Legal All-Star – Monica Cail – Legal Action of Wisconsin

Monica Cail never imagined herself as an attorney until a professor at Alverno College raised it as a career possibility.

At the time, Cail was nearing 30 and attended classes on nights and weekends while working full-time and raising two children.

“I didn’t know any lawyers, especially not ones with backgrounds like mine. It didn’t seem like law school, or a legal career, was meant for someone like me,” she said.

But Cail talked with her professor more about law school and began thinking about the possibility. She began working as a case manager and benefits specialist for people living with HIV and realized her ability to help people was limited by systems that needed change.

“That was when I realized I needed to take the leap and apply to law school — and the rest is history,” Cail said.

Now the director of Racial Justice Litigation and Advocacy at Legal Action of Wisconsin, Cail said the work is personal to her.

“I share many experiences with our clients and have faced many of the same challenges we help them navigate. Being able to improve the lives of those we serve allows me to help create the kind of world I wish I had been born into,” she said.

While at Legal Action, Cail increased the firm’s public role in racial equity and racial justice, pertaining to legal advocacy. She is active outside the firm, serving on the State of Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team and presenting at the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association’s Annual Conference.

“Monica actively mentors attorneys at all levels, teaching litigation and advocacy strategies,” said Jennifer L. Johnson, LAW’s director of diversity and inclusion. “Her efforts have contributed to the development of LAW’s litigation skills and capacity.”