January 15, 2025
Two heroes in our profession are retiring from their legal aid leadership roles at the end of January: Alan Mills and Pat Wrona. Throughout their careers, both Alan and Pat have profoundly influenced the pursuit of justice, the thousands of people in need they have helped, and the institutions they have helped shape.
Alan Mills, Executive Director of Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC), became involved with the organization in 1979 as a volunteer while he was a law student at Northwestern University, later becoming the organization’s legal director. During his tenure at UPLC, Alan has established himself as a national expert in prisoners’ rights cases. Since Alan became executive director at UPLC a decade ago, the organization has doubled in size, taking on more cases than ever. While he is officially retiring from the role of Executive Director, Alan isn’t quite saying goodbye to UPLC, as he will still be working with the organization in an advisory capacity.
Pat Wrona joined CARPLS as a part-time attorney in 1995 and has been the organization’s Legal Director since 2007, managing a 50-person staff that delivers services in thirteen practice areas. An expert in employment law, Pat has consistently found creative ways to provide legal services throughout her career as CARPLS has become an integral part of the larger legal aid delivery system. Thanks largely to Pat’s leadership and expertise, CARPLS has become a national leader in innovation in legal service delivery.
We thank Alan and Pat for their many years of service and dedication to legal aid and access to justice. While we celebrate Alan and Pat’s inspiring legal careers, we also look forward to seeing how their example and influence continue to shape the next generation of legal aid leaders.