SERVING CLIENTS & SERVING COMMUNITY

CARINA KRAATZ DUAL JD '09 Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valiutti & Sherbrook, Principal

Carina Kraatz '09, a principal at Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valiutti & Sherbrook, is a registered patent attorney. In addition to leading the firm’s intellectual property practice, she has received multiple awards for her pro bono service to the Detroit community.

"Through my pro bono practice, I discovered that what we as attorneys may consider a small task can help to change a person's life. An attorney has the ability to step into a pivotal part of a person’s life and make a tremendous difference in their trajectory for the better."

Kraatz, a graduate of the Canadian & American Dual JD program, experienced the impact of pro bono service through the clinical programs at Detroit Mercy Law. “I was encouraged to participate in the legal clinics. Not only did these legal clinics expose me to different areas of law, but they also allowed me to directly help those in need— people needing immigration assistance or neighbors needing third-party dispute resolution services,” she explained.

“My experience at Detroit Mercy Law’s legal clinics inspired me to volunteer at a local non-profit while in law school. During my time volunteering at this non-profit, I helped someone with their asylum application. Seeing the look on that person’s face when their application was granted is something that I will never forget and is by far one of the most rewarding legal experiences I have ever had.”

During the pandemic, Kraatz assisted in the transition of the Detroit Bar Association’s Detroit Legal Services Clinic from in-person to virtual. “Due to in-person limitations, the Clinic is now able to virtually provide advice and counsel services to more pro bono clients on a regular basis.”

Kraatz received the Pro Bono Award from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2019. From 2019 through 2021, the Detroit Bar Association has recognized her commitment to pro bono work, and in 2021, awarded her the Committee of the Year Award for her contributions to access to justice for those in need during the pandemic. Most recently, she was appointed to the Detroit Bar Association Board of Directors and received the 2022 Pro Bono Service Award.

“I continue my pro bono legal work to this day knowing that even if clients do not express their gratitude outright, I have still made a difference in their life.”