SPBMCC Women’s History Month Spotlight: Ana-Marija Turkovic
March 17, 2023 in Women's History Month
Throughout history, women have fought for progress, freedom, and advocacy, uplifting the voices that came before them and taking significant risks to improve their lives and those around them. Today, women continue to redefine their 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 industry daily, March is a month to acknowledge and honor women’s accomplishments in American history formally. During the month of March, SPBMCC would like to recognize the firm’s strong, successful female members and their impact on their practice and peers.
Women’s History Month was originally a week-long celebration—Pub. L. 97-28, passed by Congress in 1981, 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 five years, congress continued to acknowledge women’s effects and advances in society. In 1995, they declared Women’s History Month an annual celebration during March.
Ana-Marija Turkovic joined the firm in 2021 as an Associate with a focus on litigation and medical malpractice, dedicated to furthering her skills in law and vigorously advocating for clients. Ana-Marija was born in Croatia and immigrated to the United States in 1997 and continues her passion of using her voice to advocate for others as an Attorney. With an education from the Brooklyn School of Law, Ana-Marija is a member of the American Bar Association and fluent in two languages, English and Croatian. Below is a brief Q&A with Ana-Marija, where she shares her inspirations for pursuing a career in law, along with words of encouragement she would give to other young women who also want to pursue a legal career.
Q: What inspired your desire to pursue a career in law?
A: “As an immigrant, it has always been ingrained in me that you must work for the life that you wish to live. I came to the United States from Croatia in 1997 and was raised by a single mother until I was eight years old. I grew up watching my mother work endless jobs to be able to put food on the table and to provide me with educational and career opportunities that may not have been available for me had I not come to America. I learned from a very young age that success does not just happen, and luck does not exist. Due to the fact that my mother was a fighter, it was all I knew, and naturally, I became a fighter. I was an opinionated child who demanded to be heard, and those are characteristics that have remained with me in adulthood. I strongly believe that being an attorney is not my job, it’s who I am. I was and continue to be drawn to the legal field because I want to use my voice to amplify the voices that have been silenced.”
Q: Is there a woman who inspired you within your field? A quote from someone that resonates with you?
A: “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”
Q: What would be a piece of advice you would give to young women pursuing a legal career?A: “The advice I would give to young women pursuing a legal career is to keep going. There will be many obstacles in your path but do not let them discourage you. Also, take a moment and appreciate how far you’ve come. ”