Camille Mikolajczyk

As an undergraduate in the Honor's College at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Camille Mikolajczyk took numerous additional honors courses, but it was one called "Being an Ally to the LGBT Community" that struck a chord. She was moved by the injustices that so many members of that community faced, such as the right to marry.

The experience ignited her desire to become a lawyer. Before even completing her education, a number of states began legalizing same sex marriage, but her interest in family law matters never waned. While earning her Juris Doctor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Camille took many various courses from international to disability law, but family law remained the most compelling practice area.

Since passing the Illinois bar in 2011, she has worked exclusively in Family Law with two prior law firms in Chicago. "The experience of divorce can be one of the single most painful events in one's life," she says. "If we can mitigate that pain and allow someone to restart their life and be in a better place emotionally, then I have achieved my goal."