Someone you should know: Miriam Miquelon

brother. "It was never a question whether or not I would go to college, it was simply expected." While she worked toward her legal career, her brother attained advanced degrees in chemistry and engineering. But Miquelon seems most proud of her brother's decision to abandon his more traditional career in favor of pursuing an artist's life. He is now a published poet and accomplished musician. He seems to exemplify one of her philosophies: "Follow your heart and success will follow."

Miquelon received an undergraduate degree in political science, as well as a double minor in French and Oriental Studies, from the University of Arizona. She earned a law degree from DePaul University, taking most courses at night in order to accommodate her jobs in the Public Defender's Office and as a law clerk. She returned to DePaul to take courses towards a Masters in Taxation, then earned an LLM in taxation from Chicago Kent College of Law. She has also taken classes toward a PhD in Legal History.

After law school Miquelon remained in the Chicago area where she worked for United States District Judge Kocoras, who was then in private practice. She had her own practice for eight years, then joined the Chicago law firm of Keck, Mahin and Cate, where she specialized in white-collar criminal defense work. Next she headed to the east coast to serve as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York. Prior to the appointment to her current position, she returned to the Midwest as an Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting high profile white-collar crime in the Southern District of Illinois. When asked to reconcile defending white collar crime with prosecuting it, she extols the virtues of the Constitution. "We have a good system. You don't have to choose a side. Every interest has a right to be vetted. Every interest has a right to be protected. That's just how it works. I'm not a politician and I don't have an opinion about it."

Ms. Miquelon is very family oriented. She asked us about our families and showed us pictures of her two children, daughter Rachel and son Aaron. She jokingly says, "Rachel is 15 going on 34, therefore I am still the village idiot. Aaron is 18 and a freshman at Washington University in pre-law, despite my begging him to go into medicine." On a more serious note, she expresses gratitude about quality time with her children. "I love to find out what makes them tick. I'm so lucky to have such great kids. Not only do I love them, but I also genuinely like them as human beings." Regarding managing the demands of a career and family, Miquelon points out she has always worked and has learned to "fit my life into my children's life." She does not just pay lip service to this idea, but seems to always keep it at the forefront of her mind. Later in the interview, when we asked about future plans, without missing a beat she said, "Well, ... let's see..., there's gymnastics practice and then..." Miquelon reflects that her children's world is "so much bigger than ours was, which can be both good and bad." She credits parochial school as a very positive influence on Rachel and Aaron, as well as family activities, like traveling each year to a different national park. "When I'm not at work, I'm with my kids."

We asked Ms. Miquelon about the challenges of being a female in a male-dominated field, expecting to hear tales of discrimination and repression. Instead, we were exposed to a refreshing way of thinking about women in law. She admitted that when she first began practicing there were plenty of judges who did not think women belonged in the courtroom but says, "Women have distinguished themselves in law. This profession is wide open."

When Miquelon discusses her mentors, the names on the list are all men: Mike Coffield, a Chicago attorney who has represented several famous clients; Dan Webb, a former United States Attorney whom she worked with as a young associate; and Judge Kocoras. She is thankful for their help and influence, saying, "I once asked Mike Coffield how I could pay him back for his help. He told me I could thank him by helping out another young person." Miquelon followed that advice. She has a love for teaching and has taught law students on some level for 20 of the 25 years she has been practicing law. Currently she teaches Litigation Ethics and Trial Advocacy at Washington University. She muses that she has been known to pause during a meeting to answer an e-mail from a frantic law student.

While undoubtedly serving as a role model for women entering the legal profession, Miquelon's own philosophy tends to diverge from the typical feminist rhetoric. When discussing what Miquelon calls "The Fast Track/Slow Track Myth" she quotes Gloria Steinem, "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." She adds that "women lawyers need a wife." As a woman who rose to be only one of two or three women partners in a 300-lawyer firm, she is surprisingly nonchalant about struggles specific to women. "I never thought doors were closed to women; women hold themselves back. If you want to do good things, think about good things. It's all in what you choose to think about. Pick what you want to do based on what you think is important."

Miquelon graciously minimizes the challenges she faced regarding the delay in her appointment as U.S. Attorney. She dismisses those who opposed her appointment as "disingenuous" and denies that the negative publicity bothered her. "None of it was true so why agonize over it?" In spite of this bravado, she admits it bothered her that her kids had to see it, but added, "really, except for your kids, most things that get you upset really don't matter." Her philosophy is "the only person who keeps you down is you, not what others think of you." When we asked how she developed this attitude, she explained that it was just a realization over time. "I like this getting old. It teaches you not to buy into anyone else's agenda."

Miquelon definitely does not buy into anyone else's agenda, and it is difficult to imagine her as a conformist at any age. Part of her interesting personality stems from attitudes that appear to be inconsistent: She is a female in a male dominated field, yet she does not feel she has been discriminated against because of her gender; she is a single parent who has worked full-time for 25 years, yet she does not feel cheated by time away from her kids; she has defended white-collar crime, yet she now is a foremost prosecutor in the field. She is remarkably unharried while performing a very high-pressure job and raising her children. We asked her how she keeps it all together. Does she meditate? She shared that she is a runner, and running is her meditation, "I can think when I'm running." She does not watch TV, but reads a variety of books. She encouraged us to "Continue to do as much as you can. Don't waste time, and enjoy what you are doing."

By the end of the interview, we believed Miquelon could pursue a career as a motivational speaker. This dynamic, innovative, gracious, and spiritual lady turned our anxiety into excitement and enthusiasm about our future as lawyers. Just before completing the interview, we asked Miquelon if she was ever afraid for her own safety as a result of her high-profile prosecutions. Her immediate "no" was not a surprise after becoming familiar with her unwavering, refreshingly positive outlook. Miriam Miquelon exudes the attitude of "No Fear."

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* Polly Hampton and Judith Hahn are second-year law students at Southern Illinois University School of Law.