to amend city code

Oday Salim and his students at the University of Michigan Law School have launched a new partnership with the city of Dearborn to create a healthier and more sustainable environment for its residents.

Apr 1, 2025 12:45 AM CDT

Danny Ortega has advocated for farmworkers and immigrants in Arizona for decades

For five decades, Daniel R. Ortega Jr. has remained steadfast in his advocacy for and empowerment of farm workers and the larger immigrant community in Arizona. In January, he was awarded the inaugural Impacto Award by the ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

Mar 17, 2025 9:00 AM CDT

Silicon Valley lawyer Roger Royse pivoted to health tech after cancer diagnosis

Roger Royse, a startup and venture capital lawyer in Silicon Valley, keeps an eye on technology. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, “I went to the biotech companies I know. I went to the VCs that invest in that space and people in my business network that might know people who have some information on biotech,” Royse says. “What I found was there are a ton of companies out there working on really effective, cool, innovative stuff.”

Feb 20, 2025 9:22 AM CST

Northern Star: John Choi is leading efforts to redefine justice in Minnesota

When John Choi became the city attorney for St. Paul, Minnesota, he didn’t have much experience with criminal law. “What I found was that a lot of times, the things that happened in these cases didn’t really produce an outcome that I think would have made the public proud,” Choi says.

Feb 1, 2025 1:00 AM CST

Arizona judge who championed domestic violence survivors dies at 77

Judge Elizabeth "Ellie" Finn, a champion of specialized courts who served as a judge in Arizona for more than 42 years, died Dec. 27 at age 77.

Jan 9, 2025 2:54 PM CST

Meet 11 ABA members who inspired us in 2024

In this year’s Members Who Inspire series, the ABA Journal featured 11 outstanding ABA members who brighten the world around them.

Dec 20, 2024 2:12 PM CST

Check out our favorite 2024 photo galleries

From cartoon captions to court rulings that shaped the Endangered Species Act to book recommendations for lawyers, the ABA Journal presents our favorite photo galleries from this year. Which photo gallery was your favorite?

Dec 20, 2024 9:18 AM CST

Kalpana Kotagal’s inclusion riders promote equality in the entertainment industry

Nearly seven years ago, Frances McDormand ended her acceptance speech at the Oscars with, “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.” Kalpana Kotagal, a civil rights and employment attorney and a creator of the inclusion rider, had no idea McDormand would mention it. “I had gone to sleep,” says Kotagal. “I had no idea any of that had happened and woke up the next morning to just, like, chaos.”

Dec 1, 2024 12:40 AM CST

Michelle Rozovics’ love of learning and teaching takes her around the world

ABA member Michelle Rozovics—the managing attorney of Rozovics Law Firm in McHenry, Illinois, a small city northwest of Chicago—says curiosity led her to the legal profession. It inspired her to pursue international and business law and to work with clients, law students and judges around the world.

Nov 27, 2024 8:48 AM CST

Melanie Kalmanson dedicates pro bono work to death penalty education

When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in the death penalty case Hurst v. Florida in January 2016, it effectively changed the course of Melanie Kalmanson’s career. “That’s when my passion for these issues started, when I was seeing it in real life, living these cases, working on these cases, seeing how it affected Florida,” Kalmanson says. “The thing that really hit me was how little society knows about the reality of the death penalty.”

Oct 1, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

Judge’s advocacy for domestic violence survivors changed Arizona laws

“When I first became a judge, law enforcement and judges basically had the same attitude for domestic violence,” says Judge Elizabeth Finn. “They were quote unquote ‘family disputes,’ and we just wanted them to go away.”

Sep 12, 2024 3:15 PM CDT

Seattle attorney Mason Ji supports immigrants and cultural awareness

At 30, Mason Ji, an associate in the Seattle office of Perkins Coie, is keenly focused on community. While his legal practice involves complex litigation, international sanctions and international trade, Ji’s spare time is spent helping Asian immigrants struggling to succeed in the greater Seattle area.

Aug 1, 2024 12:40 AM CDT

ABA Medal recipient puts democratic principles and indigent defense at center of long career

During next week’s ABA Annual Meeting, Emmet Bondurant will receive the ABA Medal—the highest honor bestowed by the association—for his own longtime dedication to righting wrongs in the legal system.

Jul 24, 2024 10:10 AM CDT

Coast Guard veteran speaks out for military sexual assault survivors

In December, Melissa McCafferty sat before members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and spoke candidly about the darkest times in her life. While at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the late 2000s, she was sexually assaulted by male cadets two separate times. She chose not to report the incidents, fearing no one would care or that she would face discipline.

Jun 1, 2024 12:50 AM CDT

Labor attorney uses art and law to draw attention to workers’ rights

Mark Gaston Pearce uses his love of oil painting and expertise in labor history to highlight the lives of workers. Pearce, an ABA member, graduated from law school in 1978 and joined the National Labor Relations Board in Buffalo, New York, serving first as a field attorney and then as a district trial specialist. “We have seen that art contributes substantially to identifying the feelings and the desires and the power of working people. I hope to continue to facilitate that.”

Apr 1, 2024 12:30 AM CDT