The Legal Aid Society is the nation’s largest public defense and civil legal services provider. The largest law firm in New York City is home to over 2000 attorneys, paralegals, social workers, investigators, and more. Each brings their unique perspective to the fight for justice in every borough.

What inspired you to work at Legal Aid?
My journey to Legal Aid was a serendipitous experience. I knew I wanted to work with children and families from the moment I took the LSAT exam. I decided to go to law school because I wanted to advocate for children who had special educational needs (following an experience advocating for my [at the time] 4-year old daughter who needed speech services). She is now 19 and in her Sophomore year of college on a scholarship. I knew that as an older law student, I needed to engage in internships and work with faculty who worked with children in order to land a job in my desired field.

This led me to be a Child Advocacy Fellow at my law school. After talking with a clinic professor, I applied for an internship at The Legal Aid Society Juvenile Rights Practice. I realized immediately, that there was a whole world where I could represent children in more than Education, and decided this was my dream job. I was lucky enough to get a job here upon graduating law school representing children in child abuse and neglect cases, and then after 5 years, I became part of The Kathryn A. McDonald Education Advocacy Project (a full circle moment) and never looked back.

What’s a recent project or piece of work you’re proud of, and why?
I love representing clients, and have so many amazing cases that I could talk about, but a somewhat recent project I am proud of is the opportunity to do a training at a COPAA Conference (COPAA stands for Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates) last March. This annual conference convenes parents and education advocates and attorneys together to discuss and learn better ways to advocate for children who have special educational needs. I had a great fortune to prepare a training with colleagues where we discussed better strategies to help students who experience mental health events at school avoid discipline due to their crises. This training involved a white paper, as well as preparing the training/presentation. It was amazing to be part of a team of strong advocates who care deeply about improving the education experiences of children in our community.

The Legal Aid Society encourages staff to engage and teach others so that we can be a rising tide raising all ships. This experience also provided me with tools in my arsenal that can make me a better advocate for our clients, and therefore help my surrounding community grow and develop competent youth who grow up to lead the world around us.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is when I have tried everything to help a child regarding school and hit a wall that I cannot move past. This could be due to the system, communication or working with the parent, or just gaps in our laws and regulations. I am a pit bull at times in that I cannot let go, even when I know I have done all I can. I am still learning after over a decade in this work, how to know when to “fold” and realize I cannot fix everything. Thankfully, I have great mentors and supervisors to advise me each day.

What’s something about your work that most people misunderstand?
Most people misunderstand that I can make anything happen, however, I am only as useful as the connections I have with the other stakeholders involved with the children, whether it is the school district, the courts, or other service providers working with the family. I also think that although most people know my work is mentally taxing, it is often assumed that I do not attach myself to my clients and their needs. Not because I don’t care, but because it appears I can walk away at any time. The reality is, I feel a strong connection to my clients and their families, and I have a strong frustration with the system, and many of the decision-makers I must interact with.

What is the impact of your work on the lives of New Yorkers?
Generally, I think The Legal Aid Society as a whole has a very strong impact on the lives of New Yorkers. However, personally, the work I do has a lot of impact because as a Black Woman, although I do not know what every client and family is going through, I know what it is like to be overlooked, disrespected, and ignored. I think about that feeling every time I work with a new client. I consider that every child, their parent/caretaker, and the people around the family deserve respect and understanding as they navigate sometimes very complicated and emotionally draining situations. I am well aware of my privilege, but equally cognizant that especially today, being a black and brown person right now comes with a lot of emotions and stress. If I can relieve some of that by doing the best job I can every day, show up for my client, and be a voice in the loud chaos brought on by this broken system, maybe one more child can see a positive change in their educational experience.

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Mikila Thompson is a Staff Attorney with the Juvenile Rights Practice’s Education Advocacy Project.