SPBMCC Women’s History Month Spotlight: Liza Milgrim
Throughout history, women have fought for progress, freedom and advocacy, uplifting the voices that came before them and taking great risks in order to improve their lives and the lives around them. Today, women continue to redefine their own opportunities and potential and rewrite the future that lies before us, paving the way for future generations.
While women make limitless contributions to our society and our industry every day, March is a month to formally acknowledge and honor the accomplishments women have made in American history. During the month of March, SPBMCC would like to recognize the strong, successful female partners of the firm and the impact they have made on their practice and their peers.
Women’s History Month was originally a week-long celebration—Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 in 1981, which declared the annual celebration a week-long starting March 7, 1982. In 1987, the National Women’s History Project appealed to Congress to extend the holiday to the entire month of March. Pub. L. 100-9 declared March of 1987 Women’s History Month. Over the course of five years, congress continued to acknowledge women’s effects and advances to society. In 1995, they declared Women’s History Month an annual celebration during the month of March.
Liza Milgrim joined Sullivan Papain in 2005 and became a member of the firm in 2014. She is fluent in Spanish and knows first-hand the struggles of the immigrant community as her mother immigrated from Ecuador. As a lawyer, she takes pride in being able to communicate directly with her Spanish-speaking clients to address their questions about the legal process. Today, SPBMCC would like to recognize Liza and her phenomenal accomplishments to the firm and her dedication in advocating and supporting her clients. Below is a brief Q&A with Liza, who shares her appreciation for the woman who inspired her to pursue a legal career, as well as words of encouragement for young women pursuing a career in the practice of law.
Q: Were there any women who inspired you to pursue a legal career?
A: “My mother inspired me to pursue a career in law. My mother immigrated to the United States from Ecuador. While she was educated, I watched people treat her differently because she did not speak English well. People would ignore her, be impatient with her or act like they did not understand her hoping she would just walk away, but she never did. When I was younger, she would ask me to translate for her and as I grew older, I would advocate on her behalf. Today, I advocate for my clients, many of whom do not speak English. I see my mother in each of these clients. My early life experiences make me keenly aware of what my clients are feeling when they walk into my office looking for legal counsel to represent them.”
Q: What would you tell a younger woman pursuing a legal career?
A: “I would tell them to surround themselves with people who look to lift them up. Anyone who succeeded did so because they had people who believed in them and mentored them. Surround yourself with those people.”
Q: What is a meaningful quote that has inspired you?
A: “In addition to being a partner at SPBMCC, I am also the President of the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association where I have spent my time creating professional development programs for law students and new lawyers to ensure that more Hispanic lawyers rise to the highest levels. My job is to make sure I keep holding the door open for others to step through and help them surpass me. This quote reminds me of my commitment to the next generation of lawyers. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in our absence.” –Sheryl Sandberg.”
Q: What would you tell your younger self?
A: “You will have people who doubt you, you will make mistakes, but do not doubt yourself and your abilities. Be strong and know you were built to fight. Fight for yourself and fight for your clients who need people like you on their side.”