By Michele
Mirto
Kate McMillan
has been selected
as the
Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney
of the Month
for July. A member
of Southern
Arizona Legal Aid’s
Volunteer
Lawyers Program (VLP)
since 2002,
Kate frequently assists
Pima County
clients by preparing
their wills
and powers of attorney.
Kate is
bilingual and is always happy to accept monolingual Spanish
speakers
as clients.
Whenever called upon by the VLP, Kate willingly accepts
referrals
and has never
declined to assist a client in need. Kate will receive her
award
on October 15,
2010 at the VLP’s Annual Awards Luncheon. The VLP’s monthly
award is a
distinct honor: of the nearly 1300 attorneys who volunteer their
time
with the VLP,
only 12 receive the VLP’s Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney award
each year.
Q & A with
Kate McMillan:
Where are
you from?
I am a Rocky
Mountain woman. Born in Butte,
Montana, I was
raised in Mexico, Colorado and Tucson. I lived in Boise, Idaho
and Madrid,
Spain for a time, as well. I moved to Tucson in a lime green
Ford
station wagon
in 1956. It was August and 114 degrees.
Where did
you get schooling?
The local
school system, from fourth grade
through law
school at the U of A provided my education. I also studied at
the
University of
Madrid.
What is
your area of practice?
My practice is
limited to trust and estate
matters, and I
enjoy both office and court work. I love it. Most days.
What drives
you to volunteer with VLP?
Lawyers need
to be reminded that
we occupy a
place of privilege in society. We have a lot to be grateful
for. It
recharges my
spirit to practice my craft without being paid. It is a more
immediate way
to relate to the community around us.
Persons you
wish to recognize in the legal field.
I will always
be indebted
to Dean
Charles Ares for having faith in the relatively few number of
women who
graduated in
1974. We were the last class to enter under Dean Ares, and he
packed the
place with dames.
I also sharply
miss Steven Bogard and Craig Gordon.
What I like
about Tucson.
Recently my husband and I discovered The Rogue
Theater in
Tucson. Such quality and power for the modest price of a
ticket.
We have big
city caliber art in a small berg setting.
