LEADERSHIP IN LAW 2023: Amina Thomas

Cohen & Malad LLP
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 2016

Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?

I’ve always looked up to lawyers and viewed the legal profession as a noble one. Growing up in a single-parent household and as the daughter of an immigrant, I saw my mother, who came here from India when she was 25, face many cultural and socioeconomic challenges. I always noticed how capable and confident lawyers were in difficult situations because of their ability to analyze and work through difficult situations to arrive at a positive result. I wanted to pursue a career where I could provide that sense of security not only for my own family, but for others who need a little help in our society.  

What is something you wish people knew about lawyers?

 I think most lawyers are extremely kind and caring people. We don’t mean to be annoying. I can’t speak for all lawyers, but sometimes I wish I could turn off my analytical brain in certain situations with family and friends and just “go with the flow” a bit more. It’s not a conscious choice for us to over- analyze every situation!

How do you spend your free time?

My husband, Drew, and I are expecting our first child in May, so most of our free time lately is spent preparing to welcome home a newborn and reading up on how to care for an infant. I love art and design, so I have enjoyed this time decorating the nursery. 

What do you enjoy about litigation, specifically working on class-action cases?

I love that litigation, specifically class-action litigation, keeps me on my toes. As class-action attorneys, we must have our “finger on the pulse” of new challenges, issues and wrongs occurring in our society. If class-action remedies weren’t available, those large-scale issues would go unchallenged for so many ordinary citizens. 

This type of litigation forces us to see the “forest through the trees” so that we can effectively figure
out large-scale solutions to large-scale problems.  

We hear you’ve worked with Afghan refugees on immigration issues — how did you get involved in that work, and why is it important to you?

In August 2021, when the U.S. evacuated its military operations from Afghanistan, I think a lot of U.S. citizens were laser-focused on what would happen next. We were all watching. When Indiana received an influx of Afghan refugees in the following months, I and other members of the IndyBar Women and Law Division Executive Committee brainstormed ways that we could effectively help the evacuees that now called our state “home.” We collaborated with the Exodus Refugee Immigration organization here in Indianapolis, which was (and still is) actively resettling Afghan refugees. Through that partnership, the WLD helped supply volunteer attorneys to Exodus for pro bono events where attorneys met with Afghan clients and helped process paperwork for Afghan evacuees to achieve temporary and permanent status here in the U.S. The evacuees and their families were at high risk of retaliation by the Taliban if they remained in Afghanistan because of their assistance to U.S. Intelligence operations. That was the impetus for my volunteer work with Afghan refugees. 

I continue to participate in pro bono opportunities for Exodus periodically. The work that resettlement organizations like Exodus do, and thus the need to support them, is significant to me because I can only imagine that being displaced from one’s home (and in most instances, separated from one’s family) unwillingly is one of the hardest, loneliest and saddest experiences one can endure. It feels incumbent upon me as an attorney and daughter of an immigrant to spend a little of my time to help these individuals work toward restoring structure to their lives.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” -Oscar Wilde.

If you hadn’t pursued a legal career, what would you be doing?

I think I would be an architect, landscape architect or interior designer. I started out as an architecture major in undergrad, and I am still fascinated by both architecture and design to this day. 

Who is someone who has inspired you in your career?

It’s too hard to narrow it down to just one person! I’ve been privileged to have many incredible mentors and role models in my career. Judge Melissa May, Judge Heather Welch and attorney Lynn Toops are the top three. They are all trailblazers in historically male-dominated areas of the law. I had the privilege of serving as a judicial law clerk to Judge May at the Court of Appeals of Indiana immediately after graduating law school, and to Judge Welch at the Indiana Commercial Court. Both Judge May and Judge Welch were incredible mentors and role models. They exemplify what it means to work hard, be good listeners, think before you speak, and handle difficult decisions with grace and intelligence. 

Lynn, my colleague and mentor at Cohen & Malad, has equally inspired me and motivates me every day to be a better lawyer. Lynn leads our firm’s class-action team and is a hard-working and skilled attorney, all while being a wonderful mom to two girls. Her ability to lead, persuade and evoke positive change for her clients and colleagues is due to her hard work, positive attitude and excellent track record in her cases. 

What makes a good lawyer/judge?

Humility, curiosity, and a lot of hard work and preparation.  

Do you have a secret talent?

Falling asleep early, no matter how stressed I am.•

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