Yvonne Tirakian - Detroit, MI

Whether it be access to safe and affordable housing or fair wages and working conditions, Yvonne believes that all people deserve to live decent lives, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Growing up, Yvonne felt deeply troubled and upset about inequality and unfairness in the world, which led her to study sociology at Wayne State University. Yvonne earned her BA in Sociology and University Honors in 2020. During undergrad, Yvonne was accepted into the Wayne State University “LawStart” 3+3 program, which allowed her to complete her BA concurrently with her first year of law school. She graduated with her JD from Wayne State University Law School in May of 2022. During her time at Wayne Law, Yvonne served as an Article Editor and later went on to become the Reviewing Editor of the Journal of Law in Society. She served as President of Wayne Law’s chapter of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice. Yvonne was also elected to the Wayne Law Student Bar Association Board of Governors twice, serving as Day Governor of her class during her second and third years. She received the Warrior Pro Bono Award for completing over 50 hours of voluntary pro bono legal work for the Free Legal Aid Clinic at Wayne Law while maintaining a full law school course load.

Prior to joining Miller Cohen, Yvonne worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid in the Detroit Eviction Prevention Office where she provided free legal representation to Detroit residents facing eviction. Yvonne defended hundreds of clients at risk of losing their homes in litigation involving both private and public housing, housing choice vouchers, land contracts, title disputes, and more. When she wasn’t in the courtroom preventing evictions, Yvonne was busy serving her fellow employees as a steward for Lakeshore Legal Aid’s union affiliated with the United Auto Workers National Organization of Legal Service Workers Local 2320. As a steward, Yvonne represented her fellow union members in grievances, investigatory meetings, and collective bargaining. During her time in UAW-NOLSW Local 2320, Yvonne helped non-union employees successfully organize so that they, too, could enjoy union protections and participate in collective bargaining.

Yvonne’s experience in litigation and labor organizing led her to Miller Cohen, P.L.C., where she continues to fight for the rights of working people and unions.