2006 WEJF Distinguished Service Award Recipient

In 1978, Marka Henkelman went to Judicare looking for a part-time job. Instead, she found a lifetime career. In 2006, as Pro Bono Director, she served as the pivot-point for Judicare’s unique system of legal service delivery as she coordinates representation for low-income clients.

Marka began at Judicare as an intake specialist. Within a short time, her interest in the program and the people it served helped her make a decision to become a full-time employee. Her promotions to progressively more responsible positions over the years resulted in the building of a large panel of almost 300 volunteer private attorneys who rely on her to approve cases, coordinate coverage, and oversee case-coverage policies.

Marka has devoted her career to providing legal services to the poor and exemplifies the ideals of the Judicare system – making it possible for disadvantaged clients to choose their own attorneys in the areas in which they live. Marka displays an uncanny ability to find a pro bono attorney for a deserving client when everyone else has given up looking.